“Restaurant employees get paid crap. “
Personally, I don’t see the $16 and $17 here as “crap”.
$16/hr, or $32,000 per year, is a crap wage. It is OK for a teenager. But lots of places aren’t even paying $16.
I don’t believe in the govt minimum wage and don’t expect anyone else to do what I do...but I like being generous with ppl who serve me. I have paid child care as much as $28/hr.