Put a cork in it! Is R100 too much for a corkage fee?

If you’ve ever taken your own bottle of wine to a restaurant, you’ve probably come across a corkage fee.

That's the amount a restaurant charges when you bring your own wine instead of ordering from their menu.

A recent post in the Cape Town Eats Facebook group has sparked debate about what counts as a fair corkage fee.

One diner says they were charged just over R100 per bottle at a mid-range restaurant and wondered if that was normal.

Lee-Anne Singer is the Cape Chairperson at the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA).

She says many restaurants rely on wine sales to help keep the business running, so when people bring their own bottles, there's a significant hit to revenue.

"Restaurants do not necessarily have high margins on food; it is in the beverages where we make our money."

She says bringing your own bottle to an eatery is ultimately taking an opportunity away from a business to earn revenue.

Moreover, it could also hit the server or waiter in the pocket, too, in the event their salaries are commission-based.

"Often your tip is based on your spend on the bill, so there is quite a knock-on effect."

Singer explained that there’s no set rule for corkage, adding that it also covers things like glassware and service.

"You are asking us to take the time to open the bottle, so we need the equipment to pull out the cork, you want to have a great professional experience, you want to be served."

It's the whole experience that costs, says Singer.

She explains that, legally, a restaurant is allowed to charge a 'fair' corkage. She admits the term is very vague.

But the general practice, she says, is that corkage is based on the most affordable bottle of wine on the menu.

"That's usually a good standard of where your corkage is set."

To listen to Singer in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, listen below: