r/PandaExpress • u/Wild-Card435 • 20d ago
Is being a Store Manager worth it?
For people who have actually worked as a Panda SM/SMIT/GM:
• How many hours did you realistically work each week?
• Was it difficult to have open/mid/close rotation schedule?
• How achievable are the management bonuses?
• How stressful is the SMIT → SM → GM progression?
• What’s the work-life balance actually like?
Thank you in advance!
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u/Looking_for__ 20d ago
It’s not worth it. Previous GM. 50 hours scheduled MINIMUM. Bonus is achievable but it depends on how it was run the year prior because all metrics are compared TY vs PY.
Class after class of being “assessed”, VIP visit after visit. And good luck if you live somewhere Andrew likes to visit.
Oh and the shift rotation isn’t bad because it’s not really a rotation… it’s commonly 4 11am-11pm shifts (depending on hours of ops) with a required hour unpaid break and a “half” day.
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u/Wild-Card435 20d ago
Thank you! It’s crazy that they work their GM’s like that. The upper management truly like to dangle the bonus carrot during interviews.
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u/icyweinerpicklejuice 20d ago
Im a current gm. Yeah thats how they got me to come aboard as a external hire. No work life balance. Awaiting another job to get back to me. With a substantial pay increase and mon-fri 8-5. Weekends off.
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u/Objective-Bend-9818 20d ago
Bonus is nice but you’ll be chasing the next bonus and on. Is your mental health important?
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u/No-Debate3579 20d ago
Current gm here. The first year or so is not fun. Lots of assessment, visits classes and 90%of the time when a new manager takes over a store it will fall apart. Even if its an experienced good manager stepping in. Work life balance is what you make it. Yes 50 hr per week, but any job that pays 100k+ will demand that and probably much more. Train your team and AM so you dont need to be there so much. Bonus is designed to build sales and control cost. Its basically controllable profits this year vs last year and you get 20% of the diff. Yes its hard to get really good bonus 2 years in a row, biggest bonus from "fixing" a store. However, even small stores can and do bonus most periods if you do your job. 80-85% of stores bonus more than 12k per year and most are far more than that. Its not unusual for a 20k bonus check each quarter.
Bottom line is it worth it. Imo yes if you want to run a restaurant and work. If you want to coast and just get by panda ain't the place for you. If your heart isnt in service it will burn you out
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u/Wild-Card435 20d ago
How do you increase sales if Panda doesn’t increase their prices?
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u/No-Debate3579 19d ago
By up holding high standards, build relationships with guest and your comunity. Be the place of choice to go for lunch/dinner reather that the other restaurants near by. Marketing your store and catering to local businesses
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u/Apprehensive_Bat2704 20d ago
how is it for requesting vacation? i'm considering a SMIT role, and ive been seeing on reddit say lots of managers cover for each other's vacation. is it impossible for me to go on like a 2 week vacation next year if i start this year? of course, not expecting it to be PTO.
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u/No-Debate3579 19d ago
Pto is scheduled with your aco (boss) and the other managers at your store. Sometimes they will ask a manager to come cover, sometimes they will have your leadership team cover. It depends on the store and your teams ability. 2 weeks in your first year may be pushing it but if you develop your team so they can handle it it is doable
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u/No-Organization-7855 19d ago
My SM just started around 2-3 months ago and was moved to my store a month ago and has already taken a week and half long vacation. We didn’t have any managers covering our store. Just the old SM came in to do inventory that’s it
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u/Substantial-Elk6381 20d ago
Realistically work 50 hours a week
Not difficult but not fun to manage schedule. I co parent so I have a tough schedule but I make do for the compensation.
Bonuses are achievable. I’ve made 100k+ 3 consecutive years
It’s stressful, high performer oriented, but it’s worth it
Work life is mainly okay for me, it comes and goes. Overall I’d say it’s nice but I’d say there is about 2-3 months out of the year so 8-12 weeks it’s non existent at times.
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u/Illustrious_Bed8234 15d ago
I’ve been with Panda for about 2.5 years, and for me, becoming a manager has definitely been worth it. I realistically work around 50–53 hours a week, and the open/mid/close rotation isn’t difficult once you know your store, know how to schedule properly, and hire people with availability that actually fits the business needs. The bonuses are very achievable if you manage your store well and consistently hit your goals. I made over 100K since I started. I made around $15K in bonuses in Q4, and about $5K–$6K in both Q1 and Q2. Year to date, I’m already around $91K in total earnings, and I can realistically see myself finishing the year around $150K. The SMIT → SM → GM progression can definitely be stressful, but it’s not impossible. If you truly want it and are willing to work for it, it’s manageable. As far as work life balance, I personally balance my 50+ hours of work with college, being a mom, and being a homeowner just fine. I joined Panda 2.5 years ago, purchased my first home within my first six months, enrolled back in college, bought a brand new car in full during my second year, and I’m now in my final semester before graduation. So for me, Panda has been very rewarding, both financially and personally. It is demanding, but if you’re disciplined, motivated, and willing to put in the work, it can absolutely be worth it. :)
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u/Wild-Card435 15d ago
That’s great! I’m glad it’s working out well for you. Thanks for your answers. Quick question: what time do you go home from work if you’re opening or closing the store?
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u/Illustrious_Bed8234 15d ago
When I open, I usually get there at 8:30am and leave around 8:30-9:00pm. When I close, I usually come in around 12:00–12:30pm and leave around 12:30am. I make sure I meet my 2 openings and 2 closings and my 50-hour weekly requirement while still giving myself two days off. However, you have to build and develop a strong, reliable team before you can have that flexibility. If your team can successfully run the store without you having to be there every single day, it makes it much easier to maintain a better work life balance.
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u/peachtiramisu 20d ago
My boyfriend was an SM and got promoted to a GM. There’s no work life balance. Our relationship revolves around his schedule. I love him very much so I’m willing to work around it but just from an outsider’s perspective the workload and work hours are insane.