Wine Corkage

[RBM]

Maybe I am just becoming a grump or perhaps being a kiwi where BYO is very popular makes me upset.

 

Bacolod seems to be particular bad in charging corkage, especially hurting is requests for 50% plus of cost of winet.

 

Recently I requested for the owner of Museum Cafe  as they demanded P300 corkage on a P600 bottle of wine. Even after pointing out we are regular diners whom greatly appreciate his food the corkage was unstoppable. Further pointing out my group of 20 plus people due to eat here soon would be unprepared to pay this. like an unstoppable  ship he was non relenting in his quest to extract corkage.

 

OK we ate, enjoyed, be it without our wine. The discussions were amicable, he even accepted his wines were so so....how ever the corkage remains in force through thick and thin.

 

Following evening we dined at the Italian riverside, food apart from the salad was very nice. Corkage was P500 totally unacceptable.

 

Seems to be a normal practice in Philippines how ever many restaurants in Cebu are so happy to have your patronage they waiver corkage after a friendly request. Not so in Bacolod unless I am frequenting the wrong places.

 

[Jack Peterson]

  Seems to be a normal practice in Philippines how ever many restaurants in Cebu are so happy to have your patronage they waiver corkage after a friendly request. Not so in Bacolod unless I am frequenting the wrong places.

 

Have a look at this, astounding to say the least.

 

 http://www.expatch.org/2013/10/31/18-restaurants-surveyed-for-corkage-charges/

[brock]

I think if they charged maybe 50p for the use of a glass would be a fair price to pay,

[Tukaram (Tim)]

In the US we have a lot of places with no liquor license so BYOB is normal there, and no corkage fee.  But if they sell it... be prepared to pay corkage.  P300 seems pretty reasonable.

[Gerald Glatt]

In the US we have a lot of places with no liquor license so BYOB is normal there, and no corkage fee.  But if they sell it... be prepared to pay corkage.  P300 seems pretty reasonable.

:tiphat:      :dance:     :1 (103):

 

 

We had a few of those primarily in dry areas, they usually charged a setup of $.50-$1.00 per glass providing ice mixes serving and storage if you wished to leave your bottle.

 

In the restaurants that I have operated corkage was not permitted. our wine bottles were marked up a minimum of 100% much more on a per glass basis.  You are asking the restaurateur to forego one of his prime profit centers and still incur the expense of  serving you and the liability.  

 

If a person can't afford  the diner and beverages perhaps they should try a lower priced establishment, like McDonald's :cheersty: 

[Gerald Glatt]

​Sorry RPM sometimes the blatant capitalist that I am shows. 

[RBM]

In the US we have a lot of places with no liquor license so BYOB is normal there, and no corkage fee.  But if they sell it... be prepared to pay corkage.  P300 seems pretty reasonable.

:tiphat:      :dance:     :1 (103):

 

 

We had a few of those primarily in dry areas, they usually charged a setup of $.50-$1.00 per glass providing ice mixes serving and storage if you wished to leave your bottle.

 

In the restaurants that I have operated corkage was not permitted. our wine bottles were marked up a minimum of 100% much more on a per glass basis.  You are asking the restaurateur to forego one of his prime profit centers and still incur the expense of  serving you and the liability.  

 

If a person can't afford  the diner and beverages perhaps they should try a lower priced establishment, like McDonald's :cheersty: 

From not inconsiderable experience here it makes no difference if one is patronizing a modest restaurant or a more expensive one. It's rare they pour your wine or chill it. Most wines we buy are screw cap so we open ourselves.

If they are selling wines I understand a smaller corkage should apply how ever this is applies across the board. To refuse the business of a large group of hungry guests over this issue to me does not make sense in any way.

Our favorite Mexican restaurant in Cebu knows we spend well, they charge us P100 even they sell wines, I find this fair and easy to live with.

My question really is how do others LIVING HERE. Feel about about the issue.

[MikeB]

Before I went back to school I was a restaurant manager in some nice places in the Wash DC area in the late 70s/early 80s.

 

There are 2 complaints: the price of the corkage fee and the restaurant's unwillingness to lower or waive the fee because you are a regular customer and will be bringing in a large party soon. I'm 100% with you on the first count, a corkage fee of p300 and p500 is MUCH too high for the Philippines, the latter outrageously so, imo. But I wouldn't expect the restaurant to change it's policy because I was a regular customer. Tell the manager or owner that you're not returning because you consider the price unreasonable. Maybe they just want to discourage byob in general. They may have valid reasons.

 

I very rarely eat out, one because there's really no restaurants in town but also because I can't deal with the incredibly bad service and hygiene. I watched a waitress in one of the better restaurants at SM Mall move every single piece of silverware by handling the part that goes in your mouth with her fingers. Right in front of me. That is a good indication there was absolutely no training whatsoever. Thankfully, my wife is an excellent cook. I've cut back but I drink wine every night with meals, mainly chilled Merlot. NEVER a screw top. 

[RBM]

Before I went back to school I was a restaurant manager in some nice places in the Wash DC area in the late 70s/early 80s.

 

There are 2 complaints: the price of the corkage fee and the restaurant's unwillingness to lower or waive the fee because you are a regular customer and will be bringing in a large party soon. I'm 100% with you on the first count, a corkage fee of p300 and p500 is MUCH too high for the Philippines, the latter outrageously so, imo. But I wouldn't expect the restaurant to change it's policy because I was a regular customer. Tell the manager or owner that you're not returning because you consider the price unreasonable. Maybe they just want to discourage byob in general. They may have valid reasons.

 

I very rarely eat out, one because there's really no restaurants in town but also because I can't deal with the incredibly bad service and hygiene. I watched a waitress in one of the better restaurants at SM Mall move every single piece of silverware by handling the part that goes in your mouth with her fingers. Right in front of me. That is a good indication there was absolutely no training whatsoever. Thankfully, my wife is an excellent cook. I've cut back but I drink wine every night with meals, mainly chilled Merlot. NEVER a screw top.

Thanks your comments Mike. Actually I am not looking for people for or against me, just appreciate constructive comments such as what you have expressed.

Totally agree about the hygiene comments, one thing I am tired of is scolding waitresses on serving cutlery by holding on to the end one puts in their mouth....My second grump is having a spoon and fork, no knife unless requested......How on earth to eat many meals with just a spoon...

Anyway let's hope more comments on corkage, if I owned a resto here, regular good spending guests would definately not pay corkage.

Most good wines from Australia, N Z and also now South African have all screw caps no longer corks. Much to the disgust of the connoisseur although they are slowly coming around.

[Jollygoodfellow]

My second grump is having a spoon and fork, no knife unless requested......How on earth to eat many meals with just a spoon...

 

Hey some countries eat with sticks and the Philippines generally don't use knives when eating and works well for them. Use your hands as there were no knives and forks at the beginning of time and worked just fine.  :)