Corkage Fee: Overview
Restaurants charge diners fees for bringing their preferred wine or beverage, called Corkage Fee. This fee is charged as the restaurant uses its glassware and provides service. It is also the compensation cost due to the restaurant’s loss of potential profit from selling their beverages. Corkage Fee differ depending on the restaurant, city, and various other factors.
Purpose of Corkage Fees
Service Charges
The restaurant’s staff provides service to the customers when they bring their wine bottles. The service includes serving the wine in the restaurant’s glassware and offering the ice bucket for chilling the wine at the desired temperature. These services are covered with the Corkage Fees. Also learn how a Restaurant Host enhances the customer experience?
Compensating Revenue Loss
Restaurants’ primary source of income is selling beverages to the diners. When guests bring their wine, the restaurant misses out on this potential profit. The corkage fee helps compensate for this loss.
Maintaining their Standards
Corkage Fees also put a limit on not going overboard with customers bringing limited wine bottles. Corkage Fees ensure that customers bring quality beverages to maintain the restaurant’s standards and enjoy an enhanced dining experience.
Promoting their Beverages
Corkage Fees make guests inclined towards having the restaurant’s beverages rather than paying the fees. This way restaurants can promote their beverages and earn profit.
Corkage Fees Etiquette
Check the Restaurant’s Policy
Call ahead and make sure that the restaurant allows guests to bring their alcohol. Check the restaurant’s Corkage policy to avoid any problems.
Check Beverages List
It is better to check that the wine that you’re willing to take to the restaurant is not already on their beverages menu. This makes sure that you bring the wine according to your choice and the restaurant’s policies eventually justifying the Corkage Fees.
Offering a Taste
Consider offering a taste of your wine to the server as a gesture of appreciation for their service. This gesture shows that you appreciate their service.
Generous Tip
Give a generous tip to the server to acknowledge his efforts and service. Make sure to acknowledge and be appreciative of the staff’s service to elevate your meal experience.
Pros and Cons of Bringing Your Beverage
Pros:
- Personal Preference: Guests can enjoy a wine they love, ensuring a satisfying dining experience.
- Memorable Events: You can enjoy a notable and memorable event by bringing a bottle of wine as per your choice for a celebration.
- Cost Effective: If the restaurant’s beverage is expensive then bringing your wine can be cost-effective.
Cons:
- High Corkage Fee: If the restaurant’s Corkage Fee is higher than the restaurant’s on-menu beverages then it’s not the cost-effective option.
- Few Options: Customers have limited options for the beverages they can bring to the restaurant and they can miss out on trying the restaurant’s beverages.
- Politeness Considerations: Some customers may feel that bringing their wine might be frowned upon and considered improper.
Conclusion
In the restaurant industry, Corkage Fees are a norm proposing a middle ground between permitting customers to bring their preferred beverages and earning the service cost to maintain their dining standards. By checking the restaurant’s policies you can follow their norms and make sure to elevate your dining experience.
