Only three restaurant companies were included in Glassdoor’s list of the 100 best places to work in 2019: In-N-Out Burger, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. In-N-Out was the standout, finishing No. 3 in the ranking of companies with at least 1,000 employers, behind Bain & Co., the former owner of Domino’s Pizza, and Zoom Video Communications, a company that provides video and web conferencing services. The burger chain was chosen on the basis of employee input.

Comments on the Glassdoor site portray In-N-Out as an employee-focused workplace that pays well (starting wages are $11 an hour) and promotes from within to support its growth. A culture of appreciation, along with high demands, was also saluted by staffers. At No. 76 is Kimpton, a lodging and restaurant operator known for its outstanding benefits, which include health insurance for pets and bereavement leave for the household cat or dog. Employee testimonials posted on Glassdoor also praised the company’s culture of empowerment, where decision-making is pushed down to the line level. “If you are looking for an organization who has your back, supports you, develops you and trusts your entrepreneurial spirit then this is where you want to be,” read one comment. Raising Cane’s landed the No. 96 slot. Employee reviewers praised the company for cultivating a culture of appreciation. The reinforcers of that impression, as cited by a posting staff member: “Competitive pay, paid days off for holidays, bonuses every month and gifts throughout the year to show their appreciation for your hard work.” The rankings are based on employee evaluations of their jobs, work environment and employer practices for the preceding year. A separate ranking evaluated companies with fewer than 1,000 employees. No restaurant company finished within the top 50 list. Glassdoor.com is a job posting and employer review website that also provides research based on the input of jobholders and workforce authorities. – Source: Restaurant Business.