Does Restaurant Associates pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Restaurant Associates employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Restaurant Associates. This rating has decreased by 12% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Restaurant Associates?

71% of Restaurant Associates employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Restaurant Associates 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Restaurant Associates?

Executive Chef (35) , General Manager (34) , Butler (25) , Cook (21) , Director (20) , Manager (19) , Cafe Manager (18) , Sous Chef (18) , Catering Manager (17) , Line Cook (13) , Chef (12) , Assistant General Manager (11) , Food Service Director (8) , Regional Director of Operations (8) , Catering Attendant (7)

What are the pros of working at Restaurant Associates according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefits and the company encourages growth from within." ((in 69 reviews)); "Great people to work with" ((in 40 reviews)); "The pay is good and reliable." ((in 35 reviews)); "Great leadership and systems in place to succeed." ((in 17 reviews)); "Great support and training" ((in 9 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Restaurant Associates according to real employee reviews?

"Poor management; corner" ((in 35 reviews)); "Managers are horrible, they look for a reason to fire you before you get into the union" ((in 19 reviews)); "Long hours and you pay for parking" ((in 14 reviews)); "Little to no work life balance" ((in 13 reviews)); "Long hours are expected, sometimes no support." ((in 10 reviews))

What are employees saying about Restaurant Associates layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Restaurant Associates layoffs and their outlook for job security at Restaurant Associates in 2026.

Restaurant Associates reviews

Compare reviews

3.9

71% would recommend to a friend

(682 total reviews)

Ed Brown

74% approve of CEO

74% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Career opportunities

3.9

Culture & values

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.8

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Senior management

Restaurant Associates has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 682 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Restaurant Associates employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restauration industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

682 reviews

2.0

Oct 7, 2015

Sous Position

Sous chef

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

decent pay, ok schedule, paid holidays, benefits. Would be good for someone with a family who wants quality of life and still work in the culinary industry.

Cons

Incompetent staff, both upper management and low level employees are super apathetic and are just there for money. No consideration or respect throughout that I saw. No team mentality or sense of urgency.

Restaurant Associates Response

8y

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We strive to provide an environment where associates feel they are valued, treated fairly and respected. Our associates are encouraged to provide further feedback to info@restaurantassociates.com.

3.0

Oct 7, 2015

Not a bad place to work

Operations manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of free food (also a con for your waist line!) Great people to work with - especially on back of the house, front of the house side Somewhat flexible for a food-related job Some holidays off (also rare for a food job) Decent benefits

Cons

Really long days - 10 hour minimum Early mornings/late nights Lots of the regular cons with the food industry Too much free food (see #1 above) Much of upper management sucks - out of touch, too much money, very much like congress - old, white rich men You can get burned out easily

Restaurant Associates Response

8y

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience about RA. We care very deeply for our associates and always looking for ways to improve. If you have any further feedback please email us info@restaurantassociates.com

2.0

Sep 5, 2015

Great For A College Job

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The pay for an entry level job is great, It was my first job right away that paid 16.00. You can make a little extra money while cleaning up an event, there are plenty of opportunities to get compensated out of scope of your role. Extremely flexible schedule, you can work as hard or as easy weekly depending on how many shifts you want.

Cons

You have to purchase the entire uniform, they only provide the jacket. The hours are very long, on average 12 hrs from set-up to break down of event. Your on your feet consistently, having some strength is a requirement. Some events require you to be outdoors in hot weather for 9 + hrs. Your schedule can work for you or against you, you have to sign-up for individual events based on their number of people they need.

Restaurant Associates Response

8y

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We strive to provide an environment where associates feel they are valued, treated fairly and respected. Our associates are encouraged to provide further feedback to info@restaurantassociates.com.

Viewing 631 - 633 of 682 Reviews

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Jobs at Restaurant Associates

HOST/HOSTESS (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (PART TIME)

RESERVATIONIST - HOURLY (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)