Originally Posted by Notyou2
Restaurants aren't banks, there was probably a legitimate reason why the change came back that way. It's obvious that a wait person would try to enhance the opportunity of getting a decent tip, not purposely give change back that makes it more difficult.
More often than not, the customer has smaller bills and is saving them for something else.
There's no legitimate reason NOT to have a proper mix of cash and coins on hand. It's inexcusable. Make a daily bank run and solve the problem. It's as bad as running out of food.