Is Restaurant Associates a good company to work for?

Restaurant Associates has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on over 712 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 10% over the last 12 months. 71% of employees would recommend working at Restaurant Associates to a friend and 74% 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 12% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Restaurant Associates?

71% of Restaurant Associates employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Restaurant Associates 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 4.0 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 61 reviews)); "Great people to work with" ((in 41 reviews)); "The pay is good and reliable." ((in 37 reviews)); "Great leadership and systems in place to succeed." ((in 18 reviews)); "staff is great, laid back and easy" ((in 10 reviews))

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

"Poor management; corner" ((in 35 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 15 reviews)); "Little to no work life balance" ((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

3.9

71% would recommend to a friend

(683 total reviews)

Ed Brown

73% approve of CEO

74% 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 3.9 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

3.0

May 9, 2022

Intrusive GM & Front Managers

Cook

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This is the cleanest kitchen you would ever work in. I have never worked for a better Executive (Alex Strong) or Sous Chef (Omar Robert’s), and I believe they are the reason why I decided to stay for this long. There are opportunities to grow your skills.

Cons

General Manager is extremely intrusive, and he makes the Front end managers follow his lead. They will even bother you during service which adds unnecessary pressure to a busy day. Rule are constantly being changed which is frustrated because one day you could be fine and the next day it is an issue. The Dish Lead is a disrespectful tyrant who yells throughout the kitchen when he is frustrated; however, no one corrects him because he is liked by the GM.

Restaurant Associates Response

4y

I am terribly sorry your experience with us did not line-up with our Core Values and Culture of CARE. I would appreciate to hear more about your individual experience - please reach out to us at info@restaurantassociates.com

3.0

May 2, 2022

Great Experience with some difficulty

Catering coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Wide area of growth, learned multiple skills in different event and planning areas

Cons

Understaffed Team, Bad work life balance

Restaurant Associates Response

4y

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We strive hire associate who believe in and want to be part of a CARE environment where associates feel they are valued, treated fairly and respected. Our associates are encouraged to provide further feedback to info@restaurantassociates.com.

1.0

Mar 22, 2022

No room to grow

Food service worker

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It’s full time and over minimum wage

Cons

No room to move forward only backwards

Restaurant Associates Response

4y

I am so sorry your experience has not matched with our culture of CARE . We strive to provide a culture where associates feel they are valued and have growth opportunities. We have an open door policy and would appreciate if you cam please reach out, so we can help address your concerns. thank you very much info@restaurantassociates.com

Viewing 25 - 27 of 683 Reviews

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Jobs at Restaurant Associates

FOOD SERVICE UTILITY (FULL TIME)

SERVER ASSISTANT (FULL TIME AND PART TIME)

DISHWASHER (FULL AND PART TIME)

CONCESSIONS SUPERVISOR (SEASONAL)

EVENT CATERING WAIT STAFF (ON CALL)