i (19f) have been working at cracker barrel for a month and a half now and am thinking about quitting after my shift tomorrow. i work at a coffee shop and have for 3 years but recently moved and am only able to work it 2 days a week now. cracker barrel was the closest hiring. the training process was 2 days computer work 1 day shadowing then on the floor, which i didnt feel was ready for. but i enjoyed it up until valentine’s day, when it was busier then thanksgiving (super busy) according to them and i worked 9am-7pm(i ended up having to work to 9pm) on my 4th shift. we ran out of things like steaks, hashbrowns, rice, dumplings, chicken and it resulted in there being hour wait times on food. on top of that the cooks would forget to drop things an you’d ask where it is and they never did it. i had a table day “this is ridiculous i need to talk to your manager” which i understand. i guess after she talked to them, my 4 top asks to talk to her after asking me numerous times about their wait. when i walked back they were getting up and i asked if i could get the manager for them and their response was “no we’re okay, we already talked to her and she was a bitch” so i missed out on atleast 2 tables worth of tips, and because of waits only left with $100 on a 12 hour shift. so that rattled me but i was fine and continued working.
but since i had started there was a cook (m45) who had seemed to always have an attitude. which i always saw things about like cooks having attitude, but he would yell at you for his own mistake, aggressively grab the ticket from you, remake the plate, and then slam it on the steam line to give it back to you. it probably seems dramatic but he is known for that and is just a terrible person to work with. everyone is scared to talk to him to have help with checks. i was fine until a couple shifts ago instead of calling me my name, he was calling me degrading nicknames of the mistakes that i would make.
the scheduling is terrible. i was told during my interview that they could guarantee working around my hours of wanting morning shifts and that has turned into mid day. my shifts will be 11-4/12-4 all week which is right after breakfast rush right before dinner rush so i only make $40-$60 a day. they also will schedule times i can’t work, and on the days that i am at my other job so i have to tell them i can’t an their response is “whoever made the schedule did an override” .
im not bad at it, the tables i do get tip well, and my coworkers all enjoy me and how i work. it’s just almost a hostile environment and just not managed well and i think my time would be better spent somewhere else. it probably all seems dumb, but if im going to work i would rather not be bullied my grown men, or have to lose tables over the managers not having enough things prepped out. i feel like theres been too many issues in a short amount of time to make it worth it.
edit: i still currently work a second job i work at 2 days a week, as i moved so i was just looking for a closer job.
I’m really sorry to be the one to say this, because in a different world I’d tell you to go for it, but we aren’t in that world. It’s not the time to be quitting jobs.
work 1 or 2 nights a week in a bar/sports bar/pub/somewhere with alcohol licensing
NTA. Edited to add.
Don’t quit until you have another job.
In the meantime, can you report the unacceptable behavior to your supervisor? Although I suspect it wouldn’t amount to anything since this cook already has a reputation and still has his job.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely you can dictate your hours.
Good luck!
When I was 20 I worked at a restaurant and got pissed off during my shift because the manager cut everyone else right as we got hit with a dinner rush. The other servers were still around and I asked if he could uncut them to help me out and he basically told me to screw myself and handle it even though it was impossible for me to cover the entire restaurant during a rush. I walked out middle fingers up and haven’t regretted it a day in my life. A couple days later I got a job at a different restaurant and ended up meeting my husband there. Life has a funny way of pushing you out of places that no longer serve you. Id follow that feeling if I were you.
did you put that job on your next resume? that’s what i’m really worried about is if it is going to bite me in the ass. it’s my only serving experience, but i want to continue serving for a little bit.
I think I did lol a lot of places don’t call or check. I did know people at the restaurant I switched over to which I think helped with getting hired. A lot of it truly is who you know. I don’t recommend quitting guns a blazing middle fingers up like me if you want to put it on your resume. If you’re able to stick it out and look for a different serving job, that looks the best on a resume or you could go the clean 2-weeks notice to avoid burning bridges.
Find another job then quit. Don’t ever leave a job without having a backup imo
The real question: can you afford to be with 1 job? will you make rent/car payment/etc? If you can? then quit and look… if you can’t? Look, find THEN quit.
Sounds toxic as fuk but it really depends on how much you \*NEED\* the job. $50 in a shift is still better than nothing if the alternative is being homeless.
Also… do you need the reference? If so, then put in your notice. If not? Then doesn’t matter – but quitting means you can’t list the job for future applications.
i live with my boyfriend who i am just working right now to try and help with bills. my other job is a constant $14 which still isn’t a lot, but if i just worked there more often i believe id be better off working the 1 job and getting away from cracker barrel.
i would like to keep the serving experience as i’d like to continue, but i’ve also worked at a coffee shop (current second job) for 3 years which i think will be able to keep in the realm of what i want to do right now.
NTA for quitting a badly run operation that is _ costing you money_. You spent enough time working there to experience the chaotic management style, and are under no obligation to lose income due to their incompetence. Don’t feel guilty for not letting them hold you over the (cracker) barrel.
Use your off hours to find something else (if you have some). It sounds like you just picked up the closest thing that was hiring, which means you may have some options if you look around (by no means is that a guarantee of a job). So yeah, start sending your resume or filling out applications online for different places. We’re in a weird period of time right now where some companies are hiring, and then others are pretending they’re hiring (because apparently that’s a thing). Make sure you have a job lined up (or savings to live off of) before you bounce. But after that, screw them.