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[Grifter]

Add this to the list of divisive issues in the restaurant industry. As tipping slowly fades, I can see more fees like this creeping in to cover table time.

Had dinner in a large group recently and I was surprised to find that the organizer had brought her own cake, but it sure was convenient to have the restaurant plate and serve it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/dining/cakeage-restaurants.html

So restaurants often charge customers to cut and plate the cake. Sometimes they add a scoop of ice cream. The practice has come to be called cakeage. It’s a play on corkage, the fee a restaurant levies to open a bottle of wine brought by the customer.

Neal McCarthy, who owns the Atlanta restaurant Miller Union with the chef Steven Satterfield, takes things a step further. His private Instagram account is filled with photographs of cakes customers have carried into Miller Union. He pokes fun at grocery store monstrosities and cakes fashioned from chocolate chip cookie dough, cracking wise about garish icing and other questionable decorative choices.

“It’s like my comic relief and my only way of getting back at people, even though I do it secretly,” Mr. McCarthy said. “These people sought out a nice restaurant, yet they undermine it by bringing in the world’s most hideous cakes.”

The issue of cakeage heated up in London last year, when a newspaper reported that one of the city’s top restaurants charged the equivalent of about $14 a person in fees. “Has the world gone mad?” one Scottish pastry cook posted on Twitter.

Still, it has happened at nearly every restaurant he has worked in, including WD-50, where a customer once arrived with a cake from Cold Stone Creamery covered with sprinkles. Sam Mason, the pastry chef, refused to touch it.

“He didn’t want anyone in the dining room to see it and think it came out of his kitchen,” Mr. Corbett said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/dining/cakeage-restaurants.html

 

[GoldenEye 007]

For one cookie cake is pretty damn good.

Two, if an owner is worried a standard white cake or cookie cake or whatever is confused for something coming from their kitchen, maybe that means the default dessert choices are nothing special anyway.

 

[Donos]

This is a thing? People really bring their stuff into a restaurant?

 

[Cagey]

I sent to a friend who works as one of the pastry chefs in one of the most acclaimed restaurants in NYC, and his response was essentially what Sam Mason did and Corbett said at the end there: depending on how high-end the establishment is, you can't have people thinking something that low-quality is what your restaurant serves as dessert.

“He didn’t want anyone in the dining room to see it and think it came out of his kitchen,” Mr. Corbett said.

 

[Concrete Charlie]

Never heard of this before but if I owned/managed a restaurant I don't think I'd let customers bring in outside food.

 

[ClosingADoor]

It is pretty disrespectful to bring your own food to a restaurant. If you want to eat your own cake, eat it at home.

 

[Ovek]

Why do people bring there own cakes in to a restaurant?

 

[gdt]

Cold stone creamery ain't nothin to fuck with.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Huh. Interesting article, was actually thinking about posting a link myself

The whole idea of bringing in a cake to a restaurant seems so alien to me. If we did birthday cakes we'd either be at home because we made a home-cooked meal, or would come back from a restaurant and eat it there. Certainly the prices they're charging would discourage me from bringing one in. Then again, I also wouldn't bring in a cake from Coldstone. If it's not homemade for a birthday, something's wrong. </snob>

For the restaurants, I say their view seems reasonable. You're taking up time and space and not paying them for it.

The goofiest bit of this is of course the fact that it's the NYT, and so the restaurants they talk to are probably Tabris-level gourmet I would never be at in the first place.

 

[Kerned]

What does NeoCAF say about this?

 

[Trojita]

Sprinkles are awesome!

 

[redmetal86]

Cake aside, I don't think I want to go to Miller Union in the future. Who knows where the photographs end.

 

[Afrodium]

Why do people bring there own cakes in to a restaurant?

Usually this happens when a group is meeting up for a birthday or another celebration. $7+ bucks a head for dessert gets pricey, so people just bring a store bought cake to eat after the meal.

 

[John Kowalski]

Iceream and cake...?

 

[GoldenEye 007]

It is pretty disrespectful to bring your own food to a restaurant. If you want to eat your own cake, eat it at home.

Generally this is arranged beforehand. Generally this also also not done at high end places, but more casual places. Also done generally if there's a large group. Maybe the birthday person has a favorite cake? Maybe it's easier for the party to do dessert at the one place since everyone is already there? Maybe they budgeted the bill to be $500 already and feel like they can save a bit by opting for store bought?

