Darden reviews

3.8

68% would recommend to a friend

(2,847 total reviews)

Rick Cardenas

75% approve of CEO

68% positive business outlook

Darden has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 2,847 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Darden employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews
1.0
Jul 10, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

it is a financially stable company and the restaurants are busy, you will get the shifts that you need most of the time

Cons

all of the new standards are about the bottom line, getting more people in and out the door faster, guest satisfaction percentages are rammed down servers throuts, but @ 2.13/hr servers don't get a paycheck so have very little empathy toward a company and managers that do not pay them, teamwork is demanded but the very nature of our income fosters an out for me attitude because server's tips are how they depend on paying the rent, @ 2.13/hr the company provides very little. Pay raises for long term employees was taken away under the guise of a new tip share policy, how many long term employees were lost because of that? Servers are also expected to do a lot of the kitchen responsibilites even though we are not paid hourly so the restaurant can cut labor, it affects servers ability to do their job when they do not have the support they need. the restaurant exploits the lowest paid employees and guest service suffers as a result.

1.0
Jul 7, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Restaurant gets more business than others in the area. Food is excellent.

Cons

Managers are demeaning and prefer their favorites (other guys who like the same sports teams), give them the best shifts, do not punish them for mistakes, and give them giftcards worth money. Do not honor requests for family time or school - only when it is convenient to the management team. Favors are not recognized or thanked for. Because of the sudden growth in the company, they have hired a boatload of new managers who are completely incompetent. Half of the server staff are on drugs or drunk at work. Since Darden bought Longhorn, the menu items have become cheaper because they have a quantity over quality perspective. The clientele has gotten trashy, even in a decent part of town.

4.0
Jul 6, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

they have very flexible schedules and will work with you if you need days off, the pay is decent, they have day one benefits, it's a great environment

Cons

you have to buy your uniform and they are uncomfortable and not flattering, sometimes they don't give you enough hours

Viewing 2701 - 2703 of 2,847 Reviews

Glassdoor has 2,910 Darden reviews submitted anonymously by Darden employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Darden is right for you.