Pros
Restaurant Associates lost its way a few years back under the leadership of a different CEO; however, with D. Cattani back and with several other top leadership changes under him (Ed/Michael/etc.), RA seems to have found its way back to its original values. Mr. Cattani and the team have managed to turn the ship around and make people within the company feel important again. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a corporation owned by the world’s largest food service provider and you will be held accountable to drive results, but with Mr. Cattani at the lead there is still a feeling of family and ethical values held within the company.
I started with this company while still in culinary school and have grown with it for almost twenty years. I have been here through all of the good and all of the bad in those twenty years. A few times I looked for jobs outside of the company when I was not happy with decisions that were being made, but never ended up leaving because that grass was not greener. If you are in hospitality or culinary school, it is a great option for someone looking for quick career growth especially if you are willing work hard and to relocate or travel. The quality of food and products being served is far better than those of other similar type companies like Aramark or Sodexo who really aren’t even in the same playing field anymore.
The other benefit of working for a large corporation is job security. It is a sensitive topic with the pandemic and so many layoffs taking place, but overall I think with the bounce back in the next year or two opportunities will go back to being endless for those that are willing to work for them.
Another important topic in the headlines right now is safety. RA was on top of their game with safety even before the pandemic hit. I think there are a lot of companies out there putting safety measures in place just for show and it will probably come back to hurt them long term. I believe RA’s team tasked with making sure employees and guests are safe is doing it because they genuinely want people to stay healthy and avoid accidents. Yes, there’s always the corporate cost savings component, but Sam and Anthony and the rest of the team are genuinely good humans and I honestly believe their goal is people first and then profits. Many of the Covid calls that take place will even take the time to include health updates on team members throughout the company.
One other area that the company has greatly improved upon in the last few years is finance support. Driving results and meeting financial goals has its own daily challenges, but actual outdated cumbersome systems can increase the stress levels unnecessarily. The financial team has really helped to decrease that stress by improving systems and streamlining processes. (The VP of Finance has been especially helpful during Covid as well.)
Other areas where there is tons of support include marketing, HR and culinary. There are so many people (that really care) that a manager can reach out to if they are in need of assistance and can usually get some sort of response within hours (even during Covid).
Cons
The biggest con is the same as its biggest pro - it must run at the direction of a huge corporation. This means that you will be told which chicken you are or are not allowed to buy and which vendors you can buy that chicken from. You will be forced shipped large quantities of items that you do not want at your unit, but will be forced to try and figure out how to sell. (*Creative people required.*)
RA has always been about serving Restaurant quality food in catering and café settings. The company is in need of more innovative and motivated people who want to rise to that challenge so it can continue to develop and grow. And the company is definitely in need of some fresh blood to help continue to that mission.
