The last 5 meals I have eaten out in Australia have not had table service. The last meal I ate in Australia that had full table service cost me $120/head. While I'm sure you can find restaurants with lower price points that still do table service, in general, you don't get it. It's not bullshit at all. Perhaps there are areas of the country which have high concentrations of people who can earn less than the adult minimum wage (ie, students) where table service is more common.

I make no judgement at all whether full table service is a good or bad thing, I simply note that because of the cost structure, a restaurant in Australia has less staff than a similar restaurant in a different country.

In most other countries I visit, most restaurants have table service, even cheap cafes and coffee shops. This is demonstrably not the case in Australia.

"I simply note that because of the cost structure, a restaurant in Australia has less staff than a similar restaurant in a different country."

And I think you're wrong.

"In most other countries I visit, most restaurants have table service, even cheap cafes and coffee shops. This is demonstrably not the case in Australia."

Seriously, I don't know where you went, but I lived over there for the last two and a half years and travelled the entire country (no I'm not making that up, the entire country), and never came across this. Every small town cafe and restaurant had table service. All the backstreet city places had table service.

"This is demonstrably not the case in Australia."

I'm sorry, I just don't believe this without some serious research. You're wrong.

I live in Australia. Last Friday night I went out for a meal. Again I had to pay at the counter and collect the meal myself.

If you go to Nandos that'll happen, because its their model.

Do you live in Canberra? Maybe there aren't many staff in Canberra because nobody lives there. Never encountered this in two and half years though, it's nonsense.