Vantaggi
If you're looking for a serving job with a steady set schedule Maria's is great for that. Discount on delicious Italian food. The other servers were cool. Pretty well organized as far as restaurants go. FOH and BOH work together so it feels inclusive and not separate. Only wine and beer so you do it yourself and don't have to tip out a bartender. You make minimum wage (which i think is $15/hr now?) + tips. Day shift ranged anywhere from $30-$100 in tips. Nights ranged anywhere from $60-$160 in tips. Kind of unpredictable in that way but better than no tips. Shifts are like 6 hours long max which I liked. Option to work a double sometimes which was only ever 8 hours.
Svantaggi
Management is intense. Corporate is intense. They are obsessed with Secret Shoppers and steps of service even though it's not fine dining at all. Not the best tips and cranky entitled regulars/customers. Servers run all their own food which can be a challenge when it's busy. Not a ton of sidework but you don't have support staff - there's only one busser on at night and none during the day. They let their customers get away with whatever demands they place on you which is super annoying and can be incredibly time consuming. Honestly the customers are the worst part. Lots of boomers and upper middle class families with kids (there's a charter elementary school just down the street). Lots of entitled regulars. They also feel short staffed all the time. Sometimes its dead and sometimes it's out of control busy. There is no host so you seat people or they seat themselves. Management does NOT know how to help pace seating when it's busy.