Just to clarify that all tipping in the US works like this. The rest of western countries pays a fair wage and then tip is a bonus the waiter gets to keep (or shares with other staff in some contexts), but it's not expected to be part of pay.
Im a server in WA and im making 11.50 plus my tips. In the last state I was in I was making 2.50 plus tips.
Wrong, only a subset of states with corrupt labor practices allow this.
Also, in my experience, our prices are not higher than the $2.15/hr states.
Servers make a lot while bussers and janitors and cooks get screwed