This Is How Much O'Charley's Employees Really Make

When you're on the hunt for a hearty and filling meal, and if there happens to be one in your area, O'Charley's just might be your first stop. And if you haven't had the chance to give the restaurant a try, you're definitely missing out on what the brand's official website notes as "Southern Hospitality whether in our dining room or yours."

The restaurant — which offers an array of menu items such as Bayou salmon, crispy pickle chips, peach chutney chicken, and more — has become a southern staple since (as Nashville Post notes) Charles "Sonny" Watkins opened the first set of doors in 1971. And, the "more than 200-plus company-owned locations in 17 states in the South and Midwest" that were recorded in 2019 prove that.

Though Nation's Restaurant News revealed in that same year that O'Charley's had been closing restaurants since 2016, that didn't stop the longstanding business from still being a favorite among many southerners. Clearly they didn't make the Forbes list of "200 Best Small Companies in America" in 2000 for nothin' (via Nashville Business Journals). But even with all of the good things that people say about O'Charley's, that doesn't mean that the pay their employees receive matches that. Or does it?

According to Indeed, if you happened to be one of the people wondering just how much O'Charley's employees make, you may be surprised to know that they make a fair amount. For those who take on the position of a server, average pay is about $21,871 per year — if you break that down to an hourly amount, around $11.39 per hour. Dishwashers, on the other hand, make less, with an average hourly wage of $11.08, while line cooks' pay averages $11.91.

And what about those who have a little more experience and want to take on more responsibility? Indeed notes that if you were to land a job as a shift leader, your pay could average out to about $31,718 per year. Rather hold a managerial role instead? Well, with more responsibility comes more pay, of course. Bar managers average a yearly salary of $42,651, while front of house managers and general managers make $55,421 and $56,655 a year, respectively.

Just as with any job, these pay rates can either increase or decrease, based upon a number of factors, including which state you work in, how many hours you work, and the job responsibilities for that particular region or location. Regardless, if employees are able to nab unlimited yeast rolls during their shift, working there might be better than you thought.