If I'm a restaurant owner, I would accommodate it if it was explained during the reservation. I'd rather accommodate the guests over what is a minor thing if it means I'm going to be getting 10 plates worth of revenue versus huffing and puffing and losing out on the party all together.

High end places are different of course, but are people really doing that en masse at truly high end places?

 

[Tobor]

Totally depends on the venue.

If you're at a family restaurant or chain I wouldn't care. We've done it at Red Robin and Outback and nobody gives a fuck.

At a nice restaurant? I'd be as embarrassed as the chef.

 

[Downhome]

How have none of you ever heard of this? Is it just a southern thing? Every time I ever go out to a restaurant for a birthday people ALWAYS bring their own cake, and I have never, not once, seen the owner get pissed because of it. They always welcome everyone with a huge smile, and happily bring out plates and more silverware. It is a big thing here (SC). They love big parties in their realstaurant. When they see a cake, they know it's usually a large party and do all they can to help.

 

[Oppo]

they made corkage a thing in Toronto a few years ago but many restaurants reacted badly, now demand something like a $25 "uncorking fee" (yes) if you bring your own bottle.

it's glorious in Montreal, a wonderful custom, you can bring wine practically anywhere you eat out, and they uncork it for you and smile.

and yeah Downhome above me here has a pretty good point about birthday cakes.

 

[Donos]

Usually this happens when a group is meeting up for a birthday or another celebration. $7+ bucks a head for dessert gets pricey, so people just bring a store bought cake to eat after the meal.

Well, 3 $ a glass of wine gets pricy so i bring my own bottles of wine with me.
Really strange practise. I understand it with a special self made cake, where the restaurant says "ok, as an exception" but bought cake?

I get it that for special occasions, some restaurants say that it's fine. But i agree with them for taking a fee when you have something like this every day/week.

 

[Moral Panic]

This is a thing? People really bring their stuff into a restaurant?

If you have a cake with someone's face on it or a picture or some other type of significance then yea, when booking for a group you ask if you can bring a cake. And if they say no, you take your business elsewhere.

 

[Futureman]

How have none of you ever heard of this? Is it just a southern thing? Every time I ever go out to a restaurant for a birthday people ALWAYS bring their own cake, and I have never, not once, seen the owner get pissed because of it. They always welcome everyone with a huge smile, and happily bring out plates and more silverware. It is a big thing here (SC). They love big parties in their realstaurant. When they see a cake, they know it's usually a large party and do all they can to help.

The article is more about a nice or higher end restaurant not Bojangles.

 

[redmetal86]

Well, 3 $ a glass of wine gets pricy so i bring my own bottles of wine with me.
Really strange practise. I understand it with a special self made cake, where the restaurant says "ok, as an exception" but bought cake?

Let's bring my own mix CD into the club and ask the DJ if he can spin it for a while.

Nah, you've gotta bring your vinyls.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Generally this is arranged beforehand. Generally this also also not done at high end places, but more casual places. Also done generally if there's a large group. Maybe the birthday person has a favorite cake? Maybe it's easier for the party to do dessert at the one place since everyone is already there?

If I'm a restaurant owner, I would accommodate it if it was explained during the reservation. I'd rather accommodate the guests over what is a minor thing if it means I'm going to be getting 10 plates worth of revenue versus huffing and puffing and losing out on the party all together.

High end places are different of course, but are people really doing that en masse at truly high end places?

Still seems strange to me. If they called ahead and the restaurant is OK with it, fine. They should add charges since you are using their space and plates and such.

I wouldn't ever do this though. If I had special wishes for cake, I'd just ask if they could prepare it.

 

[andycapps]

It's one thing to bring cake into an Applebees where you're eating good in the neighborhood.. It's another to try to bring some cake from Kroger into a 4 or 5 star restaurant. It's tacky and even if they say they're okay with it, it's not a good look for them or you.

 

[akira28]

hey chef, your charcuterie is ok, but your cakes aren't shit plus you sell it for 10 dollars a slice so get over it. Fuck you.

 

[wenis]

High end restaurants should absolutely charge and hell, shame, people who bring in sub optimal cakes into their establishment. If you're going to be eating at a nice restaurant at least order desert of their menu or have something pre-arranged with the restaurant before hand. I'd feel bad for a restaurant that has to serve some of those monstrosities found on that Instagram.

