Work wellbeing score is 65 out of 100
3.5 out of 5 stars.
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 Pizza Express Employee Reviews

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United Kingdom1,032 reviews

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3.3Work-life balance
3.1Pay & benefits
3.3Job security & advancement
3.3Management
3.5Culture

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It’s a fun place to work, but the management pushed too much

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As I said in the title, the company can be really far on the floor. You can make some really good friends and nice happy environment in the restaurant floor, however, when it comes to management from the head office side. They said targets that are simply impossible and inhumane, where people are worked more than what is physically possible. For example, when you have a busy restaurant, you need more staff, however, due to labour targets, the head office would rather make the current insufficient team work harder for the same hourly pay. It can get quite painful.

Pros

Free food

Cons

Inhumane management
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Official response from  Pizza Express

28 November 2023
Thank you for taking time to leave a review. It is great to hear that you enjoyed the environment and the team. Your comments have been noted and passed on, if you wish to speak to someone further in regards to this please email careers@pizzaexpress.com.

Fantastic management

Work can be very stressful sometimes, but the team and management are amazing. It's an easy job as long as you are a people person. Also, you get free pizzas and a staff discount.

Pros

Team, Free food

Cons

Rude customers
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Overwhelming and Stressful Workplace

asked for 12-15 hours a week at interview, often work 17-20+ a weekPay is abysmal (Minimum wage) Management don't care that I need free time for uni work and schedule me too muchThe people are relatively nice but all agree that working there is horrible hardest part of the job is working very late for little pay and no tips as I am a cleanermost enjoyable part is getting free food

Pros

Free meals

Cons

Long hours with late finish, very low pay
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In terms of front of house, an excellent choice

What is the best part of working at the company?The team and staff culture, as well as the food and generous distribution of the tips. Training is sufficient and opportunities to progress are good.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?As a waiter, the intensity of a high volume night is quite high, however the processes are simple enough to be able to copeWhat is the work environment and culture like at the company?The work environment depends on where you go, but having worked in 5 pizza expresses (either as cover or full time) and 7 front of house roles in other jobs, there are definitely a lot worse places to work.What is a typical day like for you at the company?I get in, make myself a coffee, and get briefed on my section. If it is a morning session I help set up, evening I sweep, pack away, and tidy.
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0 stars Available?

Not even gonna waste my time to describe the absolute travesty this place is. To put it simply, if you don’t belong to the “club” of a particular political etc orientation you not gonna be welcomed no matter how professional, respectful and kind you are to people. Felt more like a kindergarten than a place of work. Rude, nasty, unprofessional people who don’t want anyone to ruin their well established joke of a business. Stay away unless you are lazy, unprofessional, and entitled for no apparent reason. Absolutely disgusting.

Pros

Pros? Good one!

Cons

Too many to even mention.
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Official response from  Pizza Express

28 November 2023
Hi there - what you've described here definitely doesn't align with our values.Could you get in touch on careers@pizzaexpress.com so that we can look into this further.

Insights into  Pizza Express

Based on 405 survey responses
What people like
  • Inclusive work environment
  • Ability to meet personal goals
  • Feeling of personal appreciation
Areas for improvement
  • Sense of belonging
  • Fair pay for job
  • General feeling of work happiness

Great for development to a certain level

What is the best part of working at the company?Great company a few years ago but cureent senior leadership team are all over the place.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Inconsistent senior leadership
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Official response from  Pizza Express

16 November 2023
Thank you for taking time to leave a review. Your comments have been noted, if you wish to speak to someone further in regards to this please email careers@pizzaexpress.com and we will ensure it is passed onto the relevant teams.

Family team

I’m working 3 years I’ll start waitress now I’m team leader. We are very friendly team like Famely. Yes is long shift but we are help everyone. Yes tip 50% for shared with all team because everyone work hard

Pros

Free lunches fresh brake
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Official response from  Pizza Express

16 November 2023
Thank you for taking to to leave a review, it is great to hear you enjoy working for PizzaExpress and have progressed in your career with us. Its great to see you enjoying the team food perks.

Fun great place to learn

Everyone it's happy Every place I go to cover everyone seems happy,pay really good and managers they are in there for anything you need and they listen to you
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Official response from  Pizza Express

16 November 2023
Thank you for your review, it is great to hear you enjoy working for PizzaExpress and your comments about your managers.

Ruined by upper management

Used to be a good place to work but recently all they care about is saving labour and cutting hours. Will barely get enough pay to survive on which is why they hire students and younger staff who don't have to worry about bills.Would recommend avoiding if you're looking for a full time job that you can live on.

