Pros
The pay is competitive and is likely the strongest benefit of the role. The concept itself is very simple and straightforward, making the day-to-day operation easy to understand and deliver. The business is fast-paced and high profile, and for those whose working style aligns closely with the existing senior management team, the experience can be relatively smooth. On paper, the company promotes values around independence, individuality, and an “indie” spirit.
Cons
At this specific site, senior management is the core issue. The behaviours, tone, and standards set at that level do not reflect or uphold the values the company publicly promotes. Despite an emphasis on individuality and indie culture, the senior management environment was cliquey and conformity-driven. Difference of opinion, alternative leadership styles, or constructive challenge were not encouraged and were often met with increased scrutiny rather than open discussion. There appeared to be a deliberate and structured approach to managing both front-of-house team members and managers out of the business. This commonly presented as sustained micromanagement, heightened monitoring, and pressure, rather than support, coaching, or development. This approach felt systematic rather than situational. After raising detailed concerns in a lengthy, considered email to the operations and people teams, I was thanked for my time and informed the feedback would be “taken on board.” No meaningful action, accountability, or follow-up followed, reinforcing the sense that issues involving senior leadership are acknowledged but not addressed. I have worked in hospitality for nearly 12 years and have never experienced a senior management team like this. The behaviours I observed represented the worst side of hospitality management and reinforced harmful stereotypes of the industry — cliquey environments, gossip-driven leadership, and teams feeling afraid to speak out when something is wrong. In my experience, these stereotypes are not reflective of hospitality as a whole; however, the senior management culture at this site actively fed into them. As long as the current senior management structure remains in place, it is difficult to see how the culture at this site would meaningfully improve, as this is where expectations and behaviour are set.