 

[Fuchsdh]

It's one thing to bring cake into an Applebees where you're eating good in the neighborhood.. It's another to try to bring some cake from Kroger into a 4 or 5 star restaurant. It's tacky and even if they say they're okay with it, it's not a good look for them or you.

While I wouldn't do anything described in the article, I do feel the need to defend Kroger. They made our wedding cake and the thing looked great, tasted great, and saved us hundreds. We were sort of desperate at that point because all the recommended bakers had flaked out on us, but looking back I'm so happy we did it.

 

[akira28]

High end restaurants should absolutely charge and hell, shame, people who bring in sub optimal cakes into their establishment. If you're going to be eating at a nice restaurant at least order desert of their menu or have something pre-arranged with the restaurant before hand. I'd feel bad for a restaurant that has to serve some of those monstrosities found on that Instagram.

fuck your restaurant. I'm paying 300 bucks I should be able to bring in a giant cookiepuss if I wanted to.

it'd be one thing if their desserts weren't shit, but 100% of the time they are.

 

[Zoe]

We brought a cake to a Brazilian BBQ place, and they even offered to put it in the fridge. When they took it back out, they had plated it, added extra strawberries around the edges, and cut it for us.

 

[Donos]

We brought a cake to a Brazilian BBQ place, and they even offered to put it in the fridge. When they took it back out, they had plated it, added extra strawberries around the edges, and cut it for us.

Did you check for extra "cream"?

 

[redmetal86]

While I wouldn't do anything described in the article, I do feel the need to defend Kroger. They made our wedding cake and the thing looked great, tasted great, and saved us hundreds. We were sort of desperate at that point because all the recommended bakers had flaked out on us, but looking back I'm so happy we did it.

Kroger makes wedding cakes? News to me.

We brought a cake to a Brazilian BBQ place, and they even offered to put it in the fridge. When they took it back out, they had plated it, added extra strawberries around the edges, and cut it for us.

Worth a tip.

 

[wenis]

fuck your restaurant. I'm paying 300 bucks I should be able to bring in a giant cookiepuss if I wanted to.

it'd be one thing if their desserts weren't shit, but 100% of the time they are.

Then don't eat at my imaginary restaurant!

 

[Downhome]

The article is more about a nice or higher end restaurant not Bojangles.

I'm not talking about places like that, I mean the typical sit down places most people go as friends and families, not the top of the line places either.

Who the hell would even go to a suit and tie five star joint and even consider this?

This article is completely pointless, lol.

 

[akira28]

Then don't eat at my imaginary restaurant!

bad yelp ratings incoming!

 

[faceless007]

How have none of you ever heard of this? Is it just a southern thing? Every time I ever go out to a restaurant for a birthday people ALWAYS bring their own cake, and I have never, not once, seen the owner get pissed because of it. They always welcome everyone with a huge smile, and happily bring out plates and more silverware. It is a big thing here (SC). They love big parties in their realstaurant. When they see a cake, they know it's usually a large party and do all they can to help.

Not from the South. Never seen or heard of this.

Well, maybe I have, the only similar thing I can think of is at birthday parties at kids' places like Chuck E Cheese where pizza is served by the restaurant but the parents of the birthday kid bring their own cake. But I've never seen it in a restaurant outside of that context.

I'm not talking about places like that, I mean the typical sit down places most people go as friends and families, not the top of the line places either.

Who the hell would even go to a suit and tie five star joint and even consider this?

This article is completely pointless, lol.

Bit odd to describe an article as pointless when it's answering the exact question you ask in this post.

 

[Makonero]

We brought a cake to a Brazilian BBQ place, and they even offered to put it in the fridge. When they took it back out, they had plated it, added extra strawberries around the edges, and cut it for us.

Now that is good service. If a restaurant is worried that someone's cake will reflect poorly on the restaurant, then gussy it up!

 

[gdt]

I gotta say I've never ever seen or heard of this. Guess it is indeed a southern thing. I leave in the northeast.

 

[Entropia]

I think bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant is a bit odd, but I can understand it if it's your absolute favorite wine and want to enjoy your meal with it.

However, bringing a cake? What the hell!

 

[otapnam]

Id say if its a nicer restaurant or a restaurant that has a dedicated dessert menu it should be expected that you dont bring your own cake or expect a fee.

