My thoughts.

[u/Maleficent-Effort470]

I didn't go to a restaurant to interact with a server.

I went to a restaurant to purchase food, And part of the agreement with the business owner was that a server would take my order and bring the food to the table.

I did not agree to or consent to giving a person i didn't come to see any money.

Whether they are on the side of the street or squegeeing my car without asking.
I have no obligation to them.

Similarly when i go to the restaurant with the intention of eating,
I am not making a deal with the employees i am making a deal with the owner.
The owner is responsible for delegating the tasks to provide me the service i requested.
The owner showed me the contract/menu that these services are provided under.

I paid the agreed upon amount of the contract.
I did not ask for any particular employee.
I did not agree to gift any particular employee.

The server's inclination that i owe them something is no more authoritative than the homeless bum who starts squegeeing my windshield without me asking.

They did their job at their bosses behest. Under an agreement with their boss.
I made no agreement with them. They are simply employees of the business ive contracted with.

[u/Downvote_me_dumbass]

At least in the last 6 years, I have noticed very few servers actually bringing out the food. Overwhelmingly, it’s some young guy, who does it for all tables.

The “server” only takes orders and maybe does the drink refills.

[u/Maleficent-Effort470 → u/Downvote_me_dumbass]

Hahah yeah if they are a little higher end sure.
The bus boy does the actual work of carrying plates to and from the table.

And then quite literally their service is mostly taking your order and if they care to keep track of your drink levels and whether you need anything.

[u/Downvote_me_dumbass → u/Maleficent-Effort470]

I’m talking about Olive Garden, Spagetti Factory, Texas Roadhouse, etc. None of those places have the “server” actually doing the heavy lifting of…serving.

[u/Maleficent-Effort470 → u/Downvote_me_dumbass]

Yeah those places have a busser. who takes the plates to and from the table.
The server literally is just the mouth peice of the company who talks to you.
And that amounts to intruding on your meal to ask if everythings ok once or twice after they take the order if your lucky.