Don't drink the stuff but was reading a menu with the wine sections and found it interesting. Bottles were in the $30 range, and during happy hour, 3-6:30 it was $10 off. So even at $20, they are making a good profit. Why do people still pay $30 during regular hours for a bottle that costs maybe $8 at the liquor store? That's probably more than the food itself. It also said, there will be a $15 corking fee per bottle for all BYO wines? What does that mean?
Markup on wine in restaurants
- Thread starter atikovi
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If you bring your own wine, they charge you $15 to serve it to you. I don't drink either but I'm pretty sure that's how it works; Imagine that.
Cant you serve yourself? Why pay someone else to do that?
Same reason why a shop would charge you to install parts you supply. You are taking away a source of income for them.
Would they rather you not come at all? And I don't mean pass the bottle around the table and everybody take a swig. Bring your own cups and everybody can pour their own.
The plastic red cups? LOL
Because they want to have a drink with their meal while dining at a restaurant, and in most cases BYO is not an option.
Liquor sales at bars and restaurants is a very profitable business.
For someone that gets tap water unless the combo comes with a soda, I've always been baffled by how people will pay $6 or $8 for a drink or glass of wine when the food itself is just $8 or $10. Not a criticism, just an observation. Same as why people fill their cups with ice when getting a soft drink at the fountain in a fast food place. The drinks are already cold, and you would get twice as much without the ice.
I can't figure out why people pay the same for Starbucks to go. You pay the price for the ambiance and to enjoy the company you're dining with.
You "dine" in Starbucks?
Because this would be like bringing McDonalds into a Michelin star restaurant and then order only bread and butter and water.
Food is only 1/3 to 1/4 of the cost, the rest being rent, insurance, labor, utility, etc. Most restaurants would lose money if they don't sell alcohol or overpriced drinks. That's how it works at least in the US.
I've heard patrons got walked out by restaurant owners in France because they only order main course without appetizers, desserts, or drinks.
They would, because you are taking up the space they could let a better customer sit on.
The same reason why people think you should cook instead of going to a restaurant at all, or go to a fast casual or fast food or a deli section of the grocery store instead of full service restaurant .
You are mainly buying the service, not the ingredients alone. If you want to save money you can go to any other establishment with that business model. They understand people may not want to pay for that so they don't force you to drink alcohol, but they do charge a lot on soda or juice as well. That's how they can afford to lower the price of the main course. There are other places that don't do that by cutting the service so they pass the savings to you, like fast casual restaurants or take out only places. It make sense to go there instead of trying to cheat.
Also people bring others to restaurants, as rewards or good wills. Not everyone is trying to save money, many want to enjoy things and won't mind paying.
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JHZR2
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I’m really glad I live in a BYO town. I rarely pay for alcohol with meals, and we est out a decent bit. Just way too much markup - I don’t need it certainly, and don’t enjoy it that much to really have a desire.
Ever done the math on how much they markup pasta?
Close.
Dining out at restaurants is the biggest scam ever, but people do it to look classy or sophisticated so it's an allowed hypocrisy.
Everything at a restaurant is overpriced compared to serving yourself at home, not just the alcohol.
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