I'm a tipped employee at a full service restaurant and make a decent living at it. Why don't you ask if it helps them? I've asked one coffee shop and they said they don't care if I tip because it doesn't make a significant difference, but one place I worked at the cashier was able to get a decent meal off of $20 a night or fill up her gas tank. The world isn't black and white. Yes the subway and Starbucks probably makes a small impact, but if you see there's two employees working their butt off to pay insane cost of living and insane college tuition. Tipped-based income got me through college, it'd be nice to see a little empathy on gray areas.