Trainee Jobs in Merrick, NY (NOW HIRING)

Full-Time; Full Availability required (5:30 AM - 11:00 PM Monday - Saturday)

At Chick-fil-A Bartow Ave, we are building more than a restaurant team. We are building leaders who serve with excellence, care deeply for people, and help multiply GOOD in the East Bronx and beyond.

The Restaurant Leader Trainee role is designed for candidates who want to grow into restaurant leadership. This is a hands-on leadership development role for someone who is willing to learn the business from the ground up, earn trust through performance, and help build a strong team culture.

This is not a desk job. This is not an automatic management position. Leadership here is earned through character, coachability, operational excellence, humility, and the ability to make the team better.

Restaurant Leader Trainees are hired into a leadership development pathway. During the first phase of employment, trainees will learn restaurant operations by working alongside Team Members in both Front of House and Back of House areas.

Candidates will be evaluated on reliability, attitude, coachability, communication, work ethic, guest service, operational execution, and leadership potential. Advancement into a formal leadership role is based on performance, readiness, business need, and successful completion of training expectations.

Restaurant Leader Trainees may be responsible for:

• Learning Front of House and Back of House restaurant operations.
• Serving guests with professionalism, warmth, and urgency.
• Preparing food and supporting kitchen operations as needed.
• Modeling punctuality, professionalism, and a positive attitude.
• Learning restaurant systems, standards, and procedures.
• Supporting leaders during shifts.
• Communicating clearly with Team Members, leaders, and guests.
• Helping maintain cleanliness, speed, accuracy, and food quality.
• Demonstrating humility by serving wherever needed.
• Receiving coaching and applying feedback quickly.
• Learning how to coach, encourage, and support Team Members.
• Helping protect and strengthen the restaurant culture.

This role is designed for candidates who want to grow into leadership. During training, candidates will be expected to demonstrate:

• Reliability and consistent attendance.
• Strong availability, especially during business-critical shifts.
• High emotional maturity.
• Calmness under pressure.
• Ability to communicate respectfully and clearly.
• Strong ownership of mistakes and follow-through.
• Servant leadership.
• Willingness to clean, serve, prepare food, and support the team wherever needed.
• Ability to earn influence before receiving authority.

Successful Restaurant Leader Trainees are:

• Humble, hungry, and smart.
• Positive and resilient.
• Coachable and self-aware.
• Comfortable receiving direct feedback.
• Strong communicators.
• Able to lead by example.
• Willing to work hard before asking others to work hard.
• Able to build trust with a team.
• Passionate about hospitality, operations, and people development.
• Serious about personal and professional growth.

Applicants should be able to:

• Work in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
• Stand for extended periods of time.
• Lift up to 51 pounds
• Communicate clearly and professionally.
• Work well with a variety of people.
• Learn both Front of House and Back of House operations.
• Follow food safety, cleanliness, and restaurant standards.
• Demonstrate strong reliability and availability.
• Receive coaching and apply feedback.
• Lead through service, example, and humility.

Prior experience in restaurant, hospitality, retail, military, team leadership, or supervisory roles is strongly preferred but not required for exceptional candidates.

All new hires begin with a 30-day introductory training and evaluation period. During this time, we evaluate attendance, punctuality, attitude, coachability, teamwork, guest service, speed, accuracy, cleanliness, communication, and ability to meet restaurant standards.

For Restaurant Leader Trainees, we also evaluate leadership potential, humility, emotional maturity, and willingness to learn the restaurant from the ground up.

Continued employment is based on successful completion of this introductory period, business needs, and compliance with all applicable laws.

This role may lead to future opportunities such as:

• Team Leader
• Operations Leader
• Manager-level leadership roles

Advancement is not guaranteed. Promotion is based on performance, character, coachability, operational excellence, leadership readiness, and business need.

Benefits may include:

• Competitive pay
• Sundays off
• Leadership development
• Growth and advancement opportunities
• Scholarship opportunities
• Positive, purpose-driven team culture
• Meal benefits, if applicable
• Hands-on operations training

Chick-fil-A Bartow Ave is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, business needs, and alignment with restaurant standards.

Working at a Chick-fil-A® restaurant is more than a job – it’s an opportunity for teamwork and leadership development in a positive, people-focused environment. Most Chick-fil-A restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent, franchised Operators who invest in the future of their Team Members and give back to their communities.