Posted: 4/21/2011 2:50:31 PM EDT
| Well, I can't get a job with my B.A Degree, but I did manage to get a job at McDonald's. I was thinking about working there for a while, then going back to school for restaurant management while I continued to work at McDonald's. Are there any Arfcommers experienced in this field? |
There, I'm on my way to success at McDonald's. |
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Well, I can't get a job with my B.A Degree, but I did manage to get a job at McDonald's. I was thinking about working there for a while, then going back to school for restaurant management while I continued to work at McDonald's. Are there any Arfcommers experienced in this field? I ran movie theatres (AMC) down here in Miami for seven years. HR used to love getting restaurant guys like you, because they were used to 60-80 hour weeks as the norm. We'd tell them a minimum of 45, but higher during peak times and they'd laugh and say thanks for the vacation. I refuse to work in restaurants because I like to eat out a lot and vowed never to do food service, per se, however there are a lot of opportunities, so just work your way up the food chain to bigger and better restaurants. You won't have a social life, but there are some big establishments out there like a busy Cheesecake Factory, or boutique place. Some of the busy ones do $15 million a year in sales with a staff to match. It's a good test of one's management skills. At the height of my tenure, I had 85 people working under me and was doing 700k people a year with about $6,000,000 in revenue. Just remember, managing is managing. You could be working in a rubber dog shit factory, or a Taco Bell. Hone your skills. Chris |
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My brother worked for McDonalds when he was in high school and was a manager around the age of 19.
What is your degree in? I would suggest taking chef/cooking classes while you gain experience on how a restaurant is run. You will probably learn more inside the kitchen than in a classroom when it comes down to it. Learn to tend bar. Move on to a job in a real restaurant as soon as you gain experience and work your way up. Learn to tend bar. If you hate it, you won't have any student loans. |
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I'm a restaurant manager (casual dining) and honestly I hate it. It's like babysitting adults. I can only image what it would be like at fast food. The only place I'd consider would be Chic-fil-a.
It is A LOT of work, but with the right company you can make a lot of money. |
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I'm a restaurant manager (casual dining) and honestly I hate it. It's like babysitting adults. I can only image what it would be like at fast food. The only place I'd consider would be Chic-fil-a. It is A LOT of work, but with the right company you can make a lot of money. Any low-level manager job is like that. It's the same thing is Grocery and Department stores. It really blows. |
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My girlfriend just got out of management. It was literally killing her at 26. She was working 70+ hours a week, working wierd-ass shifts, never having two consecutive days off. It was pretty terrible. Now, she waitresses for a different brand with the same company, and makes more money, only working 40-45hrs a week.
It sucks, hard. Good test of motivation and character, though. |
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At chef school (I'm taking a class for the fun of it) I was reading an article about student loans. Aspiring chefs or hospitality managers would spend about $10-25k to get their training, only to take low end jobs that don't pay enough to help repay the loan. The article warned about the hazards of getting loans and how most graduates make only $20k a year - if they're lucky to find a job. A rise-in-the-ranks bugger flipper manager will have gained more. No fame, no glory, but a steady income.
I wouldn't do it. Go into the medical field or oil drilling if you want to make money. |
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Quoted:
Well, I can't get a job with my B.A Degree, but I did manage to get a job at McDonald's. I was thinking about working there for a while, then going back to school for restaurant management while I continued to work at McDonald's. Are there any Arfcommers experienced in this field? That's a good company you are working for. When I was 18, I'd been working for them for 2 years, and, I was approached about becoming management. I screwed up that job because I wasn't ready, but I forever give that company credit for looking for people within the company to promote. To me, that's how you run a company. I have nothing but good things to say about McDonalds. |
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Friend of mine is a GM at a well known chain restaurant. Easily makes 6 figures plus nice quarterly bonuses (bought a Rolex with the last one). But, with the hours he works, he earns it. He has a 4 year hotel/restaurant management degree. Started as the salad prep person with the company he now manages for while he was going to school. |
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I would get a degree in something else. If you want to be a restaurant manager work your way up. they will teach you everything you need to know about running a biz minus the tax info. Some restaurant chains have have agreements with online colleges to give you credits for work experinse. Sorry about the spelling i'm on my phone.
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Move in another direction if you plan on having a family one day.
I did a culinary apprenticeship worked my way up to Sous Chef and then Executive Chef. Got married and realized something had to change when we had a child that was going to start school. I miss being in a kitchen but I don't miss working nights, every weekend, holiday, birthday, anniversary...hell every day in December  It gets real hard to "Turn it off" when you get home.
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Quoted:
Friend of mine is a GM at a well known chain restaurant. Easily makes 6 figures plus nice quarterly bonuses (bought a Rolex with the last one). But, with the hours he works, he earns it. He has a 4 year hotel/restaurant management degree. Started as the salad prep person with the company he now manages for while he was going to school. People think you are a sub human because you are in that field. |
You don't need a degree to manage a restaurant. You just need the time and experience to handle the soul sucking insanity of running a pirate ship. Get used to working 14+ hours a day 7 days a week like I used to.  Oh and don't freaking go back to school for restaurant management. If you go back to school, get a degree in the medical field or something like that, not an industry which doesn't give a rip about degrees.
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| In this economy, why not take the job? You can learn a lot if you work your way through the ranks. Expect to work a lot of hours and varied schedules. If it makes you happy and pay the bills, to heck what others say or think. Quite frankly I have a hell of a lot more respect for those that work in food service or retail with the public everyday than those who continually stand in line for handouts because working at McDonald's or some other place is beneath them. Good luck you you. |
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There is only one reason to manage a restaurant... You're single, want to bang college-aged girls whose schedule you control, and treat the gay waiters like crap. Managing a fast-food chain is the same, except substitute goth high school chicks, and substitute borderline retarded kitchen help for gay waiters. |
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I have a client that did just what you are doing...sort of. He started working at a McDonalds in high school, continued working with the company through college. He become an assistant manager and then manager before he graduated from college. When he graduated 20 years ago he was earning over $50k (quite a lot for the time and his age). By the time he was in his late 20's he was managing several stores and earning close to $200k. In his early thirties he acquired his first store, by 40 he had a half dozen stores. Today at 52 he earns over a 7 figure income and has a net worth in excess of $25 million. |
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Quoted: im a general manager at a pizza place (one of the big 3). been doing it for almost 10 years. if you dont handle stress well dont bother. This is so true. I took 3 years getting to the RGM position and 5 years as one. The stress is a killer, the hours suck, but the pay can be good. In the beginning i was only seeing my wife on Sundays and Thursday nights, she was asleep when i would get home. I worked anywhere from 60 to 90 hours a week in the beginning. This company had a messed up mentality that new managers should take over failing restaurants. Towards the end i was working 40 hours a week, 3 12s and 4 hour a meeting/planning/scheduleing/inventory day. The real money is made in above restaurant management. Once you are over several stores you start to see big money. But working in a big chain you see that a lot of getting there is politics, it has nothing to do with results. If i were to do it again I would have taken them up on the Degree plan that took my training and experience as credit to get a degree in accounting or something useful (had to be work related). |