Does BJ’s Restaurants Hire Felons?

BJ’s is a well-known restaurant chain in the US with locations nation-wide going also by different names such as BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, BJ’s Grill, and BJ’s Pizza and Grill.

The chain does not stay in uniform with a single name from branch to branch, just like people should not be held by their past records from application to application, especially when applying to jobs. Felons deserve a second chance and felon friendly organizations are the best avenue for that.

About BJ’s Restaurants

BJ’s Restaurants are well known for some of their signature menu items. These items include their craft beer, Chicago Pizza, and the most famous of them all, the crowd favorite dessert- the Pizookie.

BJ’s Restaurants was founded in 1978 by Mike Phillips and Bill Cunnningham in Santa Ana, California. They started out as a Pizzeria before selling their company to Paul Motenko and Jerry Hennessy who later took it upon themselves to relocate and reopen in San Diego and Los Angeles.

In 2018, BJ’s Restaurants entered in the North America Beer Awards and won gold for their Belgian- Style Ale. Currently, BJ’s has over 200 store locations across 16 states and has over 22,000 employees.

Working at BJ’s Restaurant grants a series of employee benefits for full time employees such as 401k, medical and dental insurance, and paid vacation. Other benefits include free and discounted meals depending on position.

Aside from the employee benefits, BJ’s Restaurants offer a great environment and employees and former employees cite enjoying the management and the incentives available to them.

Does BJ’s Restaurants Hire Felons?

Based on research and employee reviews it is not clear that BJ’s hires felons. Though, this does not rule out the possibility that someone with a felony on their record could be able to work at BJ’s.

When hiring at BJ’s there is a thorough interview. This does not mean that they are filtering felons as they make decisions on a case by case basis and seem to give consideration to those who qualify, even if there is a felony on their record.

To answer the question, does BJ’s hire felons? No. But can you work at BJ’s if you have a felony but show promise and potential to change and contribute to the team, yes.

Does BJ’s Run Background Checks?

Like most companies, especially in the food industry, BJ’s Restaurants runs background checks. The standard background check goes back seven years.

Though, with a felony, BJ’s would look at that information regardless of how far back ago that was. The type of felony will then determine if you are qualified to interview.

Careers at BJ’s Restaurants

BJ’s offers a variety of job positions at the entry-level. From the kitchen, to the floor, there is something for everyone when becoming a team member at BJ’s Restaurants.

Host. A host or hostess is the first person to greet customers entering a BJ’s Restaurant location. The primary task of a host or hostess is to find seating accommodations for customers and assign them to their servers.

Bartender. Bartenders serve drinks at the bar. At BJ’s this is a busy job due to their award winning beers. Especially on game nights, the bar is busy and bartenders will have their hands full.

Sever. Servers are the heart of the operation as they bring the food from the kitchen to the tables. Their jobs include having to memorize their tables, menu items, and the strength and speed to keep food coming in and out in an orderly manner.

Take out. BJ’s Restaurant is not always for dine in and sometimes customers would rather opt to take their food to go. This takes a specific role as sometimes customers even wait in their cars for their take out orders to be ready. This role requires patience and keeping up with customer orders.

Dishwasher. Since BJ’s is a busy operation, dishwashers need to be on hand to keep the kitchen flow on track. Dirty dishes pile up quickly and delay the manner in which food is delivered to the table.

Application Process at BJ’s Restaurant

Applying at a BJ’s Restaurant Branch can be done online at their company website: https://careers.workatbjs.com/jobs. Here, you can filter the job availability by location and even desired position to see openings.

Different BJ’s Restaurant branches have different application and hiring procedures. Some locations even have personality tests as a part of their application. Though the standard procedure is to apply and wait for a reply.

After being called for an interview remember that BJ’s is a popular chain and there are other applicants also applying for the same position. Remain calm and confident.

Do research on the company and familiarize yourself with the different locations. Sometimes BJ’s branches will refer you to different stores which need more staff.