Pros
Decent food. Many fun co-workers. Accomodating Shifts. Most of the Management team is good to work for. 2.13/hr plus tips usually works out to be better than minimum wage (average $10-12). Employees get 50% off on meals.
Cons
Darden advertises unlimited breadsticks, salad, yearly unlimited pasta bowl or unlimted Shrimp and Lobster. Restaurants that do this attract an element of society that typically expect something for nothing. That element also tips "nothing" or very little. And it's a package deal! That same element is combined with unsightly mannerisms, behaviors and often includes a corpulent physique barely able to fit into a booth. "Unlimited" means servers RUN their derriere's off for little or no tip - all the while enduring unpleasant demands of podgy, ill mannered masticators, speaking with partially chewed meals in their mouths, all while looking for any all means to maintain or increase their current girth for the smallest amount of money possible. Some of the management treats servers like children. Although granted some servers behave like children. However, management speaking to employees condescendingly should be considered a form of harrassment. Many lazy co-workers make it difficult for everyone. 20% of the employees do 80% much of the work. (occurs at All restaurants) Employees pay for their own uniforms at 2.13/hour:-( Employee's buy their own pens (and have them stolen by customers) for 2.13/hour:-( Employee's pay for their own shoes at $70.00 and up for good ones:-( No sick pay (so employees must come to work sick or not earn $:-( No vacation pay unless over 30 hours weekly:-( If a customer walks out without paying, the employee must pay OR be written up as a FINAL WARNING. If an employee sets down their order book and it gets lost, the employee gets fired. The insurance offered by Darden is TERRIBLE! 70% of restaurant workforce drinks, drinks heavily, does drugs or both and Darden does not offer any kind of psychiactric evaluation or intervention with their self-funded insurance....go figure! Employees want to know how Darden got voted in the top100 places to work? We apparently didn't get asked to vote!