It is said that today, many restaurants have been super slow, losing business or that they are even so understaffed in which it makes them lose even more business. In which they are even starting to hire random people who aren’t even dedicated to their jobs because they are in such desperation for workers. With many restaurants just running off of teenagers even, not having much dedication or desire. Where, in this piece, we will be focusing on the restaurant of IHop. Interviewing their staff or past staff to see how it’s been there with all these different hits. Where we will be interviewing, Zainab Amir, Ceani Thomas, Farhad Sikander, Luke Ally & Wendy Phiri, who have all served or still do serve at IHOP.  

Q1: How would you describe your role at IHop(what’s your typical shift like, what are you required to do before you can leave, etc).

ZA: At IHOP I have different roles to do, sometimes I serve, sometimes I am a hostess, and sometimes I can be an expo/food runner. My job at IHOP is to give the best possible service I could to the customers. I am responsible for my side work at the end of my shift. 

CT: At IHOP I have to serve, treat customers with respect and make sure to keep the restaurant clean and well maintained. On certain occasions I would have to be mod then I just make sure the restaurant is running well.

FS: I’m a server at IHOP and have to do too much side work before my shift ends, lasting hours. I also have to put my kid to sleep and then go to work, it’s really hard living like this. I’m a responsible man and I take care of my baby because that ain’t da baby that’s my baby.

LA: I have to, arrive to work on time, provide customers with good quality food and service, then at closing time complete I’m required to complete all side work and leave the restaurant in good shape.

WP: At work, I have to serve the customers, treat them with kindness, arrive to work on time, and be on my best behavior to represent the company well.

Q2: Would you say that Ihop is understaffed & in desperation of workers? How so?

ZA: iHop is extremely understaffed right now because a lot of people quit or just left without saying anything. A lot of teenagers went back for college/school etc after summers. 

CT: No I don’t think we are understaffed I just believe that the management needs a better training program and to hire better employees.

FS: No we are good, I be making like $27 bro. Don’t work at IHOP if you have kids.

LA: Yes, because most of the servers that IHOP had over the summer have gone back to school or have found new jobs.

WP: Yes, I would say that iHOP is understaffed and needs good and determined people who are willing to do their job to the best of their ability. Things move slower nowadays because of us being understaffed, and that makes customers mad, and when the customers get mad, then us working get frustrated that we cannot perform to the best of our ability.

Q3: Would you say that business is at all thriving at IHop or is it in the process of losing business?

ZA: iHop is losing business. The main factor is that our manager changed and the new manager is still struggling and still needs time to understand things correctly. The second factor is that new iHop locations have been opened nearby and they’re taking customers from our location. 

CT: Definitely losing business since the new IHop opened down the road

FS: It’s both because ihop is trash tbh.

LA: Business will always be good at IHOP since it is a premiere breakfast chain in the area.

WP: I wouldn’t say that business is thriving, but I also wouldn’t say that we are losing business. iHOP is doing fine the way it is. It could be better, but as of now, it is doing just fine. There are some days where we get lots of customers, and others when almost nobody shows up.

Q4: How would you describe the employees at IHop(hard workers? dedicated? slackers? rude?) Explain, give us some context.

ZA: iHop employees are extremely hardworking. They are fun to be around but mainly they provide good service to the customers so they can get good tips. 

CT: They are all really hard workers, and make the Ihop environment a fun one.

FS: My least fav worker is ******* , she is very rude and disrespectful, she makes so many mistakes.

LA: They are fun, hard workers, and care about their work and their customers.

WP: With all jobs, there will always be those employees that one cliques with and has a good time with, but everyone isn’t going to like everybody. Overall, the employees at iHOP are fun and mostly determined to work. Some slack, some work, but overall it is a good environment if you make it one.

Q5: Do you enjoy working at IHOP? Are you treated fairly? How long are your hours(too long? tiring?), explain, give us some context.

ZA: I enjoy working at iHop. I was treated fairly. My shifts aren’t long. I normally work on the weekends because of college from 9am-3pm and Fridays 5pm-11pm. 

CT: Yes I did enjoy working at Ihop and I was treated fairly working from 8-4 on weekends and 5-11 on weekdays with 1-2 days off a week.

FS: No *******  makes fun of me and sometimes I cry.

LA: I did enjoy working at IHOP, I was treated fairly and with respect. My shifts were usually weekends from 9am-4pm, and sometimes on weekdays from 5pm-11pm.

