NickCo Hospitality Group Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was pretty easy. They asked me about my past jobs and if I had worked in restaurants before. I actually applied to be a server, and they had me describe a dish I liked from my old job, but I guess I didn't do a great job with that, so they offered me a food runner position instead. They also wanted to know if I could work full-time since I'm a student, as they only hire people for full-time roles.

I got to the second round of interviews after attending open interviews. The open interview seemed to go well, but the second interview was a disaster. I met with a manager who gave me the third degree. It felt like an interrogation, and he had a slimy demeanor. He'd give me a look like I was lying whenever I answered. He admitted he was trying to scare me off to filter out unserious candidates. He kept hammering the strict restaurant rules, like uniform standards (socks, shoes, pressed pants) and that you'd be sent home if you didn't comply. He stressed that Greeters must know the menu thoroughly, including details like gluten in dressings, and that you can't advance in training without passing tests. They schedule work four weeks out, so you have to plan your life around the job. He asked if I was interviewing at other places and wanted to confirm my long-term commitment, even though he implied I should quit my current food service job for full-time work with open availability. When I asked him his favorite part of working there, his long answer essentially meant he likes controlling everything. He mentioned 'coaching' (aka micromanaging) several times. I was offered a third panel interview and the manager told me to prepare more, but I've decided not to continue with them. While $15/hr plus tips is good for food service, they act like they're doing me a huge favor with this 'generous pay,' expecting me to sacrifice my life for this 'amazing opportunity.' I'll pass on this – the red flags are too obvious.

I went for a management role and honestly, they really didn't seem to care about my time at all. The whole process had 3 interviews, and the last one was a panel interview. The first two were just one-on-one chats, but they made everyone from San Diego drive all the way to their office in Irvine for these. It felt like they didn't appreciate any of the time I spent, especially driving over 200 miles just to talk. It was like a total 'cattle call' with so many people interviewing at once. The panel in the final interview was really strange; only one person seemed to do all the talking. They mostly just had me go through my resume and talk about my past jobs. Then it was just, 'Do you have any questions for us?' and they practically kicked me out. I asked if they'd let us know their decision, and they said they would. But when I called them 72 hours later, they just said everyone was 'busy' and in meetings. I never heard back from them – they totally ghosted me. Seriously, this might be one of the worst interview teams, processes, and overall experiences I've had in the restaurant business. This brand definitely takes itself way too seriously and doesn't value the time candidates or employees put in.

The interview process was lengthy and felt repetitive, with multiple interviews involving different managers. It was quite a chaotic and loud environment during the interviews, which was very distracting. I actually regret not taking a job I was offered at a restaurant nearby because this place wasn't what I expected from the inside. Overall, my experience was not good.