> Tips are also handled differently in different states, but in New York, by law, they can be pooled and distributed only to “front of house” employees: those who work in the dining room, like waiters, bartenders and backwaiters (formerly known as busboys). That really makes no sense to me. When I go to a restaurant, I value the food a lot more than the service. I've come back again to restaurants where I hated the s…
The justification of tipping is that it incentivizes good service. Tipping the kitchen staff makes absolutely no sense because the pay structure isn't set up that way, and because you don't interact with them. Think about what it would mean for tipping to incentivize the quality of the food prepared for you.