Excellent first job for those hard-working individuals interested in dipping their toes into the food industry.
Pros
- Better than minimum wage - Minimal experience needed! Much is taught on the job - Develop some serious kitchen skills between knife handling and food prep - Opportunities for growth within company - Make lasting friendships with fellow crew members - FREE CHIPOTLE MEAL everyday and often get to spend it with coworkers - Potential for tuition reimbursement IF you work there for 1+ years part time or full time - Management does their best to work around your schedule, and makes the effort to meet one-on-one often just to talk and check in - EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE - Always opportunities for more/less hours, based on how much you want to work - Management is good about making sure you do not work late one night and then early the next morning - Very strong and passionate culture, which they will have ingrained in you by the time you are done working with them
Cons
- VERY fast paced during peak times, whenever understaffed, or when trying to finish food prep in the mornings - Can become so stressful between negative customer interactions and rushing to keep up with the sales goal set by management to the point where you feel like walking out of the restaurant - Physically demanding and constantly on feet, often bending and twisting during chores such as food prep, dishwashing, and organizing inventory; I would often come home with a sore back or legs - Expect to work overtime every once in a while. You will end up staying later than your schedule says you should when the coworker replacing you for the day is late, or the team is understaffed. Heck, if you are closing the restaurant, you WILL stay as late as 2-3 AM on some nights if that's how long it ends up taking.