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Cakeage?
Man baffled after restaurant charges £10 per head ‘cakeage’ fee
https://uk.yahoo.com/style/man-baffled-restaurant-charges-10-091354638.html
https://uk.yahoo.com/style/man-baffled-restaurant-charges-10-091354638.html
Comments
Here's the thing. It's not the cake. It is the demand to use someone else's services without paying for them.
The restaurant could have paying customers eating their food. Either via another cover, or for paying for the desserts that the restaurant offers. As opposed to the ones they expect to bring in for free.
The Restaurant is a business. It offers services at a price. You pay that price. Or you don't. It is going to be an expensive restaurant. With expensive prices. And expensive overheads. It has made a decision that it cannot afford for groups to bring their own food to their restaurant.
What you don't do is whine like a little baby. And complain that you are "baffled" that a Restaurant expects you to pay to eat there.
He is publicly shaming a Restaurant for not giving him free stuff.
A business makes business decisions. Would I pay £10 a head cakeage? No.
But then I don't dine in Crouch End. If I did, I would pay the money or have the cake at home after the meal. Not moan.
This was clearly not the case.
They had booked a meal at the restaurant, and presumably consumed drinks as well.
Bookings for birthdays are usually larger than normal bookings, and this particular one was at lunchtime.
If I had made this booking for say 12 people, I would have been pi55ed off by the addition of £120 to an already fairly large bill, merely for spending an extra 10, or 15 minutes at the restaurant in order to eat a slice of cake.
A time when pretty much every decent restaurant can fill seats many times over.
You ask to to bring a cake on a Monday lunchtime, and a Restaurant is going to be more flexible. That is the economic truth of it.
On the assumption that the restaurant was in an area like Crouch End (which I think is where he lives), the cost of space is massive. As an example, the cheapest 3-bed property in Crouch End is £800k, and most in the 1.5 mill + bracket. Space is expensive. Not free. Same will apply to restaurants.
Some people take longer than others over their meal.
Some people eat 3 courses, others just one.
Some have more drinks than others.
The issue can only be the time it takes to eat the cake, and the labour involved in placing some plates, and some cutlery in the dishwasher.
Should restaurants charge timeage for those that are enjoying themselves, and stay a little longer, or drinkage for those that drink a lot and spend far more money anyway?
As far as the location is concerned, where the cost of space is massive, this is usually reflected in the cost of their meals.
This family had already met those costs.
I had never heard of cakeage before, but would avoid restaurants that imposed this charge.
We are going to have to agree to disagree on this
No "cakeage" surprises then.
To be honest I would be shocked if the cake cost more than a tenner anyway.
The simple fact is that the Baddiels had not chosen to have 1 restaurant course. Or 3.
But that they had believed they were entitled to pay for 1 course, and then have another for free.
Restaurants have a massive mark-up on desserts. And need to make their money at the busiest times of the week. It is reflected in the cost of their meals-not freebies.
Most restaurants run at a loss.
It is not clear from the article whether they took the cake or not.
He did choose to pay the charge.
I would have cancelled the entire booking or not taken the cake.
He said it is not the food. It is the customers.
In France, he said if you have a great meal, you tell others. And if you have a bad meal, you take it up with the Management and/or Chef.
Whereas we do the opposite in Britain.
So what next? Order a takeaway at Burger King or KFC, & take it to a local restaurant to eat, occupying one of their tables for an hour without giving the restaurant any income?
No such thing as a free lunch, especially in a Restaurant.
When I go for a meal with the whole family, some have starters, some dont, and some have deserts, and some dont.
There is no evidence in the article that they planned to spend as little as possible, just to get to eat the cake.
How do you know they just planned to order one course?
Restaurants have a massive mark up on everything.
I dont believe for a minute that most restaurants run at a loss, I believe that is utter nonsense, but if it was the case, you would think that they would be glad of the booking, any booking.
Just think about what you have said on this thread.
They could fill all the seats many times over, they have massive mark ups, but most run at a loss.
They surely cant all be true.
They expect to sit down and spend part of that time eating someone else's food.
Which part of "Sunday lunchtime busy, Monday lunchtime quiet" is a mystery to you?
Restaurants have a massive mark up. Because of their costs. Which apply when they are full, and empty. And they charge accordingly.
I recall you once part-owned a wine bar, or similar. If people bought a pint from you, would you be fine on them then opening their own bottle of whisky? At a time when you were turning paying customers away?
Have you any idea how many restaurants go bust every year?
I am not sure if you think that his request was unreasonable and that people shouldnt be allowed to take their own birthday cakes to a celebration at a restaurant.
Assuming you dont, and think that doing this is ok, then the argument comes down to the charge the restaurant makes, and whether it is reasonable.
I think £10 per head is taking the pi55.
I know some Indian restaurants actively encourage to bring your own drinks because they don't have a licence to sell booze but that's a different matter
In this case the guy phoned and asked about it, before making the booking.
The restaurant said £10 per head.
He thought that was ridiculous.
It is not clear from that point if he went ahead with the booking, or took the cake.
I agree with him.
Now if you compare that to corkage.
Plenty of restaurants dont have a liquor licence.
The usually charge corkage.
Many charge £10.
Now if you compare this to cakeage it comes out very well.
If the restaurant does not have a liquor licence, you have a choice, dont drink or pay corkage.
Lets say you buy a bottle of wine for a fiver.
Plus a tenner for the corkage.
So it cost you £15 to have a drink, instead of not drinking.
The way that restaurants mark stuff up, you might well pay £15 for the same bottle of wine in a different restaurant that does have a licence.
£30 for two.
Very good value for money in comparison to £120 for 12 of you to share a cake that you have already bought.