restaurant manager

assistant restaurant manager

cook

shift leader

head cook

Guzman Y Gomez

I had high hopes when starting at this company, but my experience highlighted several systemic challenges that made it virtually impossible to succeed from the outset. 

On my first day, there was no formal induction, and training was handed off to colleagues who, as I later discovered, had inconsistencies in their own knowledge of procedures. When I raised this with higher management, the response was that staff were aware of standards but simply chose not to follow them which was a concerning insight into their operational culture.

Daily observations revealed further issues: managers often engaged in casual conversations while customers waited at the counter, suggesting a lack of urgency in service delivery. Concerns I voiced about cleaning practices and basic stock management, such as FIFO rotation, were met with minimal enthusiasm, leading to unnecessary waste. 

As a new employee, it was surprising to be the one identifying these gaps, including expired items that could have been avoided with routine checks. Even more puzzling was feedback on product preparation; I was corrected on a taco build despite aligning with the available online training materials, which raised questions about consistency in expectations. 

Overall, the environment felt disconnected from standard operating procedures, with both staff and leadership appearing disengaged from core practices. While the brand has appeal, these experiences left me questioning the support for employees aiming to deliver quality work. 

I would strongly advise potential applicants to carefully consider if this aligns with their professional goals. It's a place where foundational issues can undermine even the most motivated individual

There was a consistent pattern of poor treatment toward crew, particularly younger staff and  the dynamic between management and crew created a stressful and uncomfortable environment. I witnessed a staff member who was visibly neurodivergent being mocked by shift leaders, which became a recurring joke among some leaders and crew. This made other staff extremely uncomfortable. Training was inadequate. I received a brief training session on my first shift and then felt thrown into tasks without proper guidance. As a result, expectations often felt unrealistic, and mistakes were met with impatience rather than support. I frequently observed certain crew members being treated more harshly than others, particularly younger employees. There was a lack of clear boundaries in how management interacted with staff. In my experience, personal relationships among management affected how crew members were treated, and some individuals appeared to be targeted, which made shifts unnecessarily difficult and stressful. Communication often felt belittling rather than constructive.
The store promotes itself as having high standards and strong performance metrics, but in my opinion this did not reflect the internal professionalism or treatment of staff. Overall, this was a very poor work experience, and I would not recommend to others looking for a supportive job environment.

Management is so demanding that not even your best efforts will ever be enough. You are pressured and guilted into picking up extra shifts and working longer hours. Almost every day, a manager will call you asking for you to work. Even when you are sick, you are still expected to come in if you can't find a cover. High school and university students are told that work should take top priority in your life. The managers and shift leaders will frequently talk bad about each other and crew members in front of other staff and customers. Often, new staff members are trained by people who themselves are not experienced at all. This leads to a constant cycle of crew members not knowing how to do their job. The managers and shift leaders are not helpful when this happens: when you ask them a question, it is likely they will just walk away without answering it. Shifts and promotions/new opportunities are awarded depending on how much the managers like you, not how good you are at your job. The owners and managers will yell at you over the slightest mistake, but ignore complaints from employees relating to safety. Many crew members are fired suddenly without warning or good reason. This is a great place to work if you are a high schooler who is desperate for money and wants to expand their social circles. However, the conditions are definitely a negative.

If you're getting a job here, stick to being a crew member. It's straight forward and the people that work here are amazing, minus management. If you're looking to improve your time management in a fast-paced (constantly understaffed) environment this place is for you.

Work/life balance was laughable, getting texts almost everyday, expectations of doing extra work outside of the workplace on days off, and the subtle expectation of doing unpaid work. Minimal benefits at my store at least, they completely removed staff discounts for years and bonuses/raises even after years of work were never given. High job security though, mainly because they never fire anyone. Management was terrible, no communication amongst them and always ganging up on Shift Leaders rather than providing actual support and hearing our issues. Requested time off was rarely respected and labour costs were prioritised over our needs, which had me doing the job of 3 people, running from FOH and BOH, every shift. 

Again, the people working are this place's only saving grace, it's easy to be close to everyone given the fast paced nature of the job. In the end it's fast food, it's not perfect, good if you need some cash. There really needs to be a change in management, making sure that crew members are supported and motivated to be productive and efficient. 

Working at GYG was a challenging experience. The hiring process heavily prioritises availability over skills, so even if you have the necessary skills but are only available a few days a week, you might be overlooked for someone available every day but lacking in skills.

While they do provide some training, it consists solely of reading information online. There is no hands-on training and you are expected to know everything after reading without any practical demonstrations. When you ask for help, the response is often one of annoyance rather than assistance.

Communication with management is extremely difficult and they seem indifferent to any complaints. Furthermore, it's almost impossible to escalate issues to higher authorities as management refuses to share contact details for head office.

The treatment of new employees is particularly poor. In my case, I had a knee injury and provided a doctor's certificate stating I could work but couldn't kneel, squat or bend. Despite this, I was made to perform tasks requiring those movements. When my mother confronted management about it, they denied making me do anything and falsely claimed I spent the whole day sitting. However, my knee was significantly more swollen and bruised by the time I got home.

