Want good staff? Pay for good staff. - Butler CxRA Employee Review

3.0
19 Jan 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

CxRA, and Restaurant Associates by extension, compromises the largest and busiest foodservice/catering company in the world. Contract/temporary work is abundant as long as you don't care where or when you work.

Cons

Back in the day, Restaurant Associates used to be one of the better paying catering companies in New York. Now, in the year 2022 during a pandemic where service labor is at a premium, CxRA has refused to increase the hourly salary for waitstaff and event captains. While other catering/staffing companies are paying 50-100% more for reliable, motivated staff, CxRA "remedies" this by staffing unreliable, temporary waitstaff for "premium" events and shrugging off feedback when the service quality is not up to pre-pandemic par (the temps quit after 0-2 events, without any repercussions.) Unfortunately, as a Compass company, many other sister/cousin foodservice companies such as Flik, Levy, Chartwells, CulinArt, Canteen, Bon Apetit, etc., are trapped with CxRA staffing as their exclusive option, leading to a noticeable downward cascade in service quality as most of the dedicated staff have been alienated by the lack of well-deserved pay hikes.

Explore other reviews about CxRA

5.0
29 Jul 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Not so dependable as sole work but you gain great experience and work pretty classy events. I have ran into a few celebs

Cons

Seasonal, never a consistent schedule events get canceled and rescheduled all the time but that's just what it is but I wish I would've been told that on my interview

1.0
9 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fast-paced environment. Some team members were helpful and the work itself was straightforward.

Cons

During onboarding, I asked for clarification about work requirements, including appropriate footwear while on a limited budget, and did not feel supported. An interaction with a staff member came across as rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. The tone felt unnecessarily harsh for a simple question, which made the environment uncomfortable early on. I was let go shortly after without a clear explanation, which raised concerns about communication and expectations for new hires.

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