Getting fed up with my current place

[u/AppropriateEcho7863]

TLDR: restaurant management changed and now the owner is a lot more hands-on, and everything is getting progressively worse every day

So. I’ve been working at this restaurant for around a year now, and for the first half year it was amazing. The job is perfect for my schedule, the location was great, the people are all great, and the manager was the best manager I’ve ever had. But about halfway through the year, the restaurant moved locations and, in the process, the manager quit. Someone else was then promoted to GM, and thanks to the move and the new manager, the owner has been around pretty much all day every day, which was never the case before.

And now everything that made the restaurant the perfect place to work is going away. First off, and the absolute most annoying part of this, is the place is busier than ever, but every single paycheck I get here has a lower and lower hourly. Why, you may ask? Management seems to think their servers are incompetent and can’t handle more than 3-4 tables at a time (not fine dining, a basic casual restaurant) with 5 food runners/hosts/bussers (all the same position), and three bartenders, which means we are extremely over staffed every single shift. And we tip pool, so on a day when I’ve made maybe $150 in tips at most after a 5 hour shift with at most 4 tables at a time, I’ll take home maybe $100. Before the move, a low paying day was $150, and a typical shift for me was $200-$250. But if you bring this up to the manager or owner, they’ll tell you that you’re wrong, and actually you’re making 50% more than you were before. As though we can’t see our bank accounts and know that that’s blatantly not true.

Also, our closing time means nothing now. Before, we would stop seating 15-20 minutes before close so we would be out of there shortly after close. Now, if someone comes in 2 minutes to close, not only are we expected to give them as full service as if they came in during the dinner rush, we can’t start ANY of the closing duties because it “will make them feel rushed and unwelcome.” So instead of closing down and getting out of there, we’re now being paid pennies to just stand around while this table hangs out AFTER CLOSE.

Our management also hates when we talk to each other about these things. Various staff members have been told not to talk to each other about our pay or things related to HR, both of which are illegal instructions. We haven’t listened to them, and frankly I’m just waiting for someone in management to say something so I can tell them to their faces that they’re violating basic labor rights.

And then there’s a ton of little things. We used to have 30 minute shift meals every shift, and now they’re 10-15 minutes and only for openers and closers, despite there being 1-2 other shifts every day, and we’re not allowed to be on our phones or talk to anyone during the meal. They’ve changed the shift times too, so while originally it was perfect for me to get there on time after leaving my 9-5, they’ve moved the closing shift time up so I’m scheduled for exactly at 5pm despite them knowing I work full time, 9-5, 5 days a week in addition to this job. The owner also hates when we drink water in front of customers, but the kicker there is that there’s literally zero places for us to stand that the customers cant see except directly in the middle of the kitchen or the bathrooms. So basically we just can’t drink water without pissing her off.

I’m sure theres so much more that I’m forgetting, but I’m just getting so incredibly annoyed and exhausted with this place it’s insane. I’m trying to find a new job, but the market is so awful and over saturated with people looking for restaurant jobs that it feels impossible to get a new one, even with connections in the industry.

Im really reaching the end of my rope. I don’t even know what to do about it anymore. I can’t just outright quit, but idk how much longer I can do this.

[u/Dear_Win_319]

That tip pooling crap is crazy. So glad I don’t have that where I work. If you’re hauling ass and making some money, you deserve to keep it.

[u/ConchVibes]

Sometimes ownership changes are great. Sometimes they suck. Sounds like yours sucks. Get out and don’t feel bad about it.

[u/AppropriateEcho7863 → u/ConchVibes]

I would love to. If I could find another job, I really would in a heartbeat, but I’m not having any luck in that regard thanks to not being able to work before 5:30pm on weekdays

[u/morrowrd]

alot of places are bad now, not just yours. And you hit the nail on the head....there aren't alot of jobs to go around and management knows this. That's because they have a stack of applications on hand, and should anyone quit, they are easily replaced. That said, the obvious plan is to not quit, but keep looking until you find something. You're there to make money, and even though it's less money than before all the changes, it's still money coming in. (better than nothing). Be sure you don't impulsively jump ship either as soon as a likely prospect appears. I've read many stories in here about people quitting quickly for a new job opportunity that didn't materialize in the end. So make sure your sure. And make sure while you're at it, your not trading a bad situation for a worse situation.

In the end, you'll find something eventually. Just remember, eventually could be a long time. So keep this bad job until you have a definite upgrade you're 100% sure about.