Overall, the lack of proper training, support, poor communication and disregard for employee well-being make it a tough environment to work in.

The work environment is extremely toxic. Managers and co-workers shout or scold you constantly and are generally very rude, as they expect you to be a perfectionist within your first few shifts. Ironic, as new trainees were told the Guzman y Gomez team was supposed to be like a 'family'. 
 
Expect to burn yourself at least a dozen times a shift, as you take tortillas off the hot press, deep-fry tacos & fries and take cheesy nachos straight out of the oven with your hands. The thin small plastic gloves you are provided with do not protect you at all. Not to mention cooking utensils, trays, containers etc. are either broken, dirty or both. 

You'll also be overworked, on your feet in a cramped space anywhere from four to six hours. Sometimes management will forget to let you on your break/let you leave work. On the 'brightside', you're only given a few shifts a week. 

Only positive I can think of is the 50% off staff discount (Which is only available within half an hour of you starting/closing your shift), if you ever want to eat the overcooked slop that they make here. 
 
Overall, the management and work environment was abysmal and managers & co-workers have way too high expectations when you're given poor training. You will get stressed and burnt out (Both literally and figuratively)

I’ve been working at gyg for around 18 months. while the work can get stressful during peak times, you get used to it. I mostly work mornings, so a typical shift includes working through the prep list assigned to me while making orders on line, which keeps you busy and makes ur shift go by super fast. you get a 50% discount on shift, which is great if you want to buy your lunch a lot. 

they’re also really flexible with my uni availabilities and I never get rostered when I’m unavailable, which is great. you don’t have to worry about finding a cover if you’re sick as you just call the store and they find one for you, and I am never made to feel bad for being sick.

 the pay is pretty average, but as a student I don’t have many expenses anyway. shift leaders and the management team are really nice and I’ve made heaps of friends within the crew. they don’t really fire anyone unless you’re absolutely hopeless and can’t complete basic tasks, so job security is pretty  good. workplace culture is pretty chill as well. they have expectations about what you need to get done and order times etc but not to the point you want to kys from stress.

a little con: if you work at gyg long enough and you work on line a lot your uniform can get get stinky and it’s impossible to get the smell out 🤢🤢


Working at Guzman y Gomez has been a mixed experience. A typical day fluctuates; weekends and holidays, like Christmas, are notably stressful, while other times are relatively easy-going. However, the constant challenge has been the balance between effort and compensation.

Upon reflection, I've realized that the stress I endure during peak times doesn't align with the compensation received. The pay seems inadequate for the level of commitment and hard work demanded, making the job work-life balance considerably unfavorable.

Furthermore, the strictness regarding breaks and visits to the restroom has been a source of frustration. Punishments for seemingly trivial things, like needing a brief break after a challenging lunch shift, contribute to an unwelcoming atmosphere.

Despite these challenges, the workplace culture is generally friendly, fostering camaraderie among colleagues. Interacting with customers remains the most painful aspect, offering opportunities to enhance communication skills and create positive experiences. Overall, i would not recommend working here, while there are countless drawbacks, the job provides valuable lessons about resilience and adaptability.

I had worked her for almost 2 years and nothing gets better, they just get worse as you move up in the ranks (sales/line -> cook -> shift leader -> ARM). The management gives you little to no support, has no interest in helping you out when things go extremely wrong and the management culture is so toxic. Once they find out they you are more then a exceptional work they demand more of you but don’t raise your pay check and when you ask for a pay raise and give a list of reasons on why you should earn it, they completely deny it and tell you that it is “your job” however the crew members are lovely and soon become your family but the management needs to be readjusted and assessed. They are greedy and money huggers, and they over work you to the point you are fainting at work, throwing up before or after your shift, encouraging you to work doubles and will not offer you the day off the next day if you had work a 12-16hr shift prior that shift. When you don’t get break they don’t pay you. If you are shift leader it is expected that you have your break while you count the tills and write the report, if you are cook it is also expect that you don’t have your break either. If you want an easy job I suggest you stay on sales and line and do not progress upwards at all

Working at GYG on the line did teach me valuable skills such as multitasking and working under pressure, and it’s a decent first job to have on your resume when applying for future roles. A pro is that the store is open early and closes late, meaning there’s a wide range of shifts available to suit different schedules. The staff were generally friendly, which helped make shifts more enjoyable.
However, overall I would not recommend working here. Unless you’re working on a busy Friday or Saturday night, stores are often understaffed, yet management still expects orders to be completed at an unrealistic pace. Training is minimal, with online modules being the main source of guidance, and staff are typically restricted to one area (e.g., line, sales, or cook). Personally, being assigned to the line for five months meant I never once served a customer, which limited the variety of skills I could develop.
While it’s not the worst job out there, management tends to prioritise profit over staff wellbeing, creating a stressful and chaotic environment that can be overwhelming in the long run.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Restaurant manager 2 salaries reported	$76,250 per year
Assistant restaurant manager 4 salaries reported	$65,000 per year
Cook 2 salaries reported	$62,200 per year
Shift leader 1 salary reported	$27.50 per hour
Head cook 1 salary reported	$59,378 per year

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