It is not about “wasting” college overall, but about “wasting” the premium that one pays for the residential college experience that most college students do not normally experience (as commuter students living where they lived before college). So the talk about gap year seems to be heavy on these forums where students and parents are paying a premium for the residential college experience, but is probably less common among commuter students who just want or need to get on with their education, especially during a time when working is less available.
Also, the scenario where colleges are closed to in-person education is likely to be one where restaurant employment (beyond primarily take-out restaurants, perhaps) is hard to get; even if there are no governmental orders limiting restaurant business, fear of COVID-19 will limit the number of customers willing to go to restaurants.