In many states, including the one I live in, a corkage fee is illegal. Many establishments still do it, and when I tell a guest "no", because I choose to obey the law, I get criticized, even yelled at.

As for the "Corkage" and "Gratuity" being a double-dip? No way. When reporting for taxes, the server is required to claim all their tips. The government monitors it based on total sales; they don't differentiate.

The server doesn't get great on the corkage fee, the server still is required to claim tips on it.

Wow, 'corkage fee'. I'd never heard of it. I grew up in Montreal, and loved, absolutely loved going to BYOB places. The BYOB culture (and number of BYOB restos and bistros) was huge there. But let me assure you, there was no such thing as preposterous as getting charged for bringing your own wine!

Well, I'm now in Ontario, where corkage fees are in place. Consequently, I go out to eat about 1/10th as frequently. And whether I'm poor or rich won't change this. Eliminate corkage fees.

Why is it called a "corkage" fee, when (1) the waiter is actually uncorking the wine and (2) the uncorking part pales in comparison to the effort and expense of setting, pouring, and clearing glasses, icing the wine, and so on?

Re comment 20: many states have dram-shop laws that make the bar or restaurant expressly not liable for serving booze.

I really didn't want to bother responding, but I feel I have to. I am an avid restaurant goer as well as a bar manager in Upstate New York. The simple fact is that there exists a large amount of confusion in these posts, which I can tell were submitted predominantly by patrons, not members of the service industry.

You all have to keep in mind a number of factors:

Restaurant owners are legally liable for all alcohol consumed on their property. If a manager allowed a large party to bring in a case of wine as was previously mentioned, and one of those patrons drives away that night and kills someone, the restaurant is liable. Why would a restaurant want to ever assume that liability with a minuscule profit collected.

If I had my way, no one would ever bring any form of outside alcohol into my restaurant. However, that would aggravate guests and after all, we want to make guests happy.

If a restaurant has a good wine list, there shouldn't be much need to insist on bringing one's own bottle. If a customer still insists, we would want to please them (say for instance they had a $200 of Barolo or Bordeaux.)

If the guest were to purchase that bottle off our wine list, they would pay about $400 (a $200 profit for the restaurant) as markup on wine bottles is about times 2 (industry mark up on liquor and beer is times 5 on average).

So if a guest had a simply amazing bottle of wine, a $35 or $45 corkage fee is a steal, rather than an outrage.

Remember, the corkage fee does not really have much of anything to do with the service offered, but more the profit lost on that bottle. Incidentally, we limit our customers to bringing in no more than one bottle of their own.

I hope this helps to explain the situation in a little better light. Remember, if you want to enjoy a magnificent $200/plus bottle while out to dinner, by all means pay the corkage fee and be happy.

If you have a $20 bottle, leave it home and find a comparable bottle on the list. It's not worth the fee at that price point, and let's face it, most $20-$30 bottles of wine are similar in quality, as long as they are of good value. If the wine list is lacking at your favorite restaurant and you still just want a decent $20-$30 bottle, ask the restaurant to carry your bottle, or order it special for you, and pay their markup. This is usually well within their ability, and if they're unwilling, I would stop frequenting their establishment.

I am anxious to hear responses, but neglected to register.

Curious -- As a restaurant manager, I can totally relate to the experience you've described above. I can understand one, maybe two bottles of wine (ok maybe five for your particular case of 15 guests), but 11 bottles of wine? I'm sorry, but that is just a bit ridiculous!

For heaven's sake, take the rest of the bottles back home and have them there! The restaurant is an establishment to serve guests great food and wine to accompany the food, not to be your private servants!

As for the corkage fee -- let's explain how this works for those infrequent restaurant goers who claim to be experts: the corkage fee is the fee you are paying to the restaurant, who is now spending money on 1)the server to serve you your wine, 2)providing you stemware (which costs the restaurant to supply), 3)once you leave said restaurant, who do you think has to hire someone to clean the glasses?)and 4)let's not forget the license the restaurant must acquire to serve you wine, that comes as as expense too just in case you thought that was free!

Then we come to the gratuity, which goes to your server who opened and poured you your wine. If you had bought the wine from the restaurant, you would pay for gratuity for that wine, right?

That said, the gratuity on the bill for the corkage fee is the gratuity your server well deserves for opening a bottle of wine. So if there was no corkage fee, the waiter would have received no tip for opening the wine (leaves job), the restaurant would be have made no money and on top of that, lost money for opening your wine (closes restaurant), and there would be nothing left but your unopened bottles of wine.

I agree in a modest fee if the restaurant sells wine. I recently went to an Italian restaurant that did not have a liquor license so the fact that you could bring your own wine seemed attractive as the restaurant had gotten rave reviews.

When the waiter told me there would be a corkage fee I was not to surprised but when he told me it was 20 bucks, I was, needless to say, shocked. They don't even sell wine so it is not a loss to the restaurant. The food was incredible but I will not be dining there again.

The fact that restaurants charge a corkage fee in proportion to the quality of the alcohol (e.g. charge the price of cheapest bottle of champagne when customer brings bottle of nice champagne) indicates that what is charged is not the effort of the waiter, it is the "loss" that the restaurant owner believes he is making for not selling his own alcohol.

As a regular restaurant-goer, who almost always buys wine and sometimes scotch from the menu, but occasionally likes to bring some fine champagne for a special occasion, I very simply and permanently take my business elsewhere when restaurants are being silly with corkage fees (high charge and double-dipping on the tax). Win 1, lose 10.

Interesting exchange. Obviously the perception of corkage fees varies widely depending on whether the perceiver is customer, server, or management. Given this, I'm surprised any restaurants still allow customers to bring in their own wine.

