With more than 200 restaurants in 34 states, Famous Dave's opeartes as a publicly traded company specializing in traditional BBQ fare. Founded in 1994, the barbecue restaurant chain continues to grow and provide various entry-level and career-oriented job opportunities for applicants hoping to join the restaurant industry.
Facts About Working at Famous Dave's
Hiring Age: 16 years old (How old do you have to be to work at Famous Dave's?)
Available Positions: Host/Hostess, Dishwasher, Cashier, Bartender, Server, Counter Server, Line Cook/Prep Cook, Kitchen Manager, Assistant Manager, Restaurant Manager, General Manager, Food and Beverage Purchasing Analyst, Data Management Specialist, Supply Chain Analyst, Interactive Graphic Designer
Printable Application: No. Search Job Openings or visit official site.
Famous Dave’s Job Opportunities
The prominent chain frequently hires entry-level applicants to fill a variety of roles. Interested job seekers who enjoy interacting with the general public may apply to work as servers, bartenders, or hosts. Candidates wishing to stay behind-the-scenes may enjoy employment as dishwashers, prep cooks, line cooks, or table bussers. Famous Dave’s offers opportunities to people from all walks of life and serves as an equal-opportunity employer. Whether looking for part-time employment as a second job, working through school, or a fun summer gig, the barbecue restaurant chain offers convenient, flexible scheduling and minimal hiring restrictions to new employees.
For the more career-focused individual, Famous Dave’s seeks to employ workers with high energy, motivated personalities, and backgrounds in the restaurant industry. Crew members already working for the barbecue restaurant chain may seek to earn promotion into managerial duties, as the company prefers to hire from within. However, with new locations opening regularly, opportunities remain available to job hopefuls outside of the company, as well. Managers enjoy excellent employment benefit packages and salary options commensurate with industry standards.
Famous Dave’s Positions and Salary Information
Famous Dave’s offers a variety of entry-level and career opportunities for interested candidates. The minimum hiring age stands at 16 years old to work in most entry-level jobs. For positions working around alcoholic beverages or utilizing kitchen equipment, hiring managers may prefer workers who possess at minimum a high school diploma or equivalent. Featured jobs available with the restaurant chain include:
Bartender
- Responsible for serving and suggestively selling drinks and menu items to customers, bartenders must present friendly, upbeat, and personable attitudes at all times.
- Bartenders should possess general math aptitudes, as taking payment and making change represents a major job duty.
- Other obligations include answering phones, expediting food, cleaning work stations, washing glassware, and bussing tables.
- Workers should also understand the immense accountability of serving alcohol and should follow state and company guidelines for service.
- Bartenders typically make minimum wage with gratuity opportunities available.
Host
- Hosts greet, engage, and escort customers to seating, while accommodating any special needs, such as booster seats, large parties, disabilities, and high chairs.
- Additional responsibilities revolve around assisting servers, maintaining clean entry areas and restrooms, aiding in bussing tables, and managing and taking reservations.
- These team members may also answer phones, take carry-out orders, and run food.
- Hosts generally make minimum wage and may eventually earn up to $9.00 an hour.
Server
- Excellent conversationalists typically make exceptional servers.
- Waiters and waitresses must interact with customers, make menu selections, and take accurate orders.
- Other responsibilities may include running food, bussing tables, refilling beverages, preparing desserts, and maintaining restaurant cleanliness.
- Server pay scales hover around $5.00 an hour and up to $10.00 an hour with tips included.
Kitchen Staff
- Kitchen staff typically includes all cooks, bussers, and dishwashers.
- Cooks maintain responsibility for accurately fixing menu items according to company protocol and recipes while guaranteeing safe and timely food preparation.
- Other duties may include setting up, cleaning, stocking, and restocking workstations.
- Dishwashers and bussers clean tables off after guests complete meals and then washes plates, glasses, silverware, pots, pans, and utensils dirtied during food preparation throughout the day.
- Cooks may earn up to $10.00 per hour to start, while dishwashers and bussers generally earn minimum hourly wages.
Management
- Managers ensure the overall everyday operations of each restaurant.
- Responsibilities include increasing sales and profitability, managing team performances, ensuring cost control measures, and hiring, training, and coaching associates on a daily basis.
- Supervisory associates must certify guest satisfaction, ensure proper handling and serving of all food dishes, keep employees working to full potential, and guarantee corporate expectations.
- Managers tend to need at least three years of prior restaurant management experience, though the restaurant chain does promote from within.
- Restaurant managers may earn annual salary rates up to $45,000, while general managers earn around $60,000 a year.
Tips for Applying
When applying online, job potentials must complete a three-section application, which may take up to thirty minutes to complete. The online application form asks multiple prescreen questions in order to determine qualifications for hire with answers provided in text boxes or selected from drop down menus. In order to expedite the process, candidates should make certain to gather hiring materials beforehand to ensure correct and current information. The company also provides paper applications at the restaurant of hiring choice, if preferred.
Application Status
Once hiring managers receive applications, candidates may expect to hear from personnel within a week. Contact may arrive sooner, depending on the demand to fill the position. Applicants may check on job statuses through proper channels, such as email, telephone, or in person, as long as job seekers utilize proper discretion. Job hopefuls should consider making contact without interrupting restaurant operations. Contact should remain limited to once a week in order to show genuine interest in a position without becoming an unnecessary nuisance.
Benefits of Working at Famous Dave’s
Famous Dave’s offers employees comprehensive work benefits along with fun, exciting, and flexible work environments. Available job benefits include competitive wages, performance bonuses, and meal discounts. Eligible team members also enjoy:
- Health and life insurance options
- Vacation and sick leave, and
- Enrollment in a 401(k) retirement plan.
All workers maintain access to paid trainings and advancement opportunities.
Additional Information about Famous Dave’s
The barbecue restaurant chain actively attempts to face food-related adversity head on. Famous Dave’s remains passionate about helping others fight through the odds by aligning with national and regional charities and shelters. Many locations donate excess food to local food banks through the national Food Donation Connection. In addition, the restaurant chain also provides volunteer hours and food to areas hit by tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other disaster relief efforts.