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 66 reviews)); "The pay is good and reliable." ((in 40 reviews)); "Great people to work with" ((in 39 reviews)); "Great leadership and systems in place to succeed." ((in 20 reviews)); "staff is great, laid back and easy" ((in 11 reviews))

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

"Poor management; corner" ((in 32 reviews)); "Managers are horrible, they look for a reason to fire you before you get into the union" ((in 18 reviews)); "Long hours and you pay for parking" ((in 14 reviews)); "Little to no work life balance" ((in 13 reviews)); "Long hours are expected, sometimes no support." ((in 9 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 category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

3.9

Career opportunities

3.7

Culture & values

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.7

Compensation and benefits

3.3

Senior management

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

683 reviews

2.0

Dec 5, 2017

Stressful and Negative Environment

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You work with mostly nice people and you get free food. ( Well it is kind of free, around $8.00 a week is taken out for Meal Tax Benefits)

Cons

Terrible Managment, Low Morale in kitchen, extremely stressful because of lack of employees, low pay. I dread waking up in the morning and going to work because of the negative environment.

Restaurant Associates Response

8y

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We strive to provide an environment where associates feel they are valued, treated fairly and respected. Our associates are encouraged to provide further feedback to info@restaurantassociates.com.

5.0

Dec 4, 2017

Great Company

General manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I have been with RA for over 10 years. RA is the premier food service sector for Compass Group. Having previously worked for other large contract food service companies, I think Compass and RA are the best. Compass allows RA to maintain it's personality that has made it successful, while having the backing of a global company. We service the best clients across business & industry, as well as major cultural centers. As a company with consistent growth and a policy to promote from within, opportunities abound.

Cons

RA is a force in NYC, Boston, D.C., and is continuously expanding. The only con I can think of is that they haven't expanded to my hometown yet, but when they do; Look out Pittsburgh!

Restaurant Associates Response

8y

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience of over 10 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

Nov 29, 2017

Barista

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I worked at the guggenheim, It was pretty fun to get to make coffee in such a beautiful atmosphere.

Cons

NO TEAMWORK, a lot of cliques and no inclusion.

Restaurant Associates Response

8y

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We strive to provide an environment where associates feel they are valued, treated fairly and respected. Our associates are encouraged to provide further feedback to info@restaurantassociates.com.

Viewing 577 - 579 of 683 Reviews

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Jobs at Restaurant Associates

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL TIME)