Union Chicken

I have never written a review for anything - good or bad, until now. I  have worked at the Union station location from when it first opened and have been there almost 14 months. Things were okay for 10months, but lately; Management has gone downhill, and there's no advancement, but that's okay! Because we get staff discounts...

Of the three managers:

The new Manager doesn't know how to talk to staff with respect or how to talk to them about any problems she has with them. If she thinks someone has a  "sh*tty attitude" or "bad habits" rather than tell that person  so they can improve she'll tell a different person about it, so she'll always have it as an excuse. 

The other Manager lets people get away with doing and saying whatever they want. Manager, staff or customer. 

And the Only manager who cared about the staff quit.

If you're looking to get into serving , they'll start your training months after you've asked , then call it, and I quote, a "reward" , and if the manager who does the scheduling doesn't like you, she won't give you any shifts and claim it's because you don't have the right attitude.  

They've mentioned growth and opportunities on multiple occasions but when it comes down to it, they will hire people with more experience, and you'll be taken advantage of BECAUSE of the experience you have but apparently lack. 

Looking for a raise? You won't get that here. You can work a year and not see a single pay increase. If the other locations aren't doing well everyone gets to suffer. Except management of course. 

Be prepared to eat cold food or having to buy lunch. There aren't many places to store your lunch as the walk-in and the take-out fridge are almost always stocked full. And even if you store it, there's almost no chance to heat it since they're always using the ovens for prep.  As staff you do get a 50% discount off food which I'll admit isn't too bad, but depending on what you're getting, it's still pretty pricey. But because you'll often see the managers eating their free meals infront of you, you'll be pretty tempted. 

This place has begun to stress me and a few others out to the point of physical sickness. Only apply if you're super desperate (because they are too), and are willing to waste months on a road to nowhere.

Y'all could work 6 days a week and only get $280 a week tip out so i hope you live with your parents. 
Do you want to move up in the company???? They'll promise you the world but then hire one of their friends from out of the company.  
Sometimes menu items will change and no one will know! SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!! 
Management is constantly turning people against each other and gossiping about you behind your back. 
They also play favourites, micromanage, give public criticism, hover like a helicopter, make inappropriate comments, she expects everyone to be like her, doesn't admit mistakes(blame shifts), and breaks her own rules.
But most importantly she lives on an air on arrogance. She likes to remind you everyday that she is the best. She once told me how she is the best at wiping tables. *insert eye roll here* 
 Working in a situation like this can be so stressful and isn't worth it. Please take this as a warning because I want whats best for you. It's not worth it.

Very toxic place to work at. Management are very unprofessional and disrespectful. Contributions are unrewarded and ideas are ignored, especially to those who are very hardworking. Employees' potential are unrecognized.  They would promise to discuss goals, improvements and developments but it will never happen. They're all talk but no action. OVERWORKED YET UNDERPAID. Was a regular cook but they made me train a new person to be a sous chef????One of the managers is always on employees case when it comes to staff meals to the point that its uncomfortable and disrespectful. Tips are very bad because not busy AND managers take a big portion of it before dividing it to staff. Management doesn’t own up to their mistakes or sees the real reason why others are getting frustrated/just quitting. Lack of communication with staff. Blame always goes on somebody else (even former staff who left awhile ago)

I've been with the company for a year in a manager role and have been extremely happy with the environment, compensation and leadership.  I've worked for a few different restaurant groups in Toronto and no one has the drive, empathy and leadership that this one does.  I've been through all types of situations within the company and others but what keeps me with this group is their ability to handle the situation in the fairest of ways and learn from their employees as well.  I trust who I work for and they trust me.  Something I find rare in this city and industry.  Its not perfect (no one really is) but its constantly trying to get better and is succeeding in doing so everyday.  They definiteIy put people first and have great work life balance.  I work with a great group of peers and leaders.  Honestly the best place I've worked to date.

a typical day for me would be opening the bar and restaurant. . I would count till and make sure everything was in place and spotless for opening. Working at Union taught me a lot about the importance of a team environment. One team, one goal. I enjoyed the customers we had, they were always friendly and I made some great connections there. Management at times were a bit cut throat , I felt that the higher up managers put pressure on the shift managers to act a certain way. The environment changed from positive to negative and it seemed like managers weren't contributing as much as they used to in terms of our "team service method".

I started working at the summer market during the summer and then moved down to the resturant once the market closed. I had a lot of fun because I really enjoyed the people. It was very fast paced, so you need to know how to move quickly and be able to take initiative if you see something needs doing instead of just waiting around to ask someone about it, the lunch rush is too busy for that. As long as you have common sense, this job will be a breeze. Most of management is very helpful and very welcoming. I eventually left the company because my schooling became too demanding and I needed more focus. Loved the live music and sometimes got free samples from the end cart. Worth doing for a summer!

I very much enjoy working here at Union Chicken. Management and all of the employees are so kind and are always ready to give a helping hand. Their training programs really prepare you for a successful career. 
Union Chicken can get quite busy, being located in the central hub of Toronto.  The collaborative efforts of the staff made working through stressful times much more manageable.
I would highly recommend working at Union Chicken to anyone who enjoys camaraderie and fast pace in the work place.

Union Chicken and Open Concept Hospitality provide an extremely supportive atmosphere for their staff. It is an exciting place to work as there are so many opportunities to grow. The team is very close knit which makes work feel more like a second home. Management and ownership always backs their teams and get to know each and every one of their employees. I would definitely recommend Union Chicken as a restaurant at the top of your list! 

I worked part time but I wished they gave me more hours to help me with my bills and living. its a busy restaurant at Union Station where most of people used to travel. they couldn't afford to have me longer because the restaurant get less busy after the holidays because everyone did spend all their money didn't have enough to buy at the restaurant. I work on weekends they needed me so I cant work on Fridays mornings because I do volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

The managers seemed nice but as time went on I realized they along with the rest of the staff were very catty. Being sworn at and verbally harassed was according to the managers “apart of the industry.” Staff was not very friendly and were very juvenile. They were usually very over staffed or very understaffed. Tips were very low considering how much you work and how hard you worked. I would not suggest working here if you want a healthy working environment.

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