Your neighborhood mom n pop chinese restaurant usually doesnt care though.

 

[ClosingADoor]

I think bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant is a bit odd, but I can understand it if it's your absolute favorite wine and want to enjoy your meal with it.

However, bringing a cake? What the hell!

A bottle of wine is just as bad. At that point you might as well start bringing your own food in.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Still seems strange to me. If they called ahead and the restaurant is OK with it, fine. They should add charges since you are using their space and plates and such.

I wouldn't ever do this though. If I had special wishes for cake, I'd just ask if they could prepare it.

Well it's not like you're going there only for the cake. Generally, there is a larger party and you've just dropped a few hundred dollars at their place. But again, this is at relatively casual places.

I've never heard of this at high end restaurants. I'd agree it would be tacky in that instance. But Outback tier places? Or some random local place that's casual? Meh, they'd be better off accommodating it and ensuring the party is happy as it means they get a big party and the associated bill.

 

[wenis]

bad yelp ratings incoming!

Bring it! I've got well worded and reasons responses waiting. Make my day.

 

[Bony Manifesto]

I think bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant is a bit odd, but I can understand it if it's your absolute favorite wine and want to enjoy your meal with it.

I always thought it was for restaurants who don't have the appropriate licence for selling alcohol.

 

[akira28]

I guess I could see it. My family is from the south, my mother bakes and sells cakes for up to 100 dollars for parties and events. We went to some well known sea food and crab cake place up near Anne Arundel/Baltimore and they were heavily trying to shade my mom for bringing a cake, and they absolutely refused to let her even bring it in without charging, when we had like 25 people there all wanting to taste the birthday cake.

So we looked at their dessert menu, and it was shit chocolate cakes, generic cheesecakes with raspberry, key lime pie, shit you've seen 100 times at 100 truck stop buffets. If they said they had their own pastry chef, I wouldn't have believed it, because it looked like they contracted their shit desserts out like so many other places. We even ordered, and thats when I started shading them.

 

[Donos]

I was at a birthday of friends, in a bar they often go to. The owner agreed to that the birthday boy and girl (a couple which had the same birthday) could bring in little fruit booze bottles (20ml the bottle) for all the friends. Well, after these got empty my friends started to open the sparkling wine and rum bottles they got gifted. I was seriously facepalming. They also thought that the owner would not see it but they all were pretty drunk so they were pretty blunt in hiding it. The owner gave them just a few frowns in the beginning but after 1 hour he walked up to us and asked if we thought that he is stupid. Cringworthy moment (i was the only one who still was almost sober) and luckily we left shortly after .

 

[andycapps]

While I wouldn't do anything described in the article, I do feel the need to defend Kroger. They made our wedding cake and the thing looked great, tasted great, and saved us hundreds. We were sort of desperate at that point because all the recommended bakers had flaked out on us, but looking back I'm so happy we did it.

I've had a wedding cake from there and it was fine. Not the best I'd had but not the worst either. I'm talking about the pre-made cakes you see in the bakery that are generally pretty gaudy.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Cake sucks.

 

[WedgeX]

Wasn't there a NY Time article early last year about how the cost of making desserts is really killing the restaurant business and how they'd really rather not have to make them?

 

[UnemployedVillain]

I've never heard of anyone bringing in a cake, or their own food to eat, to a restaurant. Sounds a bit bizarre

 

[Grifter]

I gotta say I've never ever seen or heard of this. Guess it is indeed a southern thing. I leave in the northeast.

My cakeage experience was in NY. Wonder what we were charged!

I guess I could see it. My family is from the south, my mother bakes and sells cakes for up to 100 dollars for parties and events. We went to some well known sea food and crab cake place up near Anne Arundel/Baltimore and they were heavily trying to shade my mom for bringing a cake, and they absolutely refused to let her even bring it in without charging, when we had like 25 people there all wanting to taste the birthday cake.

So we looked at their dessert menu, and it was shit chocolate cakes, generic cheesecakes with raspberry, key lime pie, shit you've seen 100 times at 100 truck stop buffets. If they said they had their own pastry chef, I wouldn't have believed it, because it looked like they contracted their shit desserts out like so many other places. We even ordered, and thats when I started shading them.

dang bruh, this ptcd runs deep