Is Restaurant Associates a good company to work for?

Restaurant Associates has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 712 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 14% over the last 12 months. 66% of employees would recommend working at Restaurant Associates to a friend and 69% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Restaurant Associates have been left by employees working as General Manager , Executive Chef and Assistant General Manager .

Does Restaurant Associates pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Restaurant Associates employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.7 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Restaurant Associates. This rating has decreased by 13% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Restaurant Associates?

66% of Restaurant Associates employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Restaurant Associates 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.7 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Restaurant Associates?

Executive Chef (35) , General Manager (34) , Butler (25) , Cook (21) , Director (20) , Cafe Manager (19) , Manager (19) , 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 65 reviews)); "Great people to work with" ((in 41 reviews)); "The pay is good and reliable." ((in 38 reviews)); "Great leadership and systems in place to succeed." ((in 20 reviews)); "Lots of overtime, great team to work with" ((in 13 reviews))

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

"Poor management; corner" ((in 34 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)); "Staff are being payed bare minimum and often work long hours above average 9" ((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.

What are the top reviewed Restaurant Associates locations?

New York , Washington , Boston , Kennett Square , Cambridge , Philadelphia , Atlanta , Wilmington , McLean , Chicago , Jersey City , Weehawken , Hyde Park , Ann Arbor , Knoxville , Kennet Sq , Richmond , Leesburg , Clifton Park , Los Angeles , Baltimore , Tysons Corner , Bound Brook , Newark , Princeton , Trenton , Blacksburg , Arlington , Lorton , Albany

Restaurant Associates reviews

3.7

66% would recommend to a friend

(683 total reviews)

Ed Brown

68% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Restaurant Associates has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 683 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 Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

683 reviews

5.0

Aug 4, 2020

Great Place to Work

Assistant general manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of growth opportunities, leadership is conscientious regarding current issues in the workplace, innovation is encouraged, as is work-life balance.

Cons

Bonuses are not a direct result of performance.

Restaurant Associates Response

5y

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience of 3-5 years with the RA Family. We are especially happy to hear of your confidence in Leadership and our Passion around creating an inspired environment not only around food but in promoting a collaborative culture that engages our teams through enthusiasm and excitement around the business. If you have any further feedback please email us info@restaurantassociates.com

2.0

Jul 15, 2020

Is this company for you?

Butler

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This company has flexible schedules.

Cons

There is no room for growth. They also cap your pay from day one meaning you get no raises. What you start off making is what you get paid throughout the duration of your career there. There is also no benefits. Also, during my time of working there saw management setup multiple employees. They gave them instructions and the employees followed it then got fired.

Restaurant Associates Response

5y

I am so sorry your experience did not match up with our Culture of Care. And further disappointed that the information you received is not accurate. RA promoted close to 60% of their openings last year with internal promotions; Conducts annual performance reviews with increases to pay; as well as offers full-time benefits. It would be very helpful if you could reach out to us at info@restaurantassociates.com with greater detail so we can help fix this miscommunication. thank you

4.0

Jun 16, 2020

N/A

Cafe manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

a good place to be, nice staff and environment

Cons

pay is not really good, but nice to start off

Restaurant Associates Response

5y

We appreciate you taking the time to share your positive experience with the RA Family. We are glad to learn that you enjoy working with your team members . If you would like to provide further feedback please email us info@restaurantassociates.com

Viewing 400 - 402 of 683 Reviews

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Jobs at Restaurant Associates

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (PART TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (PART TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)