I agree on the issue of price point. If im paying $80 for a 10 oz filet, then my expectation is the cook/chef is getting well compensated
Im more or less talking about a smaller, not "fine dining" type establishment where that expectation, and price point for meal, might be lower than normal and turns out that the food was really beyond what you expected be it from the flavor, the cooking -
I appreciate the drill example, but Lowes employees didnt "create" the drill.
The cook created my meal. Now if my steak came pre-seasoned and pre-cooked and all the cook had to do was re-heat ( package nice ) and serve it, then i would agree with the analogy.
And there is negotiation in food service- if your food is terrible you can have it comped/removed from bill. That is indeed a negotiation. If the service was lax, then you can reflect that in the tip.
My whole point was about tipping and while i fully understand the wage disparity, i was pointing out i go to a restaurant not because of the wait staff, i go because i enjoy the food prepared there. And if someone comes in and has a dining experience that prompts them to leave a $5000 tip, i think it should be shared with servers as well as cooks. Thats all im saying.