Pros

Free food

Cons

No breaks for management. Clear favourites. Hours getting cut daily.
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Official response from  Pizza Express

2 November 2023
Thank you for your review, good to see that you enjoy the team food perk. If you would like to talk to someone in our people team regarding your concerns please email careers@pizzaexpress.com and we will ensure it is passed to the correct team.

Depressing workplace

This work place is the worst one I have worked in staff members are rude and say things behind your back. They also never give you a 30 mins break and take it out your pay they also miss the shifts you have worked so you don't get paid. Managers do not do anything to help. Such a horrible work place. The job itself is easy but it's the staff members that bully you out of the work place and you can't even complain as the managers are all friends with these people even if you do complain it gets spread around the work place.
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Official response from  Pizza Express

26 October 2023
Hi there - what you've described here definitely doesn't align with our values.Could you get in touch on careers@pizzaexpress.com so that we can look into this further.

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Terrible.

Chefs get more support from the business over shift managers and waiters.Never EVER BECOME A SHIFT MANAGER, you will be working for them for free and under budget, for £11.50 a hour is a joke, with no tips or appreciated from the managers and area manager and head office.I won’t recommend, unless you’re a chef.

Pros

Free food

Cons

Long hours
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Official response from  Pizza Express

20 October 2023
Thank you for your review, we are glad that you enjoyed the team food perks.We've read this through, noted your comments and passed them on to the relevant teams.

Management could be better

In all honesty not all Pizza Express restaurants will be the same but the location I worked at wasn't the best. The management was terrible, always complained about the smallest things and always commented on the employees making small remarks. If you wanted to change your availability they made it a big deal.

Pros

Free lunches and discounts

Cons

Availability
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Official response from  Pizza Express

20 October 2023
Thanks for leaving this review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the team food perks.We've read this through, noted your comments and passed them on to the relevant teams.

great for young people while in education, terrible for everyone else

I started here over 2 years ago on a 25 hour contract. I told them I was disabled when I began. After a few issues with my health, which required me to have the odd day off, the company took my hours away as "punishment for my unreliability". I have been to the doctors many times, improved my health and pushed my work performance above and beyond but nothing has changed. I am criticised and spoken about behind my back. This is not a professional environment, it's more like a school playground and the favourites get all the hours. I was the second cleaner out of 2 and 2 years later, they have hired 2 more cleaners and all of them get more hours than me, so no loyalty to me, as management do not like my honesty and the fact that I do not bow down and worship them. I barely get 6 hours per week now and feel as though I am being purposefully singled out and ostracised. I am leaving this place as soon as I can. I have never worked somewhere where management made me feel lower for how my mind and body work. I am not respected whatsoever no matter how hard I work.

Pros

free lunch, staff are nice

Cons

unstable work hours, constantly chopped and changed around, underappreciated and overworked
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Official response from  Pizza Express

20 October 2023
Hi there - what you've described here definitely doesn't align with our values.We'd like to talk to you a bit more to find out what we can do to make this better - could you get in touch on careers@pizzaexpress.com so we can arrange a time to speak?

It wasn't for me.

As managers don't get tips, if you work your contracted hours or over, and because of the huge differential between Deputy manager and General managers, you are the poorest paid in the restaurant. Waiters, chefs will come away with more money, especially if you don't hit your bonuses. Staff who have been there a while form clicks with the management. You are constantly monitored and audited, through QS visits, customer feedback reports, mystery diner visits and line manager visits, along with tight staffing budgets and the inability to recruit experienced pizza chefs, (you will be used in the kitchen to make up numbers) make your shifts very long and very stressful.

Pros

Free food on shift, 50% staff disount on food and drink.

Cons

Long hours, poor pay, stressful shifts
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Official response from  Pizza Express

20 October 2023
Thank you for your in depth review, it is great to hear you enjoyed the team food perks.Your further comments have been noted and passed onto the relevant teams.

The actual employees and work place were amazing

The management were kind, the work had an equal feel of professional and comfy. One of the nicest managers I've ever had (allesandro, baker street branch) who was also stern into getting me to put in the work.
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Official response from  Pizza Express

20 October 2023
Thanks for leaving your review, it is great to hear your comments about your management team.

Great environment to work in, people make an organization and PE have great people

What is the best part of working at the company?Great culture, friendly, competentWhat is the most stressful part about working at the company?Give PE is a corporate, there is little stress and workloads are manageable.What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Laid back, friendly, non-corporate.What is a typical day like for you at the company?WFH or in the office, trusted by management. Everyone appears to get on with their work.
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Official response from  Pizza Express

