For all our bartender friends
Welcome to Restaurant Laughs
Restaurant Laughs spotlights the lighter side of life in a restaurant. Written from a server’s point of view, you will find humorous insights on dealing with unreasonable guests, crazy co-workers, and even some of the strangest tales from restaurants around the country. All of this is shared with a love for the industry and a great deal of affection for all of the guests that make serving so rewarding. This site is more than a waiter rants and tirades. It is a genuine opportunity to look at ourselves and laugh at the absurdity of it all. These are the true tales of life inside a restaurant.
Restaurant Laughs is just one of a series of sites collectively known as The Hospitality Formula Network. This network is comprised of websites to help restaurant industry professionals advance in their careers and assist restaurant guests in understanding our industry. The Manager’s Office, Tips Squared, Foodie Knowledge and Restaurant Marketing Plan all provide great insights on the business side of things. This site is designed for comic relief. After working a long shift or recalling a horrible dining experience, we could all use a good laugh.
Restaurant Laughs, and the entire Hospitality Formula Network, are written by David Hayden. Mr. Hayden is a restaurant industry consultant, blogger, and server. His first book, Tips2: Tips For Improving Your Tips, was released in 2011 and provides restaurant servers with the knowledge they need to improve their incomes. With 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he shares his knowledge and stories with readers through his blogs and books. His hope is that they provide both servers and guests the opportunity to share a laugh and understand each other better.
Most Recent Posts

Random Thoughts from a Server 64: Chef Gordon Ramsey
I love waiting on people who think restaurant reality shows reflect reality.

Random Thoughts from a Server 63: Jealous Boyfriends
Although maybe they will now understand that when their girlfriend says to dress up for dinner, it doesn’t mean the fancy Affliction t-shirt.

Random Thoughts from a Server 62: Wine Keys
A moment of silence for all the wine keys that have moved on to the land of lost socks, lighters, and pens.

Random Thoughts From A Server 59: If I Were Gay
I prefer the ladies, but making rednecks nervous is awfully fun too.

Random Thoughts From A Server 58: You Let Her Leave The House In That?
Is it more offensive for me to call them a bad parent or for them to accuse me of being an uber-creep?

Random Thoughts From A Server 57: Pouring Water
When working in a restaurant with carpet, my standard line is, “If you never water the carpet, it won’t grow.” Need to find a different line when working on tile.
- The Greatest Customer Complaint Response Ever September 23, 2010
- Why Not To Date Co-Workers August 14, 2010
- My Response: 25 Things Chefs Never Tell You September 16, 2010
- A Food Critic Intervention August 31, 2010
- The Card August 10, 2010
- Random Thoughts from a Server 65: Beer Glasses July 20, 2013
- T-Shirts for Servers 5 July 19, 2013
- Random Thoughts from a Server 64: Chef Gordon Ramsey July 17, 2013
- Random Thoughts from a Server 63: Jealous Boyfriends July 16, 2013
- Random Thoughts from a Server 62: Wine Keys July 15, 2013
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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.