Bring your own wine to Victoria restaurants

[Mike K.]

The provincial government has given the go-ahead for restaurant patrons to bring their own bottle of wine to participating restaurants.

This is excellent news for consumers! I just hope restaurants don't charge unreasonable corkage fees.

Below is the full press release:

LANGLEY - Minister Rich Coleman announced today that British Columbians can now bring their own bottle of wine into participating restaurants and enjoy it with their meals.

"We want to provide our restaurant industry with greater flexibility in terms of the services it can offer to its customers," said Rich Coleman, Minister responsible for liquor. "Today's change does just that - it allows customers to pair their favourite wine with their favourite restaurant."

Patrons will be required to have the wine served in the same manner as wine selected from the menu and restaurants may charge a corkage fee for this service.

"The government continues to introduce common-sense solutions such as the Bring Your Own Wine program. This gives industry the needed flexibility to get people out and dine more," said Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the British Columbia Restaurant and Food Service Association. "More business will result in positive economic impacts such as increased employment and downstream benefits to suppliers of the industry. This is a very innovative, flexible and common-sense policy."

This change is supported by the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association and the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association. Participation in this service by licensed restaurants is voluntary.

"Restaurateurs, especially those with limited wine inventories, welcome the option of allowing their guests to bring their own wine," said Mark von Schellwitz, vice president of Western Canada for the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association. "This liquor policy change allows those restaurant guests who want to celebrate a special event by bringing a vintage bottle of wine from their own cellar to their favourite restaurant to do so."

Licensees are still liable if patrons are over-served or liquor service is provided to minors. As in other provinces, there are no plans to broaden this beyond wine to include beer and spirits.

"By allowing people to bring their own bottle of wine into their favourite dining establishment, we've provided restaurant owners with a great opportunity to create a new type of dining experience that will further promote our wonderful restaurants here in British Columbia," continued Coleman.

These changes build on the B.C. government's commitment to modernize B.C.'s liquor laws.

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2012/0...staurants.html

[Matt R.]

What's reasonable?

Matt.

[Mike K.]

I'd be cool with $7 per bottle, or about the cost of an average glass of wine at a restaurant.

Now why do you suppose waiters and waitresses have to serve the wine and can't leave patrons with an open bottle at their table?

[drt]

"This liquor policy change allows those restaurant guests who want to celebrate a special event by bringing a vintage bottle of wine from their own cellar to their favourite restaurant to do so."

I think in my case this will be more like a $15 Cab from the nearest liquor store.

I'm guessing the server has to pour in order to ensure minors aren't being given any.

[Mike K.]

Just plan ahead. Buy a couple of bottles when you're out and about in anticipation of taking one in the near future to a restaurant

Btw, is this service limited to one bottle of wine per table/group?

I'm guessing the server has to pour in order to ensure minors aren't being given any.

Right, makes sense!

[Holden West]

So I can walk into Sooke Harbour House with a box of Mission Hill or a bottle of Royal Red?

[Sparky]

I hope McDonalds joins the participating restaurants.

[G-Man]

A small step to towards common sense. We have a long way to go. The law requires that the liquor be served by someone that has been through the Serving it Right program. Also I am sure it could be two or three bottles but Corkage is by the bottle and in many places in the states is anywhere from 15 to 25 bucks a bottle.

This law is supposed to allow a wine freak to choose a bottle that they love not save people money.

[Matt R.]

Restaurants can choose to allow BYOW or not, so no you cannot just walk in the door with whatever you choose. We'll see individual restaurants establish policies in the coming days, but I think $7 will be far too low, and you can expect to see more in the range of $20-50 per bottle, to discourage people from bringing in their $15 bottle from the liquor store.

Also, you will likely not be permitted to bring a bottle that the restaurant currently offers, YMMV.

One high-end resto in Vancouver has come out today saying that corkage will be $25 across the board, and no you may not bring a bottle they already offer.

Matt.

[Mike K.]

Yikes, $25 a bottle and you can't bring what the restaurant may or may not already have?

All of a sudden this news is really much ado about nothing unless you plan on bringing your own $100 bottle for an extra special celebratory dinner.

[Bob Fugger]

Originally Posted by Mike K.

This is excellent news for consumers! I just hope restaurants don't charge unreasonable corkage fees.

As a consumer, I have been waiting for this since I first saw in Quebec back in the 1990's. As the part-owner of a pubstyle restaurant, I say **** you, BC Government - where did this come from? They've done no consultation and I cannot believe the quislings in the BCFRA deign to speak for the bulk of us. Wine is one of our highest margin items, which they have now threatened.


