14 Pros and Cons of Working for Red Robin

Red Robin is a popular dining option that focuses on high-quality burgers and other unique meals to provide a family-friendly environment.

Their well-known advertisements contain the catchy “Red Robin: Yum!” catchphrase, but is it appetizing to work here?

That may depend on many factors, so make sure you read through this review carefully to learn more about this career.

Table of Contents

Pros of Working for Red Robin
Cons of Working for Red Robin
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Red Robin – Summary Table
Should You Work for Red Robin?

Pros of Working for Red Robin

Red Robin is comparable to restaurants like Chilis or Applebees in its atmosphere, dining options, and food quality.

As a result, it’s a little bit higher in quality compared to fast food restaurants, though it is designed as a more casual or affordable dining experience.

Does that higher food quality translate to a better job?

Well, there are definitely advantages of working here.

Fast-Paced Environment

Do you like staying on your toes and keeping busy while working?

You’ll love Red Robin!

Depending on your location, Red Robin is often a very popular restaurant that should have a lot of people coming and going throughout an average shift.

While the lunch and dinner shifts are definitely the most financially rewarding, you can expect steady business at a well-positioned Red Robin.

As a result, you’ll keep busy while working here and, if you’re on the wait staff, have a good chance of making decent tips.

Clean Restaurant

Though this benefit varied heavily based on location, most people reported that Red Robin kept its restaurant clean.

For example, the exterior was usually well maintained, while the interior was clean and free of dirt or any other stains.

Furthermore, the kitchen (always the dirtiest part of a restaurant) was well maintained and typically didn’t have the heavy grease buildup that’s common in many burger-style restaurants.

Therefore, if you’re someone who likes a clean and efficient workplace, you’ll likely enjoy it here.

Good Training

Are you someone who needs a little help transitioning to a new position?

Red Robin can help you!

They typically provide all of their employees with in-depth and hands-on training that will make it easier to get started in just about any position.

This training often included support for the kitchen, cashier, and cleaning stations.

Though these jobs aren’t necessarily challenging, Red Robin will ensure that you feel comfortable working them by providing you with quick and efficient training.

Friendly Crew Members

While no business can guarantee consistently friendly and hardworking crew members, Red Robin does a good job vetting most of its employees.

Most reviewers stated that they loved their team and enjoyed working with a consistent work crew.

While there were some people who made working at Red Robin unnecessarily challenging, far more people praised their teammates than decried them.

This shows that Red Robin works hard to hire people of a higher quality than other similar restaurants.

Strong Company Culture

Red Robin is focused heavily on its branding and providing a consistent company culture throughout its many locations.

As a result, it’s often a very strong and reliable business that takes care of its employees on many levels.

For example, you not only get a lot of training in your job but in how to provide strong customer service.

Just as importantly, Red Robin is known for giving its managers and shift leaders support for team training to ensure that they understand their job demands.

Lots of Available Work

Red Robin often has multiple positions that you can apply for when working with them. For example, cashiers often work specifically at the front of the restaurant and will check out employees when they’re done. Hosts will seat guests and make sure they’re comfortable.

Furthermore, you can work as a waiter or waitress and even a short-order cook. This diverse range of career opportunities gives you plenty of things to do if you’re interested in working at Red Robin. There are even dishwashing jobs if you want to start there.

Career Advancement Opportunities

While restaurants don’t always have lots of potential career options, Red Robin does have some advancement opportunities.

For example, they often promote from within their ranks, including hiring team and shift leaders, as well as store managers, directly from their current staff.

Some people have even worked their way up into regional manager positions by providing high-quality work in their Red Robin locations.

The availability of these careers is limited, but it is something worth noting if you’re interested in a career in this field.

Cons of Working for Red Robin

While Red Robin provides many advantages to its employees, there are some downsides to working for this restaurant.

It’s important to keep these issues in mind if you plan on applying.

Note that none of these problems are universal but have been reported by real Red Robin employees.

We highlight them if we notice multiple people discussing them.

High Turnover Rate

Have you ever gone to a Red Robin, Applebees, or a similar restaurant and noticed that staff comes and goes without warning?

High turnover rates can often affect food and service quality and impact your career at the same time.

For example, having to train new employees all the time can bog you down and make you even busier.

Even worse, this constant turnover creates an unstable workplace that can be challenging to handle.

Though common in many restaurants, this issue is still frustrating.

Questionable Tips for Wait Staff

Red Robin is like many sit-down restaurants in that its wait staff can make the most money: if tips are good.

That said, many people report that tips at Red Robin aren’t great.

Some state that they get “stiffed” (receive no tip) by more customers than they’d expect.

Unfortunately, that’s something that may be inherent to restaurants like Red Robin.

Unlike fast food restaurants, which actually have a higher base pay than places like Red Robin, you’ll make most of your money on tips.

If you aren’t getting good tips, you’ll struggle to pay your bills.

Poor Diversity Score

Do you like working with a diverse group of people who bring something new to your life?

Don’t work at Red Robin: the company has an average diversity rating of 53 out of 100.

That means you’re not likely to see a lot of unique people at your job.

That diversity may vary based on location, but most people reported that the staff was made up of young, college-aged kids.

Older people or minorities weren’t outright rejected but not as common.

As a result, you may want to work elsewhere if diversity matters to you.

Long Work Hours

Many employees reported that their Red Robin location required them to work far more hours than they wanted.

While some also reported that their hours were inconsistent, it was clear that many staff members felt overworked and unable to meet their job’s work demands.

Now, if you’re someone who wants to make more money working at a restaurant (or even picking up overtime hours), you may enjoy working long hours.

However, if you have a family you need to raise, these long hours will be harder to tolerate.

Some Issues With Staffing

This problem goes hand-in-hand with the long work hours previously mentioned.

Understaffing is a common issue in many restaurants after the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, it is particularly an issue in restaurants like Red Robin due to their unique place on the market.

As neither a high- nor low-end restaurant, Red Robin struggles to provide enough compensation for its employees.

Unlike fast food restaurants that hire high school students, Red Robin employees expect and need more cash.

As a result, they often remain perennially understaffed.

Complaints About Managers

Have you ever read a job review that didn’t complain about managers?

This issue is particularly persistent in restaurant businesses.

The same can be said of Red Robin: unfortunately, there seems to be a high level of management issues in this business.

Complaints included issues with pettiness, personality conflicts, lack of team support, and much more.

These concerns often made it hard for some employees to feel supported and made it difficult to adjust to the unique demands of their job.

Inconsistent Scheduling

Do you strive for consistency and need it to plan around your school or childcare needs?

You shouldn’t apply for a job at Red Robin.

Due to staffing problems and other issues, you’re likely to work inconsistent hours and shifts and may struggle to manage your schedule.

More than one employee reported getting over 40 hours one week, only to get 10 or less the next week.

Swing shifts are also common at Red Robin, which can make life very uncomfortable.

While a frequent issue at many restaurants, it’s worth pointing out here.