Working for The Man

The past few days at work have been oddly slow.  Consequently, it presents me with an opportunity to write about a topic that I've thought about for a while, which is difference between working at a corporate restaurant versus a 'Mom and Pop' restaurant. 

I've worked at a family owned restaurant, two national restaurant chains, one internationally renowned hotel-owned restaurant (which I am currently at),  I've co-owned my own restaurant and I've worked at a partnership restaurant with several local (San Diego) locations.  Without a doubt, my favorite restaurants I've worked at were the smaller ones: the family owned "Mom and Pop" restaurant, as well as the local partnership restaurant which had a similar family feel. 

The smaller ones are inevitably easier.   You go in, do your job, you leave.  This might not be the case with all smaller restaurants (Lord knows the restaurant I used to co-own and operate wasn't the easiest place for our employees to work at!).  However, in general, there's less staff, less drama, less management, less product, not as many rules, less paperwork, little hierarchy, less stress, not as much side work, and not to mention, less product and service manuals and testing.  Bottom line, less work and generally more enjoyable. That's been my experience at least.


In the corporate world, as you might have guessed, it' more of everything mentioned above.  More drama, more stress, more menu testing, more beverage quizzes, monthly department meetings, hierarchy till your blue in the face, more rules, longer time to change policies (not to mention longer time to order something new or to fix anything), more politics in every department, more side work, more staff, more people, more personalities... complete bureaucracy.  It's a freaking small town in there!  The list goes on.  I could easily write a book about this topic, but I probably wouldn't have the patience because I'm getting flustered just thinking about all of the issues that come up on a daily basis at a hotel restaurant if this caliber. Yes, the benefits are good, including their employee recognition programs, discounts on hotel rooms throughout the world, and of course, the almighty good quality, yet inexpensive, health insurance.  And the latter two benefits is what keeps us there.  We get suckered into the health plan and the free rooms, and that's supposed to make us feel better about our jobs at the end of the day. That's what keeps us there.  No matter what department, housekeeping,  laundry, rooms, food and beverage, banquets, engineering, etc.. there's that common bond we all share that when we have a bad day, or we're working long hours, or when we work even more hours on a holiday weekend, we all think, "Hey.  At least we have good benefits."  Ugh.   



I could expand greatly on this topic, but for now I'm throwing in the towel.  Maybe on another slow week when I have little to write about, I'll revisit the differences between corporate versus non-corporate restaurants and dig deeper into into. 

Until, then I have to get ready for work on this beautiful Sunday.  I've got to log those hours in so I can keep enjoying my benefits.