Pros
Fast-Paced work environment Hard work is noticed if you have decent upper management Free meals up to $12 per day pre-tax Decent Benefits Opportunity for moving up - company is rapidly expanding, so corporate positions and franchisee positions are constantly opening up 2 weeks paid vacation, 2 floating holidays Quarterly bonus pay based on store performance You develop a rapport and camaraderie with fellow associates and managers (if the managers are decent) because you spend so much time with them. It's a great feeling walking out of a busy shift that runs well (quite frankly it doesn't happen very often) because it certainly requires every bit of your attention both mentally and physically, and your associates and upper management respect you for it. If you enjoy customer interactions, there is a lot of opportunity for that here. There is a lot of interaction and contact between your and your General Manager and District Manager.
Cons
Very Low pay considering the work/hours/responsibilities Minimal opportunity for pay raises unless you are promoted (even for very high performing managers) Extremely high associate turnover rate from management down to entry level associates - makes it difficult to build a team Very high, near unreasonable expectations from corporate concerning store metrics and operations Consistently dealing with either incompetent management (upper and lower) and/or incompetent associates Extremely long hours - 50 hours per week minimum ( five 10-hour shifts), often work in excess of 60 hours Management responsible for every aspect of store operations from working one specific station all the way up to HR duties, store landscaping, store maintenance, etc. Systemic Incompetence at EVERY level of operations from entry level all the way to upper management Company is transitioning to maximum 28-hour work week for hourly associates to avert offering insurance - makes it difficult to attract decent, qualified applicants Work late nights, early mornings, weekends week-in, week-out Company focuses a lot on profits and store metrics. Customer satisfaction seems to be an afterthought which makes it difficult to build sales and acquire a good reputation in the area Extremely low pay for entry-level associates, extremely high expectations and excessive responsibilities for them harbors a very poor morale and negative culture (causes high turnover rate and customer complaints; customers don't like grumpy servers!) Excessive amounts of paperwork required for associate station certification, delegated to one manager with no raise in pay Very difficult to get fired (this is a con because it means even the worst associates and managers continue to perform poorly with no repercussions) Cons unfortunately massively outweigh the pros in my opinion. I don't mean to 'toot my horn' per se, but I was a very good manager, and I consistently worked alongside incompetent managers and associates. I was delegated excessive responsibilities with no compensation. I never got a raise nor was I offered one until I put in my two weeks (2% raise!). I was responsible for associate certification paperwork as well as drive thru time metrics. I did grocery orders and put up the orders when they came in at 2am (I was scheduled 3p-1a!). My store ran perfect metrics for 6 months straight (14 pts out of a possible 14), but they seemed offended that I expected a raise as a result. Overall, the company delegates massive responsibilities to its store associates, managers and associates alike, but constantly takes from them. Takes benefits, takes pay raises, cuts their hours, cuts their pay, all while telling them it's a privilege for them to work there. Look elsewhere, please! The stress is not worth the pay.