Pros
The main pro is the possibility for promotion and is the main reason why I chose this company. There is a clear career path that can be followed. Start as a manager trainee move up to a Unit manager. From there you can become a District Manager and then a division manager. Pay is based on a bonus system which can be good when you hit all of your bonuses. It is a lot of responsibility and can prepare you for a career in many different fields.
Cons
When applying for the manager trainee you will be told an excellent story about being a Unit Manager and how great this position is but the sales pitch is far from the job. In reality, your hours will be from about 6:30 am to 3:30 to 4 pm if everything goes well that day. You work 6 days on and get 2 days off on a rotating schedule. On Friday and Saturday night and the night before your day off you MUST return to the store from 8:30 pm to 9:30pm for drawer change. As a Unit manager you are THE manager meaning that there is not another manager for the 24 hour restaurant except you, unless it is your day off. The manager at waffle house is the primary cook and many times the only cook on weekdays even when the cooking volume might be too much for one person to handle. The bonus plan that i mentioned above is what pushes upper management to treat their employees like slaves. For example, one of the bonuses is based on a target number that you have to be below in order to make this bonus, if you are above this number than you will be required to work at least one double shift ( 6:30 am to 9 pm) and then be back at work the next morning at 6:30 am. Many of the managers when over target do more than one double shift. When you interview you will be told that all managers make 40k to 50k but I find this very hard to believe because of our pay plan and my current pay. It is a ton of hours, stress, staffing nightmares and the most crazy multitasking that you will have ever been forced to do.
