Note: We are republishing this story, which originally made the news in March 2016.
A waitress in Colorado went viral after using social media to make a powerful point about tipping in America. After receiving a $0 tip on a $187.43 bill, server Taylar Cordova photographed the receipt and shared it on Facebook, along with a passionate message aimed at customers who don’t tip.
Her post explained the real-life impact of stiffing servers, who often rely almost entirely on gratuities to survive. Cordova wrote that when people choose not to tip, it means unpaid bills, missed meals, and sacrifices for families. Even a few dollars, she said, can make the difference between having groceries for the week or going without.
She urged readers to imagine trying to support a family on a base wage of just $2–$5 an hour. Her claims were backed by the U.S. Department of Labor, which states that employers are only required to pay tipped workers $2.13 per hour, as long as tips bring earnings up to minimum wage.
Cordova ended her post with blunt advice: if you can’t afford to tip, don’t eat at a sit-down restaurant. Her message struck a nerve, spreading rapidly online and being shared more than 15,000 times, sparking a nationwide discussion about tipping culture and worker wages.