10 October 2023
Thank you for your in-depth review. Glad you enjoy working for us.

Good staff, sh*te managers

What is the best part of working at the company?The friends I made working at pizza express were amazing, it was a really close team. The tips were also great, could almost double my salary with them.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?The worst part was how it was always so so so quiet in the week, but so so busy on the weekend, and because we didn't make money during the week, head office wouldn't spend money putting extra staff on at the weekend. This meant that every Friday Saturday and Sunday it was awfully stressful. Managers would disappear upstairs, and the waiters (a lot of which weren't fully trained) were left to their own devices. Managers were also very hypocritical and never gave any thanks for the extra work and hours being put in. We would be working our backsides off doing 20 plus tables each at once, obviously a few mistakes would have been made because of the rush, and often cleaning duties would be forgotten as there wouldn't be any time to do so. Managers would always focus on what hadn't been done. Very disheartening.What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Very diverse culture and everyone I worked with was very accepting of everyone no matter what.What is a typical day like for you at the company?You'd start by opening the restaurant which includes stocking up all the fridges, cutting garnishes for drinks, setting up desert and bar area, then waiting tables all day! Usually an hour break half way through your shift if you work more than six hours, then go home! If you're on the close you would - 
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Official response from  Pizza Express

10 October 2023
Thanks for leaving this in depth review. We are glad to hear that you were accepted into a diverse team and enjoyed the working environment.We've read this through, noted your comments and passed them on to the relevant teams.

Rewarding but tough

Working as an Assistant Manager at Pizza Express has been a rewarding experience. The team's camaraderie and commitment to delivering top-notch service make each day enjoyable. The fast-paced environment keeps me engaged and motivated to bring my best to the table.The company's emphasis on professional growth is commendable. Regular training sessions and skill-building opportunities have helped me develop valuable managerial skills. The sense of responsibility and autonomy I've been given has been empowering, allowing me to contribute creatively to the restaurant's success.However, occasional staffing challenges can lead to demanding shifts, impacting work-life balance. While the role's dynamic nature is exciting, it can also be quite demanding. Despite this, the supportive management team and positive work culture make overcoming these challenges possible.In summary, my time at Pizza Express as an Assistant Manager has been enriching. The chance to learn and lead within a collaborative team, coupled with the company's investment in personal growth, makes this role a fulfilling one.
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Official response from  Pizza Express

10 October 2023
Thanks for leaving this in depth review. It is great to hear that you enjoyed your time at PizzaExpress and have been able to grow and develop your own skills and knowledge.Your further comments have been noted and passed on.

Great atmosphere, questionable management

At Prince Albert St. in Brighton, I know our staff to be some of the best locally, hard workers and genuinely kind and compassionate people. We are a fairly busy restaurant most days of the week, especially during dinner service. During my time I learnt how to operate the potwash, how to run food, how to handle food safely, how to prep, how to operate a large commercial oven, and other kitchen duties.Management can feel uninvolved however, despite a few excellent individuals. The rotas are inconsistent at best for part-time, mostly due to budget pressures and having several concurrent full-time workers. Most opening or midday shifts end with having to wait for the next person to sub in, instead of overlapping the hours. I find the overall culture to be very healthy, very infrequently do people become overtly frustrated at each other, and there is always room, especially in the kitchen, for talk while working, and people are generally in sync.The most difficult part of cheffing is space and time management, needing to prioritise the correct orders at the right times, while making sure to wash hands appropriately. Admittedly, the kitchen can feel very narrow or even claustrophobic during a rush, but with the right plan, each person sticks to their post.What I enjoy most about my job is the sense of importance it gives, the constant learning from colleagues and figuring out a system to operate within. It's relieving to only have to communicate with 1-3 other chefs at any given time.

Pros

1-2 free meals, free hot drinks, fair pay, positive work culture, enjoyable work flow

Cons

Low hours, poor management, poor progression, poor training
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Official response from  Pizza Express

10 October 2023
Thank you for your in depth review, it is great to hear you enjoy working for PizzaExpress and enjoy the team food perks.Your further comments have been noted and passed onto the relevant teams.

Bad. Avoid

Do not work here. The only upside is the pizza. They dont give a toss about you. Everyone is overworked and underpaid. Kitchen is dirty. Waiters are lazy and unmotivated.

Pros

None
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Productive

It was nice, fun and busy. Tips were great. & positive place to work in. If you want to get your steps in aswell this is the place for you. Treated like family
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Official response from  Pizza Express

10 October 2023
Thanks for your review. Great you felt we were a positive place to work and you were made to feel so welcome.

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Overall rating

Based on 1,125 reviews

Ratings by category

3.3 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
3.1 out of 5 stars for Salary/Benefits
3.3 out of 5 stars for Job security/advancement
3.3 out of 5 stars for Management
3.5 out of 5 stars for Culture

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