“They left me 15% and I didn’t even charge them for their drinks†–Rookie Server One of the fundamental truths you learn as a server is that hooking someone up with free drinks, food, etc. does not increase your tip. No matter how fundamental of a truth this is, it seems that every server has […]
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Mixed Greens/ Spring Mix
Salads have becoming much more confusing over the years. We have moved from iceberg and romaine to a variety of weeds, leafs, and greens. Spring mix and mixed greens can be found on even casual restaurant’s menus. Still the components of these mixtures can be a mystery to even the most knowledgeable foodies. Some of […]
Ahi Tuna & Mako Shark
Many month ago I came up with an idea. Seafood is one of the toughest areas for most servers to learn. Growing up in the Midwest most of the seafood I ate was called “fish” and usually served in “stick” form. Early in my restaurant career I served tilapia and cheap salmon. It wasn’t until […]
Independent vs Corporate Restaurant Priorities
This morning I read an article regarding the rising costs of food and how restaurants will respond. In the article former server Charles Ferruzza finds a pair of local restaurant owners who say they will refuse to raise prices to compensate for the increase in costs. The owners discuss absorbing the costs themselves or reducing […]
Prosciutto, Pancetta, and Serrano
I had dinner last night at the newest location of Kansas City’s best tapas restaurant, La Bodega. This was actually my second trip in as many weeks. I’ve always enjoyed the small plate concept and no one executes it better. It also led to a foodie discussion of the difference between the different pork products […]
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.