School's out for summer, which for many means it's actually just time for extra hours at work. If you have a little too much time on your hands or are looking to build up your savings to put toward books, tuition, and every other college expense, working for a few months at nearby fast food chain restaurants can help you put away some funds or simply sustain a fun summer schedule. Some chains offer a few benefits that make it a little more worth your while to clock in and out every day. We spent hours scouring the company website, Reddit, job review sites, and more to compile a list of the best chain restaurants to work at over the summer. Here are the best fast-food spot to get a job at during your summer break based on benefits, pay, real employee reviews, and perks.
Starbucks
If you're a Starbucks fan, good news! Starbucks consistently ranks highly across worker benefits. While you can get access to free coffee and food, as well as merchandise discounts, (Hello, Starbucks Stanley collab), there are also good health insurance plans, life insurance plans, and even a free Spotify Premium account the day you are hired. In the short-term, this is a great opportunity to score some drinks and make hours fly by. You can also get organized in Starbucks worker unionization efforts. Reddit user decupleshot says, "The day-to-day benefits are cool. I'm a teenager living at home so yeah, it's cool having access to free coffee beverages and some decent food, and I do still really like being able to mark out pounds of coffee. The tips are shitty but they add up if you're not a big spender." Once you score an interview, here are our tips to nail it.
Chipotle
If you love Chipotle, you may want to work there for these next few months. Reddit user ChrisLovesLorde says, "Chipotle is a good first job for anyone as you get free food, can build your soft skills, tuition assistance (look into it if it can apply to you), flexible hours (you tell your GM when you can work), and dental/vision/ health insurance. Just hope you get a store with good management. The GM will determine what kind of experience you have there." Plus, if you're looking for a major corporation that tries to give back to the community it's located in, Chipotle also does many local fundraisers and donates back to community groups.
Panera
Are you obsessed with carbs? First off, same, and second, Panera may be calling your name for a temporary part-time summer job. The Panera career page states that their hourly rates are competitive and offer more than most other fast-food or fast-casual chains based on your city or region. You'll also get free meals during your shift, so that means you can just have all the soup and salads you want throughout the summer. Reddit user sincerelybeenie shares, "As a first job I think [Panera is] a great idea. You will learn a lot there and there will be positives and negatives just like any job."
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is a major pizza chain that is ideal for people looking for flexible hours. Plus, when it comes to driving, you can make a decent chunk of change in tips. On Glassdoor, employees noted that the tips could be plentiful and the work isn't "hard."
In-N-Out Burger
If you're in a region with In-N-Out, you are eligible for benefits even if you become a part-time worker, including dental, vision, and life insurance plans. You can also get free meals during your shift and receive merch discounts. Reddit user airpod4840 shares, "No matter where you live you’ll be making more money [at In-N-Out] than any other fast food even McDonalds."
Taco Bell
If you're a quesarito lover, you can save yourself the hassle of online ordering, and work at Taco Bell this summer. In 2023, Mashed covered what Taco Bell employees love about working for the company. Aside from an easy hiring process, Taco Bell also can help with college expenses via their scholarship program. Reddit user Sariluv88 shares, "I've worked at TB for about six years. I love it! They offer a lot of benefits for college students. Generally speaking, it's a good place to work, especially for a first job. Everything is pretty simply laid out for learning."
Auntie Anne's
Chances are, if you live anywhere near a mall, you have an Auntie Anne's ready to hire some pretzel makers. Not only do you get free food on and off shift, but Reddit Indeed users speak well of their time there. "I've worked here for over eight months, I love this job so much. Weekdays are super slow and easy. Weekends are busy and chaotic sometimes. Other than that, it was my favorite job," the page reads.
Shake Shack
If you're located on the east coast, Shake Shack might be the place to be this summer for your college late-night food run fund. On SimplyHired, an employee shares, "This is a good job for college students, a side job, or as a first job but DO NOT plan on staying there long term unless you want to become a general manager (there's no real security there though). The actual job isn't hard or stressful, if you have a good trainer you will be taught how to properly make burgers, fries, shakes and attend to your guest." Shake Shack offers both part-time and full-time employees paid training opportunities, store discounts, paid time off and vacation days, and transit discounts.