Remember 'Dilbert,' the comic strip that pillories meddlesome bosses and deadening corporate culture? In the late 90s, its creator Scott Adams made millions of dollars licensing everything from the strip itself to dolls to "Accomplish-mint" to the "Dilberito", "a vitamin-packed meatless burrito." Now he manages a failing restaurant in a strip mall in California. Surprisingly to no one yet pleasingly ironic to all, he's a horrible horrible boss.

Employees' assessments of their boss ranged from dismissive to vitriolic. According to head chef, Nathan Gillespie, "He truly has no idea what he's doing." To be fair, the restaurant in question does have stiff competition. As a story in the Veteran Day's edition of the Times notes, the restaurant Stacey's at Waterford is hemorrhaging money after "an influx of national competitors like P. F. Chang's China Bistro and the Cheesecake Factory." So what are some of Mr. Adam's brilliant ideas?

  • Adding puns to the menu, like Caesar Salad, "named after the great romaine emperor Julius Salad"
  • A banquet room used for events like Mommy Mojito Night and other suggestions from the Dilbert blog fan base (nude volleyball tournements, murder mysteries)
  • Add a flat screen television that plays a constant loop of Dilbert comic strips.
  • Perhaps even force "employees to wear Dilbert-style white short-sleeved shirts and ties that curled upward."

    Also: During the interview, Adams called up an employee on his day off and made him come in.