The waiters can earn a lot more than minimum wage with the tipping method. It's the way it is here, and we don't have a problem with it. Including it in the price would reward everyone equally, and not just the best waiters. Service, in my mind is a lot better this way, and a lot fairer. Each is paid according to his/her attitude and attention to the customer. A good waiter at a nice restaurant can easily bring home hundreds of dollars per night and support a family on it. A bad waiter will not last long in a good restaurant. A lot of jobs in the US are commission based, and this is almost the same thing. It's the free market. :-) Waiters who don't like the idea of tipping will work for fast food restaurants where they do get paid minimum wage and there is no tipping!