My first job was with Little Chef after leaving school in 1975, East Stoke on the A46 near Bingham.
There was only really Happy Eater at that time I seem to remember. I cooked, washed, cleaned and served and generally enjoyed it, customers were either families travelling or more regularly, reps.
It was clean, Buddy Holly on loop, ours was quite popular and always seemed busy so I assume it wasn't seen as that bad at the time.
Sweet pancakes with either ice cream and sauce or maple syrup, plaice and chips with garden peas, sirloin or rump steak was a favourite for those who were on the expenses,
I've had worse jobs, I've had worse food. Ironically they offered me a trainee managers course, at 16 with no idea what I wanted and fairly unconfident, I rejected the idea. An opportunity missed given the explosion of the fast food industry...which let's face it, is exactly what Little Chef et Al, were forerunners of, nothing more, nothing less