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Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Olive Garden

Why do I still work there? I ask myself that question every time I go to work. It's not because of the management team (well some of them anyway). Its not because of the money (tips suck in provo). It's not because of the people (I am not best friends with anyone there). So what is it? It's comfortable. It's mundane. It's easy.

I have a really hard time getting up and going to work. I hate all the drama that ensues in the restaurant and all the back stabbing that goes on. I work with mostly 21-24 year olds so it has its immaturity parts. I find myself falling into the gossip realm and talking just as much as some others. I don't like myself when I am there and especially when I return home.

Our new General Manager is a joke. She micro-manages and doesn't really have any faith in her employees. There are about 20 CTs in the restaurant which in any other Olive Garden would be a respectable position but in ours it is a laughing matter. We are not respected and taken seriously. We have monthly meetings but nothing is ever accomplished from them. Our GM never follows through on our assignments and ideas.

Some of the bartenders and take-out specialists are just rude. They think they own the place and take it upon themselves to tell all of us why we suck as employees and what we are doing wrong.

Some of the hosts are lazy and don't really care about there job.

Some servers are lazy and don't care about there job. However the servers aren't really taken seriously either. We are the closest to the action yet the managers never take our ideas or opinions in consideration.

The kitchen staff is mostly hispanic (and although I am not racist) and seem to not really care about the front of house staff. The kitchen crashes way to often and it seems they do it on purpose sometimes. The servers aren't very nice to them either, so until we resolve this issue, our kitchen/server relationship is just going to get worse.

There is favoritism that is blatanly obvious. I admit I am one of those favorites but I earn my keep. I do my best and I feel I have a ton of knowledge about the company that I can hold my own.

The overall morale of the restaurant is very low. WE do not feel united. It breaks my heart to go to work. Having worked for the company on and off for 10 years, it saddens me to see how different it is now compared to then. We have taken away ownership and responsibility. We are expecting the staff to work more with less.

So why do I stay? Because I am too stubborn to find a new job. Because a part of me still believes it will change, and a big part of me feels like the mama that has to take care of all the newbies and employees that aren't CTs or the favorites and don't really have a "say" in anything. Maybe I am in denial and it will never change but I have to hope, RIGHT?

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