 Do I really have to tip at restauants? The short answer is, “yes.” The longer answer is, “no, but you should compensate your server for paying for part of your meal.” In this toxic political environment, servers have come to be seen by many as the personification of the “entitlement class.” A tip is seen […]
A New IRS Ruling Regarding Automatic Gratuities Takes Effect 1/1/13
Update: I have added further clarification in the IRS rules effecting automatic gratuities in restaurants and clearly making the case that the IRS did NOT ban automatic gratuities. The IRS issued a ruling last year that went into effect January 1st regarding taxes paid on automatic gratuities added to the bill of large parties. The ruling […]
Your First Day As A Restaurant Manager
Today, I took a step back in time. I stopped and thought about my first day as a restaurant manager on New Year’s Eve 2001. Actually, I blocked that shift out of my memory because three servers no called/no showed and I was nothing more than someone with keys and a manager card. On January 2nd, […]
The Hospitality Formula Network Is Now Mobile Optimized
Today I am incredibly proud to make an announcement that has been in the works for over six months. Every site on The Hospitality Formula Network is now fully optimized for all screen sizes. This means that weather you are reading this on a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or even your television; it should be […]
The Truth Behind The Fake 20/20 Restaurant Hit Piece
There are no shortages of posts on this network calling out hit pieces on restaurants, but last week’s 20/20 episode set a new low. They used an expert who hasn’t worked in the industry since the 90’s to provide the shocking “new revelations.†They pulled out Willie Degel to provide them with insight on every […]
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.
