Extreme Concern and Review
I am writing to share an extreme concern about how my friend was treated here. She was hired, worked for two days, and then was abruptly fired without reason. The way this unfolded is unprofessional, careless, and cruel.
From the beginning, they acted excited to bring her in, praising her skill set and having her fill out paperwork. Then, after building up her hopes, they left her waiting for days with no clear communication about when training would begin. My friend made time because she was genuinely excited and hopeful, even though her life is already full with volunteering in health, wellness, teaching, and community service. She always finds ways to give, and she made space for this opportunity with the belief it would finally give her a chance to rebuild.
On her first day of training, she was scheduled for less than two hours. The manager, Isaac, had her read menus and sit at the bar. No customers came in, and there was no meaningful instruction. The bartender, Mike, only repeated the same things Isaac had already shown her. None of this was useful, because she has over 15 years of experience in the industry and already knew everything about the work except for one single thing: the register. That was the only training she needed, and yet it was the one thing she was never allowed to touch. Instead of giving her the practical training that would have mattered, they wasted her time with meaningless redundancy. She went home annoyed, not because she failed to learn, but because there was nothing new to learn and nothing worthwhile offered.
The second day was even worse. She was assigned to Kayln, who admitted multiple times that she had never trained anyone before and had no idea what to do. My friend, with her years of experience, did not need to be shown how to serve, bartend, or handle customers--she was already overqualified for all of that. Once again, the only thing she required was hands-on practice with the register, and once again, she was denied it. Instead of receiving that training, she spent the shift chasing after someone who kept apologizing for not training her and complaining endlessly about wanting to leave early for a birthday party. Kayln was focused entirely on her own plans to go out drinking, and she neglected her responsibility to train. Meanwhile, other staff members displayed nothing but poor attitudes. When my friend approached Asia to help with a guest who wanted another drink, she was met with confusion and dismissiveness. Instead of quickly handling the request, Asia dragged it out, forcing my friend to repeat herself, and still took several minutes to enter the order. Even though she was in training and had no control over the register, my friend shouldered the responsibility by apologizing to the guest and explaining the minor delay, making sure the customer felt acknowledged and cared for.
The hypocrisy of this situation was staggering. By her second day, my friend could have easily run tables and even bartended if they had simply given her the register training. The job itself was straightforward, yet the employees around her complained constantly as though the work demanded more from them than it actually did. Bartenders whined about how "99% of the work" fell on their shoulders, when that is the very nature of the job. Staff members dragged their feet, came late, or barely showed up, all while complaining about responsibilities that were theirs to begin with. My friend, who wanted to work and was fully capable, was sidelined and ignored while others acted as though their basic duties were unbearable.
To make matters worse, the atmosphere was appalling. Bartender JJ and Kayln joked loudly about sex on a date inside the restaurant, without caring that customers could hear. Managers openly bad-mouthed other managers and employees not behind closed doors, but in front of my friend during her interview, during her paperwork, and again during both training days. It was not subtle or discreet. They mocked, insulted, and gossiped openly, which is not only unprofessional but also humiliating for any establishment. I have been in this industry for 20 years, and I have never seen managers degrade their own staff out loud in front of employees and customers alike. It was disgraceful behavior.
The bigger picture became clear in only two days. Employees either did not show up at all or arrived late. Bartenders complained about work they were hired to do. Managers insulted their teams instead of leading them. The environment was disorganized, unkind, and negative. The only positive thing my friend noted was that the restaurant appeared clean; beyond that, it was chaos.
And yet despite all of this, my friend remained her usual self--warm, bubbly, and kind with every customer she met. She gave compliments freely, carried on genuine conversations, and spread positivity in a workplace that offered her nothing in return. Customers responded in kind, read more
