Corkage fee--heard of this one?

corkage fees usually only apply if you bring the bottle with you (i.e. the restaurant didn't get the sale of the wine bottle). If I were charged that fee, it would reduce my tip by at least that amount.

then again, parts plus labor seems to work for mechanics...

 

VERY common in fine restaurants where you bring your own bottle in. One place in
Seattle has a $25 corkage fee. Yep, it's a rip. But either that or pay $150 for a
bottle of their wine.

 

I would feel awkward brining in a bottle of wine in, at a fancy restaurant at that. That's ridiculous to open up a bottle that is simple. Why not bring in a wine opener and open it, or pour it into some container.

 

Pretty common actually, and I've seen and paid them up to 50$ a bottle. If you're going to the French Laundry and want to have that perfect bottle of 1995 Salon unobtainium, which they definately wont have on the menu, then so be it. I'll sometimes bring wine to a fine restaurant, especially if I want to try something from my cellar to go with a particular dish they have, because I think that pairing will be better than what they have on the menu, which are typically young wines. Last time I went to the FL I brought a Salon and ordered a bottle off the menu and they waived the corkage fee.

 

I think everyone is missing the point of the OP. They charged the fee on a bottle BOUGHT IN the restaurant, not brought TO the restaurant!

Wild!

 

It's called bad marketing! They should only charge the fee for wines brought by customers, what next a fuel surcharge for your meal?

 

silly, but I have heard of this before. Do they also charge a "cooking fee" for the food?

 

no way that is not right, I mean if that is the case I would not have paid it

 

Wow a corkage fee for their own wines? Ridiculous.

It's to make the menu prices seem low. What a rip. Simply don't order any wine, don't take in your own, give a reduced tip, and let them know why you are not ordering the wine. Follow up with a phone call and letter. Do it a few times, and the policy will be magically "amended"...or the restaurant will go out of business. Where is it and what is the name of the place?

 

This is a easy one to fix. Find somewhere else to eat. Then they won't have a chance to be a older local restaurant.

 

In my place you better bring your one glasses too.

 

Yes way, that's exactly what he's saying. And I agree that it's a stupid policy. IMHO, the restaurant would be much better off stuffing that $12 into the purchase price of the wine and dropping the ridiculous corking fee.

 

Hell, I got charged a corkage fee at a mid-range BYOB place and all I had was water. I was Not Impressed, but as it was a Fcar club meeting I chose to not make a scene over a few bucks.

 

well I don't see how that is legal

 

This thread is not about corkage fees in general. It is about the very bizarre practice of a restaurant charging a corkage fee for the drinks sold by the restaurant itself.

 

You can always outsmart 'em by using a twist-cap bottle.

 

LOL. Too funny.

Charging a "corking-fee" for wines THEY serve is obscene. Why not hide the 'corking-fee' in the menu price for the bottle?

 

I agree, Deduct it from the tip, and let them know.

 

I disagree. You are punishing the employee(s) for a restaurant's policy. This policy does not negatively, nor positively, correlate with services provided. I believe a better way of going about this would be to talk to the manager, and to either contest the fee or at the very least make your complaint known.

 

True. But, the employees are part of the business. If it cut into their wages so much, they would escalate their issues to management. I.e. I'm not getting paid enough, so I'm looking for work elsewhere.

By tipping your normal amount in addition to the fee, you are not resolving anything.

Eating somewhere else makes me most sense, but what happens when this becomes an industry-wide policy?

Cheers.

 

A tip is not mandatory. It is seen as mandatory only in North America. That being said, the amount you tip is based on your satisfaction with the performance of the staff. Not with your satisfaction of company policy. Why shoot the messenger?

 

I've only heard of a corkage fee when you bring your own wine, which I've only done with the restaurant has no liquor license.

 

HOW DOES TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM YOUR SERVER GOING TO AFFECT THE OWNER!!??

I agree with people who said...open your mouth and speak to management.

I think thats insane to take it out on someone who has nothing to do with the situation.

Don't mean to offend anyone who thinks otherwise...just my opinion...respectfully