Bob Evans taught us, we always “treat strangers like friends and friends like family.
Or so we thought.
I started working at Bob Evans 4 years ago as a part time job during school. My starting wage was 8.00 an hour to host, but I was O.K. with the wage. It was my first job, and it was a pretty easy job. I eventually worked my way all the way up to 8.25 as a host (huge accomplishment, right?). I learned every position in the restaurant so I could get more hours and help out around wherever I was needed. Takeout delivery was a role I learned, it was extremely fast paced at times, especially if you were the only one scheduled. Somewhere along the line I got a raise to 9 dollars an hour.
Then corporate made changes to the roles at Bob Evans.
Corporate decided to combine hosting and carryout, into one position, without giving us a raise.
You might say big deal, but let me explain what all the tasks at hand now were. In this new combined position, you are expected to seat people, cash people out, take phone calls for takeout meals, prepare takeout meals, prepare takeout meals from online orders, occasionally bus tables and portion out food when needed.
I was OK with it at first, but it eventually became too much. My manager gave me a whole dollar raise. This held me over for a while because I was also getting a few tips from takeout.
When lockdowns hit, it changed everything though. Corporate of course cut everyone's hours, which is expected. DoorDash blew up in popularity, along with take out. DoorDash orders are terrible because they don't even allow the customer an opportunity to tip the employees who prepared your meal.
Fast-forward post lockdowns, corporate saw this as an eye opening that they don't need to schedule lots of people for the restaurant to function. They cut everyone's hours again. I'm pretty close with the managers, so I know what is going on between them and corporate. Corporate wants them to keep our labor percentage under 13%. The working conditions have gotten terrible after this. They won't allow us to schedule dishwashers on most days, we are limited to one cook during the weekdays (2 on weekend mornings), and one host/takeout during the week. The stress and anger has built up throughout the entire workplace. We are understaffed because corporate won't let us schedule anybody to work.
I had enough of the nonsense and sat down with my manager to discuss my resignation, but he gave me another dollar raise to stay, so I did. That was two months ago. I realized today no amount of money will keep us from being unhappy at this corporate profit machine.
Today at Bob Evans it was slammed, and of course, I was the only one scheduled to work host/takeout. I started to complain to a coworker about the working conditions and he completely agreed. Next thing I know, the manager is telling me to leave and go home, because she doesn't like my attitude, and she is writing me up. This was the nail in the coffin for me, and I wasn't having it. I demanded to know why she was sending me home, and writing me up for literally no reason. She said she won't let me know until tomorrow. I told her if she makes me walk out that door today, taking away more of my hours, I'm done. She didn't care. For everything I've done for that restaurant, the least I deserve is an explanation on what I did wrong tonight. I left in a rage as she wished.
I've already set up a meeting with my GM tomorrow. I'm not letting him talk me into staying. I'm done.
Long story short:
Dont support Bob Evans restaurants. They do not care at all for their employees or managers. All they care about is profit. Most of the people there make less than $10 an hour, when they are expected to put up with corporate's restrictions on scheduled hours. The only reason I made more than $10 dollars an hour there is because I put in more extra work than any other host that works there, and I've always respected management, up until today.
If you know anyone looking for a job, do them a favor and tell them to avoid Bob Evans.