Well, that wasn't the case in 2002. The minimum wage for waiters in New York was $0.
$15/hr ain't exactly a living wage either, nor does it justify losing a table for an hour on four people who don't leave a tip. The difference between $15/hr in New York City now and $0/hr in 2002 is basically nil.
Waiters make their money from tips. If you ever work in the service industry in America, and serve them their breakfast, you'll understand why.
That person's main point is still true. The main point is that a better waiter/waitress makes more money in the same shift, even if they hypothetically waited on the exact same people.
There is skill and talent involved. We have all had shitty waitstaff wait on us, and great people, too. The great people get a better tip, even if they are uglier, or walk with a limp and have a hunch back like Quisimoto. In another post, I listed dozens of ways that one staff person can make more than another by using different techniques.
$15/hr ain't exactly a living wage either, nor does it justify losing a table for an hour on four people who don't leave a tip. The difference between $15/hr in New York City now and $0/hr in 2002 is basically nil.
Waiters make their money from tips. If you ever work in the service industry in America, and serve them their breakfast, you'll understand why.