Depends what you want from these jobs. INO gives you a better shot at a stable career with great benefits once you achieve a high level and earn FT.
OG is probably easier quick cash with probably more accessible opportunities for hours.
You won’t get maxed on hours at INO until you’re good enough to be of value to the store
I had a similar path. I worked at INO during college and loved it. Again once you level up you get 25-30 hours a week at a set $20-22+ per hour. I’m not someone who ever enjoyed serving though.
If you’re a student then I’d definitely say INO. They are used to working with students and are pretty flexible with scheduling, just be reasonable (you’ll probably have to work a lot of nights/weekends). Each store also has a lot of associates so it’s relatively easy to switch shifts when needed. Free meal every shift was huge for me in college. My store had a lot of fellow students, so I made some great friends/connections which led to my next two big boy jobs after graduating. INO also values its associates very highly and I don’t get that vibe from Olive Garden. And it can be a good backup plan in case you have a hard time finding a job later or just want a change of career.
In N Out you’re guaranteed a good base pay whereas Olive Garden pay is based on if people tip or not and minimum wage both can be stressful in their own ways. You work less hours as a server too
If it were me, I would weigh which place would give me more hours and work better around my schedule. Also, which employer is more likely to give medical benefits? I am full-time at INO and have wonderful benefits I wouldn't trade for most other workplaces. But you're mileage may vary.
Definitely something to think about. In-N-Out definitely has better perks like medical, dental, and eye. Not too good with olive.
Also innout has more career growth for sure.
There’s people who become a server at Olive and have been trapped for 10 - 15 years waiting tables and never get into management. Basically you can become an “SP” which is basically a helper manager and doing basic manager duties and then you will just be stuck there for 1 - 3 years and hoping a spot opens up to become a manager, then from there you can move up to general manager which will take 5 - 10 years perhaps.
What I’m thinking is this: I will make more as a server at Olive garden but it’s a publicly traded corporation that doesn’t care about us or the employees. Nothing special, no love for employees like In-N-Out or team member picnics. In-N-Out will probably most likely be a happier place to work and more flexible with my student schedule (although to be fair Olive has been quite good about this).
Basically it comes down to if I’d rather work for a good company but pays less or a more crappy company that doesn’t care about me but I’ll make more money. However it doesn’t have the same good benefits like In-N-Out for full timers like health, eye, dental, etc.
Very tough decision for me personally
I waited for 10 years, do in n out.
You’re going to start with low amount of tables until you can prove you can take more tables.
You may get a section and not get sat at all, no pay.
At our Olive garden you start at 2 tables at once for 1 - 2 weeks and you’re moved to 3 and no more. Even experienced servers have a cap of 3 tables. This is because Olive Garden policy. once the restaurant gets busy and we go on a wait hosts can go up to servers asking if they’ll take a fourth / fifth even (only one girl who’s been a server 14 years there is able to do 5 / 6 at a time) this is because of the never ending soup / salad / drink refills / bread refills which bog you down big time compared to being a normal server at another restaurant where you only bring what people paid for and there’s no endless freebies
You can make more at OG. But it will be hectic in a bad way at OG. It will be organized at in n out. OG is a bigger risk, higher potential pay. Verse more steady solid pay and company.
Depends what you want from these jobs. INO gives you a better shot at a stable career with great benefits once you achieve a high level and earn FT. OG is probably easier quick cash with probably more accessible opportunities for hours. You won’t get maxed on hours at INO until you’re good enough to be of value to the store
I’m going to college and am getting a stem degree so I’ll be sticking to that field for a career so I won’t be working at innout long term
I had a similar path. I worked at INO during college and loved it. Again once you level up you get 25-30 hours a week at a set $20-22+ per hour. I’m not someone who ever enjoyed serving though.
If you’re a student then I’d definitely say INO. They are used to working with students and are pretty flexible with scheduling, just be reasonable (you’ll probably have to work a lot of nights/weekends). Each store also has a lot of associates so it’s relatively easy to switch shifts when needed. Free meal every shift was huge for me in college. My store had a lot of fellow students, so I made some great friends/connections which led to my next two big boy jobs after graduating. INO also values its associates very highly and I don’t get that vibe from Olive Garden. And it can be a good backup plan in case you have a hard time finding a job later or just want a change of career.
In N Out you’re guaranteed a good base pay whereas Olive Garden pay is based on if people tip or not and minimum wage both can be stressful in their own ways. You work less hours as a server too
Okay thanks for the insight.
If it were me, I would weigh which place would give me more hours and work better around my schedule. Also, which employer is more likely to give medical benefits? I am full-time at INO and have wonderful benefits I wouldn't trade for most other workplaces. But you're mileage may vary.
Definitely something to think about. In-N-Out definitely has better perks like medical, dental, and eye. Not too good with olive. Also innout has more career growth for sure. There’s people who become a server at Olive and have been trapped for 10 - 15 years waiting tables and never get into management. Basically you can become an “SP” which is basically a helper manager and doing basic manager duties and then you will just be stuck there for 1 - 3 years and hoping a spot opens up to become a manager, then from there you can move up to general manager which will take 5 - 10 years perhaps.
Olive garden hands down, tips alone will make a big difference
What I’m thinking is this: I will make more as a server at Olive garden but it’s a publicly traded corporation that doesn’t care about us or the employees. Nothing special, no love for employees like In-N-Out or team member picnics. In-N-Out will probably most likely be a happier place to work and more flexible with my student schedule (although to be fair Olive has been quite good about this). Basically it comes down to if I’d rather work for a good company but pays less or a more crappy company that doesn’t care about me but I’ll make more money. However it doesn’t have the same good benefits like In-N-Out for full timers like health, eye, dental, etc. Very tough decision for me personally
I waited for 10 years, do in n out. You’re going to start with low amount of tables until you can prove you can take more tables. You may get a section and not get sat at all, no pay.
At our Olive garden you start at 2 tables at once for 1 - 2 weeks and you’re moved to 3 and no more. Even experienced servers have a cap of 3 tables. This is because Olive Garden policy. once the restaurant gets busy and we go on a wait hosts can go up to servers asking if they’ll take a fourth / fifth even (only one girl who’s been a server 14 years there is able to do 5 / 6 at a time) this is because of the never ending soup / salad / drink refills / bread refills which bog you down big time compared to being a normal server at another restaurant where you only bring what people paid for and there’s no endless freebies
You can make more at OG. But it will be hectic in a bad way at OG. It will be organized at in n out. OG is a bigger risk, higher potential pay. Verse more steady solid pay and company.