Careers
Real careers in the restaurant industry
Above-region pay. ESOP — 18% employee-owned. Path from team member to general manager. Stable schedules. Real benefits. Different from typical fast-casual.
The team
2,400
Employees
18%
Employee-owned (ESOP)
84%
Promote-from-within rate
$22
Starting hourly wage
Career paths
What we hire for
Team Member (entry)
Front-of-house team member. $22-25/hour. Customer service + bowl assembly + cleanup. No experience required; we train. Path to Lead Team Member within 6-12 months.
Lead Team Member
Shift leadership. $25-32/hour + tip share. 1+ year experience. Trains new team members; supports manager during shifts. Path to Assistant Manager within 12-18 months.
Assistant Manager
Full-time salaried + bonus. $48-62K/year. 2+ years restaurant experience. Day-to-day operations; manages team of 8-15. Path to General Manager within 12-24 months.
General Manager
Full-time salaried + bonus + ESOP. $68-95K/year + 6-15% performance bonus. 4+ years management experience. Owns single location P&L + culture.
Multi-Unit Manager
Manages 5-10 locations. $115-165K/year + bonus + significant ESOP. Senior leadership track. 6+ years restaurant management.
Corporate roles
Operations, marketing, supply chain, finance, HR, IT. Smaller team; high-impact roles. Salary + bonus + ESOP.
Compensation + benefits
What we offer
Above-region starting wage
$22 starting wage in CA. $20 in OR/WA. $19 in AZ/NV. All meaningfully above region+industry minimum. Annual market adjustments.
ESOP — 18% employee-owned
Employee Stock Ownership Plan since 2023. Annual contributions. Vests over 6 years. Long-tenured employees retire as significant owners. Real wealth-building, not just a job.
Health + dental + vision
Available to all hourly employees working 30+ hrs/week. Day-1 coverage for full-time. Employer covers 80% individual / 65% family. PPO + HSA options.
Predictive scheduling
Schedule posted 14 days in advance. Same-day shift changes minimized. Allows employees to plan life. Different from typical restaurant industry.
Tipping pool — fair
Tips pooled + distributed across shift. Servers + cooks + cashiers all share. Standard tip distribution policy; no manager skimming.
Education + training
$3,000 annual tuition reimbursement for full-time employees. Industry certifications paid. Leadership development programs.
PTO + sick leave
10 days PTO Year 1, scaling to 18 by Year 5. 5 days paid sick leave. 4 weeks paid parental leave for full-time employees.
Free meals
Free shift meal every workday. ~25-50% off catering for personal use. Real benefit for restaurant workers.
Culture
What working here is like
Promote from within
84% of management hired from within. Real growth conversations every quarter. We invest in people; we don’t just hire from outside.
Stable schedules + work-life balance
Schedule posted 14 days in advance. Same-day shift changes minimized. We respect your time. Different from typical restaurant industry where schedules are chaotic.
ESOP ownership
Employee Stock Ownership Plan launched 2023. 18% employee-owned + growing. Long-tenured employees retire as significant owners. Real path to wealth building.
B Corp culture
B Corp Certified. Sustainability + workforce + community + governance audited annually. The culture follows the certification, not the other way.
Diverse + inclusive workplace
62% diverse workforce. 38% women in management roles. Active DEI programs. Active community + identity-based employee groups.
Real growth path to ownership
We’ve had 14 employees buy first homes during their tenure (housing-fund partnership). Long-tenured employees retire with significant ESOP value. Real wealth-building, not just a paycheck.
Currently hiring
Open roles · May 2026
Team Members — multiple locations
All 84 locations + 2026 expansion (TX, CO). Entry-level + experienced. $22-25/hour. Bilingual (English + Spanish) preference.
Assistant Managers — 14 locations
$48-62K + bonus. 2+ years restaurant experience required. Specific locations: SF, LA, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle. Hiring continuously.
General Managers — 6 locations
$68-95K + bonus. 4+ years management experience. Specific locations: SF (Bay Area), Phoenix (suburbs), Las Vegas, San Diego.
Catering Coordinator — Bay Area
Manages catering operations across Bay Area locations. $58-75K + bonus. 3+ years catering or restaurant operations. Career path to Multi-Unit Manager.
Senior Operations Manager — Phoenix
Multi-unit management 6 AZ + NV locations. $115-145K + bonus + ESOP. 5+ years multi-unit experience.
Corporate roles — Oakland HQ
Hiring across operations, marketing, supply chain, finance. Specific roles posted at bowlandbranch.com/careers/corporate. Hybrid (3 days/week in Oakland).
From the team
Why people stay
“Started as Team Member in 2018. Now GM of one of our highest-volume locations. ESOP gives me real ownership. The growth path is real here.”
MT
Marcus T.
GM · 7 years at Bowl & Branch
“Came from a major fast-food chain. The schedule predictability changed my life. I can plan childcare + classes around work. Income is similar; quality of life is dramatically different.”
JR
Janelle R.
Lead Team Member · 3 years
“Bilingual coordinator role; team here genuinely values fluent Spanish + cultural competence. Promotions reflect that. Different from places I’ve worked.”
CR
Carlos R.
Assistant Manager · 5 years
Career questions
What candidates ask
- For Team Member: no, we train. For Lead Team Member + above: yes, 1+ year experience. For management roles: 2+ years restaurant management. We hire entry-level + grow.