So the bill is only for the food? Is it not also for the rent of the premises? Or for the purchase of kitchen and bar equipment, and tables and chairs? Cutlery, glasses, plates? Insurance? Cleaners? Maintenance costs? The rest? No. The cost of the meal includes ALL associated costs. The server is one of those associated costs. It’s not a case of “if you can’t afford to tip you can’t afford to go out”, it’s “if you can’t afford to pay your servers properly, you can’t afford a restaurant.”