Pros
Exciting, fast paced Reasonably high salary for no degree required Challenging, ever changing environment Rewarding, you have a strong impact on other people's lives Constant trouble shooting and problem solving, fast paced enough to have continual effort met with results Transferable skills Plenty of physical activity
Cons
Rigid rules concerning schedules, work every weekend/holiday Constant turnover, both employees and management Encompassing expectations, often feels like you're doing 5 people's jobs for the price of 1 Underappreciation, minimal encouragement/reward from higher management, and even less from employees and customers. Extremely low tolerance for error, with minimal appreciation for success. People routinely send the message "you're job isn't that hard" Crude coworkers, restaurants tend to attract and/or create rough lifestyles Overall the restaurant seems to bring out the best or worst in people with very little in between. Negative energy in excess, surrounded by burnt out people Can be physically demanding