96 replies to this topic

[mik]

Smoken Bones is saying they will not be charging any corkage fee. (?)

[Matt R.]

That says a lot.

Matt.

[skeptic]

The other stipulation I would insist upon is that all bottles must be finished or forfeited. Because if folks are allowed to take recorked bottles home, then I'm going to suggest that we start selling to-go cups full of draft and off-sale bottles. Because really, what would be the difference?

That's nonsense. If I bring a bottle and don't finish it how is taking it home the same as you selling beer to go?

Your evident bitterness is clouding your judgement on this. I'm sorry that you, as a restaurant owner, won't have completely free rein to continue to gouge your customers who want a very good (and expensive) bottle of wine with a meal at your place. But if you can't survive unless you are able to take advantage of your customers in that way then Darwin rules.

[spanky123]

I feel your pain Bob.

If the Government didn't consult with the restaurant association on this then I chalk up the whole exercise to nothing more than a PR ploy for them.

This is a lose-lose for most restaurants. If you don't allow patrons to bring in their own wine or charge what is more than what is perceived to be a fair price for opening and pouring wine, then the consumer is going to be upset. If you try to compete against the free or $7.50 corkage restaurants then all you are doing is cutting into your profits. Only people who win are restaurants who sold two buck chuck by the glass and who break even at $7.50 anyways.

[Bob Fugger]

That's nonsense. If I bring a bottle and don't finish it how is taking it home the same as you selling beer to go?

Your evident bitterness is clouding your judgement on this. I'm sorry that you, as a restaurant owner, won't have completely free rein to continue to gouge your customers who want a very good (and expensive) bottle of wine with a meal at your place. But if you can't survive unless you are able to take advantage of your customers in that way then Darwin rules.

Wow, and you say I'm bitter? At least I understand corkage, from the consumer perspective. You don't seem to have a bloody clue as to how any why margins are set in this industry. Don't expect me to ****ing apologize for risking my own capital to create wealth and then complaining when government pulls the rug out without as much as a peep.

[Bob Fugger]

I feel your pain Bob.

If the Government didn't consult with the restaurant association on this then I chalk up the whole exercise to nothing more than a PR ploy for them.

This is a lose-lose for most restaurants. If you don't allow patrons to bring in their own wine or charge what is more than what is perceived to be a fair price for opening and pouring wine, then the consumer is going to be upset. If you try to compete against the free or $7.50 corkage restaurants then all you are doing is cutting into your profits. Only people who win are restaurants who sold two buck chuck by the glass and who break even at $7.50 anyways.

I appreciate your sympathy, spanky. Government has not thought this one out. Those restaurants that have little to no wine menu benefit and destabilize the market for the rest of us. As Matt said, those places that charge little to no corkage, well, that speaks volumes.

And look at how they did it: no notice, not even time to change our POS to include a corkage fee or even to articulate a policy and train staff on it.

[skeptic]

Wow, and you say I'm bitter? At least I understand corkage, from the consumer perspective. You don't seem to have a bloody clue as to how any why margins are set in this industry. Don't expect me to ****ing apologize for risking my own capital to create wealth and then complaining when government pulls the rug out without as much as a peep.

When I compare prices here and in the USA I realize the bars and restaurants (in both places) are pricing to market, not according to some grand theory of industry margin-setting.

You still haven't explained the equivalence of me taking home a partly finished bottle of (my own) wine and you selling beer to go.

[Bob Fugger]

When I compare prices here and in the USA I realize the bars and restaurants (in both places) are pricing to market, not according to some grand theory of industry margin-setting.

You still haven't explained the equivalence of me taking home a partly finished bottle of (my own) wine and you selling beer to go.

A lot of the price difference between US and Canadian prices are tariffs at the import/wholesale level and taxes at the retail level.

As for taking a half bottle back with you, currently, you cannot leave an establishment with open liquor. Why would someone be able to take open liquor out just because it's their own? If they can, why can't we sell off-sales or to go brews?

[G-Man]

You have been able to take open wine home for years. I am fairly certain there will not be a lot of people that want to bring in an eighty dollar bottle of wine at a pub anyways.

[Matt R.]

The open wine simply needs to be resealed with a new cork. It doesn't/won't matter if you bought it at the restaurant or brown bagged it.

That's the difference. I wonder if you ordered a large format bottle of beer, drank half and had it re-capped if you would also be good to go?

Matt.

[spanky123]

So will the new law allow you to bring in ubrew wine I wonder?

[Bob Fugger]

So will the new law allow you to bring in ubrew wine I wonder?

The government doesn't get to wet its beak with homemade wine, so I'm going to guess "No."

[Mike K.]

In the UK and in Australia lots of restaurants do not charge a corkage fee.

Question: if the average cafe and diner doesn't rely on liquor to pad its bottom line, why are restaurants so dependent on alcohol sales?

I wasn't aware that I was able to bring home a half-finished large bottle of beer or wine. That's good to know.

[WGTHOM]

speaking as a consumer that often sees 20 dollar bottles being billed at upwards of 40 I look forward to bringing my own wines and enjoying a decent vintage rather than being forced to choose from a list of wines that would never see my cellar. if I have to shell out a few extra coins it will still be worth it.

it also allows me to plan ahead and do a decent pairing.

WG

[Matt R.]

Who said restaurants don't rely on liquor sales to make money? That's just crazy talk.

My shop will be charging corkage of $20, or $10 for members of the loyalty club, and free on Tuesdays for members of the loyalty club. Hell of a deal.

Matt.

[Mike K.]

Who said restaurants don't rely on liquor sales to make money? That's just crazy talk.

Precisely. I asked why that is when cafes and diners don't

[tedward]

99.5% of customers will never show up with their own bottle.

And that is the main point. This is such a non-issue that affects such a small group of people it is totally pointless as policy and is nothing more than pandering. What a waste of time for all concerned.

[Matt R.]

Yeah but they rely on other things to pad their bottom line that other restaurants might not.

Generally speaking, I think food and labour costs are lower at a restaurant that serves lower end fare. Margins on soup/sandwich/eggs/coffee are pretty good. Margins on tenderloin, handmade pasta and scratch cooking are less.

Liquor is just another revenue stream. A diner or cafe might sell $500 worth of coffee in a day - that's also another revenue stream. Takeout is even better as you remove much of the service labour from the equation.

A restaurant selling a $20 bottle of wine for $40 is like a diner selling 2 eggs and toast for $6, or a cup of coffee for $2. It's just a difference of volume. It's all meant to pad the bottom line.

Matt.

[jklymak]

As a consumer, I'll be kind of bummed, because it means all the wine drinkers will no longer be subsidizing my meals.

Then again, maybe I'd drink wine more in restaurants if it wasn't for the 100% markup on an already over-priced product (compared to the rest of the world). I'm actually surprised such a level of markup is optimal from the market's point of view.

[Bingo]

If you prefer not to drink wine, can you bring a bottle of non-alcoholic apple cider?