WP: I do enjoy working at iHOP. For my first job it has been a good one and I’m excited to still be working there. My hours aren’t long for me because they go by pretty fast. I usually work part-time on days where we know it’ll be slow, and fulltime on the days where it’ll be busy (like holidays and Sunday mornings for instance)

Q6: How old do the workers tend to be working here, (explain how that may affect the workplace, give us your age as well from when you worked here).

ZA: Workers at iHop are mostly teenagers but some older staff. Adults have obviously more experience than the junior members of the team. I was 16 when I started working at iHop and now I am 17. 

CT: It ranges from teenagers to adults but people around their age group typically hang with others around the same age & I am 16.

FS: 16-40, the old people are lowkey creepy, and I am 17.

LA: Workers range anywhere from around 16 to late 40s. It makes a very diverse workplace and allows the newer workers to learn from the more experienced / older ones. I was 17 when working there & still am.

WP: Depending on the type of position they are working, the cooks vary from the ages of mid-30s to mid-50s., the dishwashers and combos vary from mid-20s and above, servers range from teens to mid-40s, and managers are primarily in their 30s and above. The different ages affect our workplace because not everyone likes working with adults (teens for example), but overall, the team is full of nice and friendly people and we all seem to get along well.  I started working at iHOP in June 2021, and I am 16.

Q7: How much would you usually make after one shift & how long would that shift be?

ZA: Depending on my role, if I am a host/expo I make 10 an hour which is like $60 a day. If I am a server I make more because of the tips, If I serve on the weekends I make up to $150. 

CT:200 on weekends /8 hours and 120 on weekdays 6 hours

FS: $27 for 5hrs, serving.

LA: About $150 on weekend mornings & $50 on weekday afternoons. Usually about 7hr shifts.

WP: I am predominantly a server at IHOP, so I usually don’t make a lot if there are no customers, but on a good Sunday morning shift, I can usually make about $100 at minimum.

Q8: Give us something you like & dislike about working at IHOP.

ZA: I like working at IHOP in general, it’s a fun place to work in. Something I dislike about IHOP is a few crew members, some crew members don’t care about the quality of work, they just care about their tips. 

CT: I liked the money and I disliked the management and how the whole restaurant was run in general.

FS: I like the people and I hate the money.

LA: I liked the feeling that I got when I provided customers with quality service, and I liked the environment I was in. I disliked the stressful morning rushes.

WP: Something I like about iHOP is the fun people that I work with. Something I dislike are the people I don’t like working with but I’m glad because they quit and now I can actually enjoy my time at work.

Q9: Why did you quit/ leave IHop(if you don’t still work here)? Give us your reasoning.

ZA: Sunday is my last day at IHOP. I quit because I get a lot of homework from college and I need time to study. Secondly, my main reason for quitting was some team members, they just love to create drama and snitch and I don’t have time for negativity when I have so much work to do. 

CT: I quit because of the disrespectful management. 

FS: Because the money is terrible and I’m quitting.

LA: I left because I wanted to focus on my senior year, finishing out my school years strong.

WP: I still work at iHOP. Kaleigh and I are the only OGs left.

Q10: Before we end this interview, I’d like to ask you to give us a story of your own from working at IHOP. (it can be dramatic, funny, crazy), however, you’d like.

ZA: One time I locked the manager’s office and the key was inside and no one could enter the office. One of my managers had to bring a ladder and go in from the ceiling to open the door. 

CT: A group of teenagers came in and asked if they could have the mailbox since I was in charge I said yes and they proceeded to take it .

FS: My table of teenagers after a football game vandalized our bathrooms (peeing on the diaper thing on the wall, throwing the trash can everywhere, etc)  and my manager wanted to press charges but they couldn’t find them🤣

LA: One time I went into the back and made chicken tenders for myself when there were no cooks or managers in the kitchen, it was great.

WP: This past Saturday, Kaleigh and I were sitting in the break room and I was leaning back in my chair against the wall. I was sitting there for about 10 minutes before out of nowhere I plop to the ground (Kaleigh has a video of it). Most people would say it’s a very traumatic experience, but this happens to me a lot because I enjoy leaning back in my chairs. That usually scares my teachers when it happens, but I end up laughing the whole moment off as if it never happened.

While those are a few interviews from the IHop staff, in which they state their perspective on the quality of work at their location & how understatement, may or may not affect them. Giving us a view of what it is indeed like working at IHOP.