The media has been frantically reporting the 2014 IRS ban on automatic gratuities in restaurants with the start of 2014. I have been quoted in articles in newspapers around the country on this issue and have been covering it for over a year. I have made the same plea to every reporter who contacted […]
Introducing Best Restaurant Blogs
Best Restaurant Blogs is the newest addition to The Hospitality Formula Network. This site differs from all of the other sites in the network in a few important ways. The biggest difference is that I am not the author of the site. This is because the content of this website is determined by the readers. […]
JJ’s
Last nights’s tragic events at JJ’s Restaurant in Kansas City were a tough blow for the entire restaurant industry. Around the country people stopped to think, “That could have been my restaurant.” or “That could have been me.” These sorts of events hit home for so many of us who never think about the dangers […]
Tips For Proposing At A Restaurant
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, a large number of people are considering proposing at a restaurant. Congratulations on finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Now it is time for a little strategy session to make sure it is successful. Good thing you have me in your corner. I […]
Do I Have To Tip?
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 […]
The Challenge of Server Health Insurance
Last week’s post about Darden and restaurant server health insurance led to many interesting conversations this week. In perusing different sites the article was shared on, I noticed a strong undertone of hostility towards the idea that employers should provide health insurance. In other cases people were upset at the notion of the government subsidizing […]
Facebook Is Not Stealing Your Fans
When I released Building Your Brand with Facebook in March of this year I was anticipating a collective freakout on the part of restaurant owners. As I would discuss Facebook marketing with restaurant owners, they would confidently tell me how strong their fan page was with thousands of fans. When I replied by asking them […]
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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.