I’m Kayla, and I worked at an Arby’s in Columbus, Ohio for almost a year while I was in school. I ran the drive-thru, sliced roast beef, closed at night, and even did a few shifts as a key holder. So yeah, I’ve got stories—good and bad. You know what? I still crave curly fries. For another crew member’s angle on the job, you can skim this in-depth Arby’s team-member review that lines up with a lot of what I saw on shift.
Getting Hired Was Quick (Quicker Than I Thought)
I applied on the Arby’s Careers site on a Monday. I got a call on Wednesday. The manager, Tasha, asked three things:
- Can you work weekends?
- Are you okay with the slicer?
- Do you have non-slip shoes?
I said yes, yes, and I’ll get them. Boom—interview Friday. It was short. We talked about school, my last job, and how I handle rushes. I started the next week.
They gave me a red shirt, hat, and name tag. I bought my own black pants and shoes. Paperwork was on a tablet. I did training videos at a booth while sipping water and trying not to stare at the roast ovens.
The First Week: Sauce, Timers, and Small Wins
Training was two parts. First, videos and quizzes on a tablet from the Inspire Brands system. Then shadowing with a lead named Maria. She showed me:
- Fry timers and salt levels (yes, there’s a shaker code)
- The bun toaster and why you don’t jam it
- How to double-check a Beef ’n Cheddar so the cheese cup doesn’t tip
- The slicer safety steps (cut-resistant glove, guard locked, no shortcuts)
My first “win” was small. A lady ordered two kids meals and a Jamocha. I got it right, fast, and still smiled. Sounds simple, but those little moments matter. You feel it.
A Real Shift Looked Like This
Picture a Sunday rush after church. It’s 11:45. The lobby fills. The drive-thru line wraps around the building. Headsets chirp. You hear, “Order’s up,” and the oven beeps. It’s a lot.
I’d be on drive-thru most days:
- Greet within 3 seconds
- Repeat the order back
- Keep ticket times under 3 minutes if we can
When a big family ordered six Beef ’n Cheddar, I’d call it out, drop a fresh basket of curly fries, toast buns, and keep an eye on milkshakes so they didn’t melt. I’d slide to the slicer to cut roast beef to the right weight. Then back to bagging. It’s a dance. Not perfect, but tight.
We also juggled app orders—DoorDash and Uber Eats—stacking on top. That part got chaotic. The screen would flood. I learned to say, “One sec, I’m checking on it,” instead of freezing. Small phrase. Big save.
Pay, Hours, and Perks (My Store Only)
This was my setup:
- I started at $13.50 an hour
- After 90 days, I went to $14.50 for cross-training
- Part-time hours, usually 22–30 a week
- Schedule posted weekly in HotSchedules, swaps allowed in the app
- Direct deposit on Fridays
Perks at my franchise:
- 50% off meals on shift, 25% off when off duty
- Free fountain drink on shift (this felt huge on hot days)
- My friend who was full-time got medical after 90 days and 401(k) later
- They paid for my food handler card
This stuff can change a lot by location. Franchises differ. So ask during the interview. If you’re curious how Arby’s stacks up against other chains, a quick scroll through CareerBuilder Challenge listings can give you a real-time snapshot of wages and benefits in your city. And if you want a side-by-side look at grocery retail instead of fast food, here’s an honest Food 4 Less career breakdown that shows what the pay and perks look like on that end of the spectrum.
For an even broader sample of pay ranges and everyday crew experiences, skim the candid Arby’s employee reviews on Indeed; you’ll see how compensation and scheduling shift from franchise to franchise across the country.
Growth Is Real If You Want It
I got cross-trained by month two. Register, drive-thru, sandwiches, slicer, and shakes. By month seven, I got keys a few nights a week. That meant counting drawers, setting bank deposits, checking temps on the log, and closing the fryers safe.
I wasn’t planning to lead shifts. But I liked training new folks. Showing them how to bag hot items at the bottom and sauces at the side—little things that keep mistakes low. It felt good.
The Hard Parts (Because There Are Some)
- Heat and smells: The roast ovens are hot. You’ll smell like beef and fryer oil. A strong shower helps.
- Cleaning the slicer: It’s not fun. Wear the cut glove. Take your time. I got a tiny nick once and learned.
- Short staffing: When someone no-shows, you feel it. Ticket times climb. Folks get snappy. Breathe, reset, keep talking to your team.
- Late closes: Fryers need a deep scrub. Floors get greasy. You’ll be tired. Good shoes matter.
- Running out of items: If bacon or Market Fresh bread runs low at night, people get mad. I used to say, “I can check on that,” then offer a swap. It helped.
If you think a lunch rush is intense, peek at this no-filter Koch Foods production-floor diary to see how factory settings crank the pressure (and the PPE) up another notch.
Curious how these hurdles stack up in other regions? The collective staff reviews on Glassdoor highlight where locations excel—and where they stumble—so you can gauge whether the challenges I faced match what you might encounter.
The Good Stuff That Kept Me There
- Flexible hours: Tasha worked around my midterms. Not all managers do, but she did. I won’t forget that.
- Real teamwork: When the headset got busy, someone would slide in to bag. No drama. Just help.
- Regulars: Mr. Lee came every Tuesday. Classic Beef, extra Arby’s sauce. We had his order ready by the time he hit the window. He made us smile.
- Little joys: Warm curly fries after close. Holiday music in December. A staff joke about “sauce art” on the prep whiteboard. Silly, but it bonded us.
Who This Job Fits
- Students who need flexible shifts
- Parents who like mid-morning hours while kids are at school
- Night owls who don’t mind closing
- People who like checklists and fast pace
It’s tougher if you hate heat, hate standing, or dislike quick talk with customers. That’s the job.
Real Moments I Still Remember
- Black Friday lunch crush: I ran drive-thru solo for 20 minutes. We kept every order under 4 minutes. Tasha gave me a high five and a slice of warm cherry turnover. I felt proud and a little shaky.
- First slicer day: I kept wanting to rush. Maria said, “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” I slowed down and got safer. And faster, oddly.
- A rough close: We were behind and tired. Someone played 90s R&B from a tiny speaker while we scrubbed. We left on time. We laughed in the parking lot. Simple win.
Tips If You’re Applying
- Bring non-slip shoes and a small notebook
- Ask to get cross-trained early
- Keep burn gel and band-aids in your bag
- Learn the menu abbreviations; it speeds you up
- Water, always; those ovens don’t care if you’re thirsty
- When a guest is upset, repeat the fix: “I’ll get you fresh curly fries. I’m on it.”
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