Recently 20/20 aired yet another tired restaurant hit piece trying to scare diners about filthy restaurants and their uncaring employees. In the episode they used footage showing everything from an employee bathing in the sink to servers making out in the kitchen. They partner it with ominous music and interviews with industry “experts” to make […]
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Was The 20/20 Restaurant Episode Fake? A View From The Cutting Room Floor

The Theft Mentality
I recently read an article in which a local club owner justified the situation at Jardines Kansas City by stating that all employees steal. I found this quite shocking because I have never stolen from an employer and feel that most restaurant employees could say the same. I did agree with him on one point, […]

Three Court Rulings You Should Be Aware Of
One of the most difficult facets of managing a restaurant is keeping within the limits of the vague laws regulating restaurants. Lawmakers are not doing restaurants any favors by writing laws that leave critical issue unclear. This ambiguity is often left to the courts to be clarified. The courts have handed down three very significant […]

Everything Isn’t Great
If you are in the restaurant industry in a managerial capacity, this post is probably going to represent a gut check. I am speaking to you today on behalf of your former guests and current front line employees. This is a bit of tough love, but I assure you it is for your own […]

Hooters, Sauce, and The Challenges of Server Bloggers
The rise of social media has created an unexpected challenge for restaurant companies and their employees. Restaurant companies have used this technology to reinforce the image of their brand. Their employees also have the ability to connect with large numbers of followers in a way that some companies see as a threat. In the […]
The Manager’s Office Index
(Updated 9/5/2011) This index is designed to put all of the information available at The Manager’s Office at your fingertips. Click on any of the links below to find the topic you are interested in. The best way to stay up to date on all posts on this blog is to become a fan on […]
The New Manager’s Office Blogroll
If you are a manager, owner, or executive in the restaurant industry, there is a wealth of information available to make your restaurant more profitable, although if you work too many hours in your computer by managing using the best computer chair for long hours for back pain is the best option from the Technomono […]

Do You Want to be a Reality TV Star?
Late last week, I received an email from Jennie Berger at Lusid Media. She is casting for a new restaurant reality show. After a few emails back and forth, I decided to help her spread the word about this project. Maybe one of you might be exactly who she is looking for. Here are some […]
The Best of The Manager’s Office
The Manager’s Office joined The Hospitality Formula Network as the smallest blog. I had tried to avoid discussing issues related to management on tipsfortips. To the extent that I did discuss them the posts were designed to provide greater understanding of how restaurants worked to servers and foodies. After I started the site, I realized […]

A Great Resource for Restaurant Owners and Managers
Recently, a website ranked the top 60 restaurant industry blogs. I was flattered that my old blog came in third. I also was flattered that other blogs I write came in eight, twenty fourth, and thirty fourth. Teleburst came in second and I cannot dispute that ranking at all. So You Want To Be A […]
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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.