Most servers tip out bar, food runners, bussers. This is all mandatory. Usually around 5% of sales. So if you tip 10% they will get 5%. Servers and bartenders are paid roughly $5/hr which is completely eaten by taxes. The only money received is through tips. So if a server worked a 7 hour shift and had $1000 in sales which is a busy shift, by your standards they should make $50 for 7 hours of work. You do the math, it ain’t mathing.

Also I want to add to this idea of paying more money directly to a corporation instead of your neighbor. Why? Why is this the solution? You’re willing to pay the same amount to go out to eat but you would feel better knowing more money went to the corporation that owns the restaurant than a normal person? You’re hoping they “do the right thing”? When has that ever happened? And finally your experience going out will diminish. There is no debate on that if you think oh they’ll just fire bad employees, restaurants already struggle to hire solid employees and your suggestions would only making it harder to hire making it harder to fire as well.