Pros
Flexible schedule, relatively easy to pick up or give away shifts, fairly decent demeanor amongst coworkers, free lunch on double shift (but usually no break to sit and eat it)
Cons
Little to no praise for a job well done, pay increases are menial and difficult to get, I've worked for some awesome managers and some terrible ones...it's really a crap-shoot as to what you get on a given day. Visits from corporate are hellish and create a terrible working environment. Many of the corporate "trainers" that come in have not worked in a restaurant and have no concept of what working a real shift is like. Even though it's a multi-billion dollar business they are ALWAYS cutting back benefits and looking for ways to "streamline costs"...which usually means cutting hours, not breaking out the necessary tools for the job, etc. They do offer a decent benefits package but you pay at least half of the price AND you have to work a minimum amount of hours to keep it. You work on a marble floor and it causes a lot of injuries to staff over time. I work in medium-sized Cheesecake Factory and I can think of at least 20 people with heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, etc. Most states have little to no regulation regarding breaks/overtime, etc... Cheesecake offers you free bread/soup so they do not have to give you any break time unless required by law. Overtime is only paid over 40 hours and it does not matter how many hours you work in a day. I have worked more than my fair share of 14+ hour days with NO break and NO thank you. Holidays are mandatory and calling off on one results in termination. They require an obscene amount of paperwork at the end of your shift...things that should be computerized but aren't.