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 64 reviews)); "Great people to work with" ((in 41 reviews)); "The pay is good and reliable." ((in 40 reviews)); "Great leadership and systems in place to succeed." ((in 20 reviews)); "Staff are friendly." ((in 9 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 18 reviews)); "Little to no work life balance" ((in 14 reviews)); "Long hours and you pay for parking" ((in 14 reviews)); "Long hours are expected, sometimes no support." ((in 11 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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (683 reviews)

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

Feb 16, 2022

These is not just a work place, this is a family

Senior vice president chef innovator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Career pathing, work/life balance, fair pay, amazing people, chef driven, hospitality excellence,, innovative.

Cons

No cons for me, proud to work here

Restaurant Associates Response

4y

Thank you for starting your career with the R/A Family! We are so excited that you have chosen Restaurant Associates and took the time to let us know how excited and connected you feel as being part of the RA Family! We are especially happy to hear that your experience exemplifies our Core Values of Premium Quality and Caring for our People that are at the heart of what we believe in while having FUN too. Please continue to let us know how you feel info@restaurantassociates.com

5.0

Feb 16, 2022

Work Hard and Be Nice to People

Regional director of operations

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

RA is a big company and opportunities are numerous. Always more to learn and do.

Cons

Still impossible to work from home :)

Restaurant Associates Response

4y

Thank you for leaving R/A a 5 star review! We strive to promote a collaborative culture of CARE that engages our teams through enthusiasm and excitement around the business. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such a thoughtful review that can continue to make us a better company. Given we are a client business it is hard to have many work from home roles. We are extremely appreciative of all that our team members do.

5.0

Feb 16, 2022

Amazing Company with a great Culture!

Vice president of finance

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

After working for Restaurant Associates for 4 years, the company has become my second family. They truly put employees first, value their clients and are clearly the market leaders in culinary & hospitality.

Cons

Being such a large company, Onboarding can appear to be daunting. However, this is a strong focus for the company and they have a continual focus on this matter to improve this experience.

Restaurant Associates Response

4y

We are appreciative that you took the time to share your positive 5 star experience with the R/A Family. R/A’s leadership is committed in promoting a collaborative culture that engages our teams through enthusiasm and excitement around the business. Further RA has committed to a 3 year Cultural Transformation Strategy with DEI partner Reframe. We are commitment to make this priority and actionable focus in alignment with our People Matter Strategy.

Viewing 232 - 234 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)