Islandgem nailed it! Thanks!
I'll restate it differently but we're completely in agreement.
In a restaurant in France as well as on the French side of SXM, if you don't pay more than the amount of the bill, the waitstaff is still paid a living wage, and this, irrespective of what the bill says.
This is the law in France, period. Waiters, waitresses and bartenders MUST be paid living wages plus benefits by the employer, no ifs, ands or buts.
Now, some restaurants only pay the minimum wage which is around $10/hour and others pay more, sometimes much more, depending on the category of the establishment.
Again, don't forget that these employees also receive Social Security and healthcare benefits, paid partly by the employer too. That's also the law in France.
This being said, if you want to reward your waiter/waitress with a tip, because he/she has done a great job, that's perfectly fine, but consider it a bonus and that's how French waitstaff looks at it too.
I hope this helps.
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