Working for "the man" - Host Darden Employee Review

3.0
Feb 18, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-decent hourly rate as a host -thorough training program -looks good on resume for other food service jobs -i liked the food, not gonna lie -decent opportunities for promotion if you do well, which isn't terribly difficult

Cons

-corporate expectations and rules are ridiculous. IE: your not allowed to have your cell phone on the property and are subject to punishment if it is seen, even if it is turned off. this to me seems like a major safety risk in the case of certain types of emergencies. -3 table max limit for servers = no money. -you get fired by accumulating warnings for simple rule violations like forgetting to bring a tie or being 5 minutes late, yet you cannot be fired for being stupid or being horrible at your job. thusly, stupid under-performing employees accumulate while the good ones come and go on to better jobs quickly. -same applies to the managers. a sexist, condescending, and generally insulting GM with a bad attitude towards his employees worked there for years despite numerous complaints to corporate darden from the hourly employees while a good natured GM who inspired his employees to perform well on their job was let go because he didn't always stick to rigid corporate standards within the restaurant. -practicality and common sense is constantly tossed aside for the sake of doing things by the book -these characteristics are probably typical for many corporate owned restaurant chains but I challenge you to find them worse elsewhere than darden.

Explore other reviews about Darden

5.0
Jun 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good place to work and good benefits

Cons

No cons. Very transparent with expectations

3.0
Jul 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule and easy to pick up shifts.

Cons

Inconsistent pay and hectic nature.

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