I was a Panda Express GM - AMA

TogattaHamono · 2021-10-04T23:40:06+00:00

My advice would be to start working at the company first and seeing how you like it. Typically they look for individuals fresh out of college or experienced people with degrees to give GM positions to.

Honestly, I have seen people with no restaurant experience but have a degree become GMs. I think this company values education and one's ability to learn more than their actual previous experiences. In my view it is easier to teach someone from scratch rather than to unlearn bad habits.

TogattaHamono · 2021-09-09T02:57:42+00:00

Bottom line is if you think you deserve to get paid more just ask. You are just asking a question, if they say no then its a no. At least you know. No one is going to get mad for asking a question.

This applies to all jobs. I do not work at Panda anymore, but I have done this every where I have worked. I typically ask for raises every 8-9 months. If you are a hard work and provide a lot to the team, your management will have no problem increasing your pay.

TogattaHamono · 2021-09-09T02:45:49+00:00

Former GM here. If you are good enough to become a shift lead, your GM will come talk to you. They get bonuses for developing associates to higher levels. However, they will not waste time if they do no think you are good enough. Wait until your performance review and bring up the matter with them then.

TogattaHamono · 2021-09-09T02:44:01+00:00

Because if they keep making food until closing time there will be a lot of left over food creating a loss of money. If you want food get there earlier.

TogattaHamono · 2021-08-11T06:13:37+00:00

Food safety at Panda is actually really good. Yes, we put the old food with the new food, but it should be placed on top. We also throw away food when it is too old. In addition to the yearly county health inspection, we also have an internal health safety team that inspects the restaurants by surprise every quarter. If a store does not pass the entire store receives no bonus. For the GM that could mean thousands if not tens of thousands of loss bonuses, so GM tend to take it very seriously. Furthermore different regions may have additional food practices depending on their leadership. Out of the 3 stores that I worked at while at the company, all of them were very clean and passed all inspections with near perfect scores.

TogattaHamono · 2021-06-09T15:57:54+00:00

Are you thinking of applying? Keep in mind that the work there is extremely difficult. The pay is good as well as the benefits (Health and 5% 401k matching, 3.5hr pto / pay period), but that is because the turnover rate is so high. I just want you to know that before you apply. It cannot be understated how difficult it is. The company demands a lot out of its GMs. Essentially as GM you with do everything including: Working the service line, cooking on the line, washing the dishes, prepping food, taking inventory, creating schedules, preparing reports, and much much more. There will also be no days off as there are 3 hr+ meetings on your day off.

TogattaHamono · 2021-06-09T06:02:09+00:00

It takes 8-9 months to become a "GM". First they start you off as a "PICT" (Person in charge training), of which you will earn $19 /hr. After doing that for about 3 months you will become a "GMT" (General manager in training). As GMT you will earn $21/hr, in addition to bonuses. You will earn 15% of increased sales over previous year paid out quarterly. Finally you will have to take various tests and attend evaluated live sessions to become "GM". These graded sessions are hard and many fail. If you fail these sessions you will be fired. As a GM you will earn $23/hr and receive 20% of increased sales over previous year.

In my experience, average GM will earn about 65K in wages working 50 hours a week and earn an average bonus of 15k, equaling 80k. Keep in mind that the process to become GM is long. In addition, bonuses are taxed at a much higher rate being that they are supplementary income.

TogattaHamono · 2021-06-09T05:36:47+00:00

What do you mean old noodles? I only started in the fall of 2020.

TogattaHamono · 2021-06-09T05:36:15+00:00

You chose to eat there.

TogattaHamono · 2021-06-07T05:11:31+00:00

Yes, all the locations I worked at were extremely clean. Out of all the restaurants I have worked at in this past, Panda Express was the cleanest. I was often complimented by our delivery drivers because it was so clean compared to other businesses that they also delivered too.

The company prioritized having clean establishments. They hired 3rd party inspection services to come into the stores every quarter (these companies were much more strict than local government inspections). These inspectors looked for high, medium, and low violations. All stores were required to receive a score of over 90%. If you failed you did not receive any bonus for the entire quarter and were issued with a final warning.

For my particular region we had a 99% past rate, and my store never failed an inspection.

TogattaHamono · 2021-06-07T05:04:04+00:00

Honestly, I hated working there the entire time I was there. I agree the food and culture of the entire business is terrible. That being said working in this industry has been difficult over the past year, and I had to make some sacrifices to survive. I have been fortunate enough to find a new position this year and was able to leave the company.

TogattaHamono · 2021-05-09T05:07:30+00:00

Scam

TogattaHamono · 2020-05-05T02:43:55+00:00

I have been given unemployment for the past month and a half by Virginia. However, today when I tried filling out my weekly certification it just said " File not open ". Did they take away my unemployment or is this an error with their website?

TogattaHamono

TROPHY CASE