Interesting article. The guy who choked might have forgotten to tip. Life-threatening events can do odd things to your brain temporarily.

Anyway, what I don't get is this: what is the point of the server tipping the other employees a constant percentage? Couldn't the restaurant do exactly the same thing?

The point of tips, rather than no tips with an increased salary, is to give the server a financial incentive to serve well. This tip-out thing has no incentive for the other employees, as their "tip" is fixed.

If the server should pay a portion of the other employees' salaries, the server should also reap the same portion of the restaurant's profits!