In the past I have warned restaurant owners about the difference between a tip and a service charge. Collectively restaurant companies nationwide faced settlements well into the eight figure range for ignoring the difference between these who terms. The lingering issue to be determined was whether automatic gratuities were legally a tip or a service […]
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About David Hayden
Author Archive | David Hayden

Finding The Right Restaurant Job
Lately I have spent a great deal of time playing restaurant matchmaker. One of the cool, but unexpected, results of writing this blog is getting to know some of the top restaurant owners in the area. I always encourage them to let me know when they have a job opening. This is handy because it […]

Restaurant Server Training For NOT Dummies
If we are going to be honest, we have to admit that most restaurant server training manuals do not adequately prepare servers to create highly satisfied guests and make above average tips. In fact, most server training manuals leave waiters and waitresses frustrated and demoralized. Corporations spend absurd amounts of money training servers on sales […]

The Fine Dining Service Conundrum
Since most of you are not from Kansas City, a bit of background is in order. The most popular show on our local public television station is called Check Please. It is a show that allows three people to talk about their favorite restaurant. Each of the three guests selects a restaurant and all three […]

On Sale Before Selling Out
I am about to violate one of the most basic rules of marketing and give you an insider’s look at the world of self-publishing in the digital age. I probably shouldn’t write this post. My morning coffee hasn’t kicked in and I can tell you that this post will eventually pulled from the site before […]

- The Greatest Customer Complaint Response Ever September 23, 2010
- Why Not To Date Co-Workers August 14, 2010
- A Food Critic Intervention August 31, 2010
- My Response: 25 Things Chefs Never Tell You September 16, 2010
- Serving Sober October 14, 2010
- Should Restaurant Servers Post Credit Card Receipts? October 23, 2013
- Meeting The Rude Restaurant Guest The Next Day May 23, 2013
- Transitioning From A Restaurant Manager To A Restaurant Server March 19, 2013
- The Blooper Reel February 14, 2013
- Five Questions To Know For A Restaurant Server Interview January 25, 2013
- Becki: As a server on sabbatical, I will say you were FAR...
- career server: The loser is the server who serves a table whose s...
- David Hayden: I found out about it when a friend who manages at ...
- Debbie Morella-Haynes: "This may seem like good news for servers, but it...
- Sugel: 6) Hours- This is a huge quality for life factor f...
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About The Author
David Hayden was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He took his first serving job in 1996. Since that time, he has worked for over a dozen different restaurant companies. He has held both hourly and salaried positions at independent and corporate restaurants. He has waited on over 100,000 guests and trained hundreds of servers. He has been named "Best Server in Kansas City" the last three years by the local weekly paper.