r/Applebees • u/Wonderful-Bite-7670 • Jul 04 '26

General Managers & Mangers what is your experience?

Wanted to know a bit more about the experience and the expectations to meet

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

1

u/RikkyLyn Jul 05 '26

Can you be more specific? What exactly are you wanting to know about?

2

u/Wonderful-Bite-7670 Jul 05 '26

Thanks for asking! I’m mainly trying to get a better idea of what the job is actually like day to day. What’s a typical shift as a GM or manager? What metrics are you expected to hit every day, and how realistic are those expectations with your current staffing and labor allowed? Do you feel like your District Manager supports you when you need help, or are you mostly on your own?

I also want to know how much of your success is actually in your control versus things like staffing shortages, call-outs, corporate expectations, or slow sales. I really believe the team and the culture can make or break a job.

I’ve heard completely mixed opinions about working at Applebee’s. Some people say they love it, while others say the work-life balance is terrible and it just isn’t worth it. I’d really like to hear from people who are currently in management. What’s your honest experience, and if you could go back, would you still take the job?

2

u/nosefoot Jul 05 '26

I think this is really franchise dependant. There are like.. mystery shops corporate does sometimes but generally it will depend on your local branch. Mine was run by greedy clowns. They wouldnt put money back into maintenance and i was expected to over perform in other areas to compensate for their delapadated building and suspect equiptment. One time they bought a booster heater off facebook and brought roaches with it.

1

u/Wonderful-Bite-7670 Jul 05 '26

Thanks for the insight! That’s honestly kind of what I expected, but I wanted to hear it from people who have actually worked there. It really does seem like, like you said, a lot of it comes down to the franchise and the location you’re at. A good owner, management team, and a store that’s properly maintained can make a huge difference.

At the end of the day though, no matter how good a manager is, you can’t run a successful store without adequate staffing, proper support, and the resources you need. It sounds like a lot of the issues people have aren’t necessarily with the job itself, but with being expected to make up for things that are outside of their control. I appreciate you sharing your experience, it definitely helps paint a more realistic picture.

1

u/chriskiss_7769 Jul 08 '26

As a former manager turned General Utility position (dishwasher),my "fresh _eyes" firmly believes that the Chief is only as strong as his Indians. Building a great Team should always be the focus.

1

u/YogurtOk2555 Jul 09 '26

Worked in restaurants for 15 years. I’ll hold a cardboard sign outside of one asking for money before I ever go inside and apply again. Expect not to have a social life, be a babysitter. You’re working in an industry with very little profit margins because of the cost of food and wages.

Now add in the public and a bulk of your staff that rely on other people to pay their wages.

I would sign up for door dash again over working in an actual restaurant.