If I were asked by the restaurant to pay a corkage fee, I'd simply take it out of the tip. Let the servers argue with the owner about corkage fees, I'll do my arguing with my wallet. Next thing you know they'll be charging me a water fee for requesting water instead of some other beverage, or a food fee for ordering the cheapest dish instead of their more exquisite dishes which bring in more profits. I don't know, maybe it's due to the way I've been brought up, but I find it ridiculous to pay such large sums of money (corkage fees plus 18 percent tips), in addition to my food bill, for essentially nothing.

The justification made of a "corkage fee" would also allow that fee to be applied to anyone who doesn't order wine at all as part of their meal. Same lack of wine-sales revenue/profit from that person as the one at the next table who brought their own bottle.

I was charged corkage fees on two bottles of wine I purchased at the restaurant. I was under the impression that you would only be charged corkage fees on bring your own bottles?

I think corkage fee should be price of bottle less cost. (So if you charge customers $20 for your least expensive bottle, and your cost for said bottle is $8, then $12 corkage is about right). I have no idea what wine costs the restaurants however. But if the corkage is too high, then it discourages customers from bringing their own wine (and makes them unhappy) and you'd be better off simply *not* allowing outside wines in the first place.

What a crock! Corkage is such a rip off! It is a blatant way to make money out of nothing, especially as a lot of wines have screw top lids these days. If, and that is *if,* you are going to charge it, charge minimal. Don't piss people off. They won't come back. You make more money with recurring customers and word of mouth! And if you keep the prices reasonable they might actually buy some alcohol.

in response to lefty.. If a customer brings in a botle of wine and opens it before the server arrives. This is when Management must be involved, first off all as a public establishment. we have a liquor license. regardless if a guest purchases wine from us, or their own bottle we are liable for that guest as they are are on a property. That guest must be charged a corkage fee. restaurants do not allow outside alcohol or food for safety reasons

Ok, hypothetical situation: a party of four comes to a given restaurant with wine in hand because the restaurant totes the ability of the patron to bring his/her own wine. After they're seated but before the waiter gets to the table, said patron opens the bottle he/she brought and serves his/her friends(i.e. no waiter intervention at all). Is there still a corkage fee?

As the owner of a restaurant, I have to say that a corkage fee and gratuity are two totally different things. The corkage fee is to make up for the alcohol sale loss you are taking by allowing someone to bring in their own wine and gratuity has nothing to do with this.

If, as a server, you factor corkage fees into your gratuity calculations, expect some customers to react negatively.

Think of how they see it. If they bring in their own bottle and have you serve it, in their mind the corkage fee is primarily to pay for the service you are providing. The work you do is what they see and what they think they're paying the fee for. The profit recovery that management is raking in is secondary in their mind and assumed to be included in the corkage fee. Remember, no matter how well you explain it, the customer is there to eat, drink, and be merry, not comprehend arcane rules of the establishment and perform accounting exercises.

If you think it is unfair that you are providing extra service for which you receive no gratuity, talk to your management and ask for a share of the corking fees. If they have to raise the fees, so be it. Customers will be less offended by a higher up-front corking fee than if they are surprised by perceived double-billing.

I agree with this article that a corkage fee should be a viewed as a penalty for bringing wine. As a server for a Sushi Restaurant in Fair Oaks, CA for 3 yrs.. This September 2008 was the first time a customer had complained about the fee. As I went to greet his table, he abruptly said, "can you open this wine for me?" I said yes, but there's a $10 corkage fee. He responded "Oh you guys sure make a profit from this!" I said no its just what the owner charges when you bring in a bottle of wine. Then he said "No worry, it wont affect your tip." I smiled and continued with the service. So I took time to open, let him test, serve to 3 other guests he had at the table. I was the only server on the floor on a fairly busy Saturday Night. Throughout their dining period, they looked satisfy and I asked how the food was? " Good" After they paid, and I look at how much they tipped. I realized I was the toll of this table. A 9% Tip! on a $108.00 tap. I dont know if he thought the fee goes into my pocket or he is just a poor poor tipper. Isnt this sad!

I just found out that momofuku in NYC is charging a $45.00 per bottle corkage fee. If that's not 'punishment', then I don't know what else to call it.

In response to "Anonymous" who thought the customer was correct I disagree completely. A Corkage fee is not a tip and a gratuity is. The corkage fee gets paid to the restaurant and does not go to the server at all where as the gratuity does. Gratuity is often charged by server's for parties of 8 or larger in order to ensure the party doesn't stick the server on the charge. It's in poor taste to get upset with a server for a restaurant policy and it's also in poor taste to be upset with a server for charging a gratuity. If you had an extremely poor service or an issue paying the gratuity because you received sub-par service that is a different situation that should be taken up with management, not your waiter.

What do I think? I agree with the customer. I think the corkage fee is basically a gratuity, and that it is double-dipping for you to add 18% to it. Now, the corkage fee doesn't take the place of the server gratuity, but it is awfully nervy of you to charge corkage AND include it in the gratuity basis.

And remember, you didn't lose $220. Compared to $220 less your cost, you probably did better with the $165 corkage.

What do you think of a customer that brings in 11 bottles of wine (we did not argue but did charge $15 corkage per bottle)There were 15 guests (lots of glasses!) The customer then got upset that the 18% gratuity added on to the bill (for guests of 6 or more) was added on after the corkage. He then told server we had ripped her off because the $165 from corkage should have been her tip!!! Our least expensive bottle of wine is $20. We lost out on at least $220 in wine or alcohol sales from that table!