Making BYOB an A-OK Option
Letting guests bring their own wine extends courtesy but requires rules
By Margaret Sheridan, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 4/15/2004
When liquor-license approval is delayed or local regulations make full beverage service impossible, a bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) policy, where allowed, can create a sense of freedom and value for customers. But the advantage comes at a price: the loss of hefty margins that typically pour from alcoholic-beverage service. To satisfy diners, retain servers and keep revenues up, operators need to create a BYOB policy that's flexible, realistic and customer-friendly.
The policy at Baris 3 in Waco, Texas, stirs up good vibes among guests and the community. A personable host and $9 check average draw families and students to the 7-year-old restaurant. "We get customers who buy a bottle of wine down the street for $4 and come here to enjoy it with out food," says owner Mary Baris. "We're happy to chill glasses too."
|
Having a liquor license is a double-edged sword, she says. It contributes handsomely to overall sales, profits and staff earnings, but it adds responsibility, liability insurance and other extra costs. Baris believes that BYOB creates goodwill among customers and exempts her from dealing with any rowdy customer behavior that a full bar might bring.
"We're not Dallas, where operators need to sell liquor to make profit. Most of our customers don't drink alcohol. A table of 10 college students typically bring one bottle to share," she says. The BYOB policy also has made Baris friends among local beverage retailers, who appreciate her referrals.
In California's wine-growing regions, BYOB policies must be flexible. Visitors to Napa Valley and Sonoma County come to taste wines and buy bottles. Bringing treasured vintages to a restaurant is common, according to Klaus Scheftner, food and beverage manager at Flamingo Resort Hotel & Conference Center in Santa Rosa. Before he established a $10 corkage fee for 750-milliliter bottles at the 85-seat Terrace Grille, he compared policies at area hotels and found that fees ranged from $10 up.
Scheftner treats each BYOB request individually. If a guest is employed by a winery or if the diner hosts a large party, the fee is eliminated. If the hotel caters a benefit or community function, the fee is waived or reduced by half.
"When you're in the people business, you extend courtesy," he says. However, the veteran restaurateur realizes that a significant portion of an operation's revenues and staff earnings derives from beverage sales. "You must be upfront with a policy. Charging $5 is better than nothing when you consider some sales will be lost with BYOB," he says.
|
Scheftner advises operators to specify a fee for a specific size bottle, such as 750 milliliters. "Otherwise, people will bring in larger bottles, such as a magnum," he says.
Michigan laws prohibit bringing alcoholic beverages into restaurants, but Madeline Triffon, wine director and sommelier for multiconcept operator Unique Restaurant Corp. in Bingham Farms, travels often for work and enjoys dining in states where BYOB is allowed. "It's fun to share, rare or offbeat wine," she says.
Triffon frowns on corkage fees, however. "When a customer brings wine with permission, why impose a fee?" she asks. "It doesn't seem hospitable." Since wine is a source of revenue for the house and staff, she insists that managers make it clear to guests to tip servers. "What's important is that a table of four comes to the restaurant. It's not like you are losing a sale."
Risks and Rewards
The River Café in New York City is known for its 600-bottle
wine collection, characterized as adventurous by Sommelier and
Wine Director Joseph Delissio. Having a BYOB protocol in place
and a flexible policy are part of being professional, he says.
For special occasions, corkage fees are waived, but diners are reminded by a manager to acknowledge servers with a gratuity. "Most customers are happy to tip for service and glassware," he says. "If the party is smart, they tip well and share some wine with the staff."
When P.J. Clarke's opened a second Chicago unit in February 2003, its liquor license had yet to be granted. Still, owners decided against allowing BYOB. "We had to turn away customers who wanted alcoholic beverages," says Manager Jonathan Remiasz. "Some customers, especially guests in the hotel upstairs, got a little cranky. But the owners were not willing to jeopardize their license by allowing someone underage to bring in a bottle."
In Utah, restaurant and club customers may bring unopened bottles of wine, a policy that pleases Tom Guinney, partner in Salt Lake City multiconcept operator Gastronomy Inc. "Wine is a part of the culture. Any operator who doesn't allow folks to bring it in is shooting himself in the foot," he says. Gastronomy's nine restaurants are fully licensed, yet the company's BYOB policy waives corkage fees.
"It appeals to customers, especially wine collectors," says Guinney. "Sure, the operator wants to sell from the wine list for profitability, but sometimes that policy comes off as antagonistic. We're here to promote hospitality. In 25 years of business, no customer has ever taken advantage of BYOB," he adds. "In fact, they usually also buy one or two bottles from the list."
View All Blogs