Hasn't government stuck it to our industry enough? Allow me to recap:

• HST on restaurant meals, while prepared takeaway meals at your local Thrifty's are exempt.
• Removal of the 3% licensee discount that corresponded with the introduction of the HST.
• 0.05BAC drinking and driving law
• Three close-in-succession hikes to the minimum wage, including employees (servers) who already de facto make $30-50 per hour some nights.
• Property tax rate 3.5x that of residential property tax, with no ability to vote (municipally).

I don't expect to get a lot of sympathy, here, to be honest - like I said: as a consumer, I think that it's a good idea. But if you peek behind the curtain, this is nothing but a populist decision meant to garner votes. It's pandering and I sure hope that citizens don't fall for it, come election time.


As for corkage, a minimum of $20-30 sounds about right - and nothing that's on our wine list, although that last bit presents two problems:

1. What happens when a customer doesn't know what you have and they walk in with a bottle that you sport? Guaranteed you lose a customer and they tell 12 of their friends.
2. Restaurants with gargantuan wine lists (many of which you will happen to find 86ed from the menu "that night.").

At the end of the day, short of additional meddling by the government in this sector, the market will dictate what is reasonable.

[Mike K.]

Points well taken, Bob.

I think the $20+ corkage fees will more or less deflate this [what is now nothing more than a] charade. Nobody in their right mind would happily bring along a bottle of an average BC wine that costs $15 at the liquor store and pay a $20 surcharge at a restaurant. And you're probably right, Bob, that a patron who is told at the door that their wine of choice is a wine already offered at the restaurant and ineligible for this service will froth at the mouth and walk away.

[Bob Fugger]

Originally Posted by Mike K.

Points well taken, Bob.

I think the $20+ corkage fees will more or less deflate this [what is now nothing more than a] charade. Nobody in their right mind would happily bring along a bottle of an average BC wine that costs $15 at the liquor store and pay a $20 surcharge at a restaurant. And you're probably right, Bob, that a patron who is told at the door that their wine of choice is a wine already offered at the restaurant and ineligible for this service will froth at the mouth and walk away.

To be honest, when our Managing Partner called me all up in arms about this, I told him to look at the bright side: the corkage fee combined with the wine purchase will likely be so high, that no one will do it. And if they do, the corkage fee I think will more than cover margin. Corkage is pure profit: I don't have to purchase, inventory or pour wine (at least from behind the bar).

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?

[mysage]

I see that the establishment is still libel for actions of the patron who over indulges.

Isn't that great - bring your own bottle (or two/three) over serve yourself and blame it on the restaurant.

Why does anyone want to be in that business? The government is always finding ways to make your business life more difficult!

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by Bob Fugger

Hasn't government stuck it to our industry enough?

No they haven't. There is a request for proposal at present that intends to sell off the government distribution of liquor to the private sector, that some say will increase costs down the road.

[G-Man]

I can't see how anyone the industry can balk at this. A restaurant has no obligation to opt-in. The corkage is pure profit and the customer cannot open the bottle themselves so the establishment can still protect its ability to ensure no overservice. The only places that this will apply to are higher end restaurants. Also I thought that patrons could already take home opened but not consumed wine...

[VicHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by G-Man

I can't see how anyone the industry can balk at this. A restaurant has no obligation to opt-in. The corkage is pure profit and the customer cannot open the bottle themselves so the establishment can still protect its ability to ensure no overservice. The only places that this will apply to are higher end restaurants. Also I thought that patrons could already take home opened but not consumed wine...

Honestly, I think this will be such a small measure, it's not going to change much.

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

[sebberry]

If you buy a bottle of wine but don't finish it, are you currently allowed to take the leftovers home?

[Matt R.]

Yes, you can.

Cabin 12 has announced a $7.50 corkage fee. Didn't know they even had wine.

And yes, this is designed just for the people who have a special bottle at home that they would like to enjoy with a meal on a special occasion, it's not for the average weekend warrior to come into your shop with a $12 bottle of Mission Ridge or Naked Grape and go nuts. I think in the latter case, the $20 corkage covers the margin.

Matt.

[Bob Fugger]

Originally Posted by G-Man

I can't see how anyone the industry can balk at this. A restaurant has no obligation to opt-in. The corkage is pure profit and the customer cannot open the bottle themselves so the establishment can still protect its ability to ensure no overservice. The only places that this will apply to are higher end restaurants. Also I thought that patrons could already take home opened but not consumed wine...

I don't see how you can't see it - it's economics. The market will set the corkage and the price will eventually find equillibrium. If people prefer restaurants with corkage, then non-corkage restaurants will have little choice but to opt in. Cabin 12 hasn't done anyone any favours by setting corkage at such a low level. I doubt that they even have wine, so it's no skin off their teeth.

EDIT: Cabin 12's corkage fee is $8.50, according to BC.

[mik]

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

[Matt R.]

That says a lot.

Matt.

[skeptic]

Originally Posted by Bob Fugger

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]

Originally Posted by skeptic

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.