Literally Hell - Recensione dipendente - Server/Hostess presso Cracker Barrel

I could literally write an entire novel about how awful this place is. I worked at the Grove City Cracker Barrel from Summer 2017 to Spring 2020 and it was the worst experience of my life; and I am NOT exaggerating. If you're wondering why I didn't leave sooner, it's because it was my first job and I was worried I wouldn't be able to find another serving job elsewhere (little did I know, they're everywhere). I went home crying most days. The servers who worked there, the vast majority, were all awful. Cracker Barrel is awful, the company themselves and the management, and they have the highest turnover rate you can imagine. Therefore the bottom of the barrel were usually hired including petty, rude, and mean servers as well as literal drug addicts. Servers wrote other servers' side work, and were also responsible for checking other servers out so that they could leave. This went about as well as expected and favoritism was rampant. There were CLEAR bad sideworks and CLEAR easy sideworks and whatever server decided to write them would give themselves, and their friends, the easiest ones, and gave servers they didn't like the worst ones. I consistently got terrible sidework every single shift as I did not fit in with the drug addicts and bullies who worked there. Managers were awful. I saw around 6-7 managers in my time there and all but one were horrible. Unfortunately that one manager was surrounded by awful managers and a company with terrible policies so it didn't matter. I was yelled at and berated by management IN FRONT OF MY PEERS multiple times. I am not kidding when I say I have enough stories to fill a book so I will try to only say the most important ones. There was a manager, who I'm not sure I'm allowed to name, that was literally abusive to me. He consistently yelled at me, threw a food ticket at me, and called me out for 'not running other peoples' food' in front of everyone (not true). He would also just... not cut me, even though it was dead and it was my turn, because he didn't like me. I was berated for giving customers more than ONE tiny creamer per coffee because of 'company policy'. A customer would ask for 'extra, extra creamer please' and I would try to give them 4 or 5 and a manager would stop me and say bring them ONE extra (so 2, total) and continue to do that if they asked again. I was yelled at for giving more than 1 butter per biscuit. I was forced to fulfil the most outrageous customer requests (a woman came in and asked that we empty FIVE syrups for her two pancakes into a coffee mug and microwave it until scalding on a Sunday RUSH and management did not back me up when I attempted to decline this absurd request). They had insane and invasive policies as if you were in jail. You could NOT leave the restaurant (not even step out the front door) on the clock unless a manager came with you. You had to ask permission and be escorted to get something from your car. You had to have a manager approve you leaving if you were even 10 minutes past clock out time. Managers will straight up ignore servers trying to leave because they're annoyed they have to check us out, despite it not being our fault. Then every time you left, you had to take off your apron and have it patted down. Same with any coats you brought. Only purses or lunch boxes allowed had to be see through. Favoritism was rampant. The older servers who had been there longer literally did not run food, yet were never talked to. When I would be busy and only run a few trays (which was still more than 90% of the other servers), I was publicly berated for not running more. I wish I could write every instance like this, but this is a literal drop in the ocean of horrible degradation that is the Grove City Cracker Barrel (and honestly, ANY Cracker Barrel, because their policies invoke most of the toxicity). If you are a horrible person who can not get a job elsewhere, this is your place. If you have any self respect, you will NOT get near this place, EVER.