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.