Inviting guests to a banquet in a restaurant is nice, but not cheap. Everyone who has organized a holiday at least once knows that the most expensive thing in catering establishments is alcohol. It is not uncommon for restaurants to allow customers to bring their own liquor, but in return offer a service for a special fee called a “corkage fee”. Next, let’s figure out how the cork fee (cork fee) service arose and what its essence is.
What is a cork fee or cork fee
A corkage fee is charged for each bottle brought by the guest. The funds received are intended to compensate restaurants for lost profits – guests receive comprehensive services, use dishes, but do not pay for alcohol. The fee depends on the rank of the establishment and is set by the owner.
The concept of “cork phi” is absent in Russian legislation, so the owners regulate the price depending on the popularity of the institution or the level of the restaurant.
In Russia, the service is not as common as in the West. In our country, it is not customary to go to a restaurant with your own alcohol, and a corkage fee is usually charged for corporate parties, banquets or wedding celebrations. Sometimes you do not need to pay separately for each bottle, but you only need to order food for a certain amount. Often, establishments provide a service temporarily during the period of registration of a license to sell alcohol.
Restaurants have a number of requirements for brought alcohol:
- only closed bottles in their original packaging are accepted;
- home-made drinks are not allowed;
- you can not bring weak alcohol – beer, cider and cocktails.
Abroad corkage fee is a standard service provided by many restaurants. In this case, establishments meet the needs of customers who want to treat guests to alcohol that is not on the wine list.
For example, in the wine regions of the US state of California, corkage is offered by most establishments. As a rule, guests bring rare or old wines that require special presentation and are happy to pay for the services of a professional sommelier. It is considered bad form to take wine with you, which can be ordered at a restaurant.
How the corkage fee appeared
It is believed that cork fees first appeared in France, where in the 2th century, wealthy people ordered a celebration from food and alcohol merchants. In order not to pay extra, guests brought alcohol with them. According to legend, one of the restaurateurs somehow guessed to count the traffic jams and revealed the fraud. In order not to lose profit, he asked for a small amount for each bottle he brought, which suited both parties. Today, the average price for a service in France ranges from 10 to XNUMX euros per bottle, depending on the category of establishment.
In the United States, corkage became widespread in the 1950s, when most establishments had difficulty obtaining a license to sell liquor. Now corkage fee is a common practice for American private clubs, which by law do not have the right to sell alcohol. In the UK, the concept began to gain popularity in the 1970s. The service became in demand by ladies who were tired of beer in English pubs and wanted to drink wine that the establishments did not offer. In all countries of the world, a corkage fee is a right, but not an obligation, of a restaurant.
Corkage fee in Russia
In our country, cork fees have become a subject of indignation and controversy. Opponents of the collection believe that restaurants are thus profiting from visitors, forcing them to pay for a non-existent service. At the same time, they forget about the costs that a restaurant incurs one way or another when serving visitors with their own alcohol. In particular, the institution:
- takes alcohol in advance;
- stores it at a certain temperature;
- attracts waiters who uncork and pour wine, remove empty bottles;
- brings glasses to the table, which must then be collected and washed.
In addition, when storing alcohol, there is a risk of breaking the guest’s bottle, which will also entail additional costs. However, customers perceive even a small fee for the service as a robbery and call for its official abolition.
However, since January 10, 2021, updated rules for the provision of catering services have been in force in Russia, according to which restaurants have the right to introduce any additional service, and their duty is only to inform consumers about the composition and cost of the service.
In large Russian cities, the size of the corkage fee depends on the category of the restaurant and averages 300–700 rubles. for a bottle. As a rule, high prices are set by institutions operating according to the European model – that is, any guest can receive the service, and not just the customer of a banquet for several dozen people.
In Ukraine, cork fee has become a common practice in the last decade. In restaurants in Kiev, most often you can bring only wine with you. The collection price in premium establishments starts from UAH 50 and can reach up to UAH 350 per bottle (140–950 rubles). The service includes cooling, bottling and serving drinks to the table.