Free food, decent pay, everything else sucks - Shift Leader Five Guys Employee Review

1.0
8 Nov 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The pay was decent and you get 1 meal for free every shift you work

Cons

The amount of stress that gets out on you as a manager to perform well is insane. You miss one secret shop and you get treated like you committed a war crime. This only really applies to my specific region/location, but my GM was also extremely lazy, often sitting at the computer in the back room 90% of the time when I was there. He also only ever worked mornings, never closed even once in the many years I've been working for. He plays favorites when it comes the crew, especially considering he has his wife and stepson also working here. To add to this, his stepson is a one of the other Shift Leads, who got promoted in only 6 months. There is a countless amount of times that I've had to run with a skeleton crew while the GM gave his stepson the most loaded shifts. Meanwhile, I was really the only one who actually had to do all the training and deep cleaning for our Food Safety Audits. HR is an absolute joke as well, don't expect them to actually do anything when you report something. Actually, expect them to go tell the GM about what you reported him for while specifically telling him that it was you who reported it. There is also at least 10 times that I can think of that my GM was reported by former crew members and former team leads/shift leads for poor management, poor treatment, and general incompetence, and HR did absolutely nothing. They had maybe like a 10 minute conversation and that was it. And the GM's stepson was reported to HR for sexual harassment, guess who was told all about it? His step-father, the GM, after he was told by HR. Nothing ended up happening to the GM's stepson, but yet the accuser was fired shortly thereafter, weird. I could go on and on but this is already an essay.

Explore other reviews about Five Guys

5.0
13 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Friendly environment that feels like family

Cons

Low wages compared to competition

4.0
1 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They will teach you everything you need to be successful. They have much higher standards than most places, one of the few places I'd have no problem eating at any location. They'll make sure you have everything you need to meet those standards, especially once you get to a management level. They have corporate trainers and the GM at my location was also great. I'm a GM at a different place now and my experience here left me well prepared me for that position.

Cons

Pay. That's the only reason I left, I would have stayed with the company if I could have gotten a raise and I would definitely return if they offered something comparable to what I'm making elsewhere.

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