It takes a certain amount of hubris to write a blog like this. To sit back and write about how to be a better server almost implies that you think you are good enough to be emulated. I will never claim to be the world’s greatest server. I do consider myself humbly better than average, […]
Spotting The Complaint
One of the difficulties of the frantic posting regimen I have taken upon myself is trying to come up with new and interesting things to write about. I want this blog to be informative and provide real world tips that you can apply on your next shift to make more money. This is one of […]
Understanding French Sauces (Part Two)
Celebrity chefs seem to be everywhere today. If you are a foodie, you can probably name a handful off the top of your head. They have their own TV shows, books, and websites. Entire networks are built upon the idea of bringing you the next celebrity chef. Reality shows feature aspiring chefs competing to be […]
Understanding French Sauces (Part One)
Looking back over the years, I would have to say my favorite serving job was at a little French restaurant in Springfield, MO called Le Mirabelle. Christian Finance was a classically trained French Chef and his wife Bobbi ran the front of the house. The food was incredible and it was arguably the best restaurant […]
In Defense of Selling as a Server (Part Three)
Selling is a complex topic. In the first part of this series, I discussed how most managers and corporations fail to encourage servers to sell in the right way. The second part dealt with the fact that we are all salespeople and in fact selling is part of hospitality. If you haven’t read part two […]
In Defense of Selling as a Server (Part Two)
You are a salesperson. I have never met you, but I am confident in that statement. By way of explanation let me say that Sunday night I had one of the greatest nights of my life. I saw Michael Franti and Spearhead perform and it was the greatest concert I have ever attended. I have […]
In Defense of Selling as a Server (Part One)
Search engine results are one of the most amusing parts of writing a blog. I get to see what people are searching for that lands them on this page. Almost every day someone lands on this page looking for sales techniques. Upon closer examination I am seeing a trend of the phrasing of the searches. […]
Job Hunting: The Do’s and Don’ts
Job hunting is like going to the dentist. Nobody really likes it, but if you avoid it long enough eating becomes difficult. Filling out a pile of applications asking the same questions in hopes that one of them will land you a job can be a real pain in the neck. Unfortunately, this is still […]
Foodie Friday: Fact or Fiction
My General Manager once told me the story of the Caesar salad. Back in the time of Caesar, salt was incredibly scarce. Salty fish named anchovies were abundant though. So to create the salty taste in the dressing they used the anchovies. Even though we have plenty of salt today, we still use the anchovies […]
How To Serve A Bottle Of Wine
There was a great debate last night at work about whether you cut the foil above or below the lip on a bottle of red wine. I did some research online which proved inconclusive. Then I remembered that I at least five certified sommeliers in my phone. Want to know the answer? Read on. I […]
Pasta Name Origins
Over the years I have worked at a few Italian restaurants. This has left me with two distinct traits. First, a burning desire to flee anytime I hear a Mario Lanza tune. Second, is a tremendous amount of random facts about pasta. During my short break between shifts, here are the translations for random noodle […]
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.