Is It Rude to BYOB (Bring your Own Bottle?)
Have you ever wanted to bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant, but you weren’t sure if the server would be mad at you? Have you seen someone else “BYOB” (bring your own bottle) and wondered why the restaurant let them do that?
I worked in restaurants for over 10 years and I first want to say that it is very common for folks to bring their own wine to a restaurant! There are three main reasons to BYOB:
The restaurant may not have a liquor license and can’t sell wine.
The restaurant might have a limited wine selection.
You are celebrating something special and want to celebrate with a special bottle.
Now that being said, restaurants that do allow you to bring your own wine often have rules about how to do that so it’s really important to call ahead to ask the restaurant what their specific policies are regarding bringing a bottle of wine. You should also plan on being charged a “corkage fee” for the server to open the bottle of wine for you. This is a way for restaurants to make up lost revenue because you aren’t buying a bottle of wine from their restaurant. Depending on the restaurant, this could be anywhere from $10 to $100 and it’s part of the deal if you’re going to bring your own bottle to the restaurant. There can also be other policies about how many bottles you can bring, what you need to do upon arriving at the restaurant with a bottle of wine, etc. so these are really good questions to ask over the phone before you plan to dine in.
There are definitely some restaurants that will not allow you to bring in your own bottle of wine. It might be because the restaurant has an extensive wine list and they want you to order off of their menu. It could also be that there are specific laws in the county or state that prohibit guests from bringing their own bottle of wine to a restaurant.
Questions to ask before bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant:
Does your restaurant allow guests to bring in their own bottles of wine?
Are there specific policies that your restaurant follows for guests bringing in bottles of wine?
Is there a corkage fee and how much is it?
How many bottles can guests bring to the restaurant?
What will the experience look like when I arrive at the restaurant? Should I give it to someone upon arrival or keep it with me when we are seated at the table?
Are there any laws that you should be aware of like needing the bottle to be unopened before arriving at the restaurant or if the bottle needs to be finished at the restaurant?
Tips if you want to bring your own bottle:
Think about your dining experience and see if there is another opportunity for you to order a different beverage from the restaurant. You could start with a cocktail or a different glass of wine before enjoying your bottle from home.
Tip your server, maitre’d, or sommelier! They are going out of their way to serve you by opening up a bottle that you didn’t buy from their restaurant. They do this because they’re in the hospitality industry and they want you to feel welcome and enjoy your dining experience. You might even offer a taste of the wine to your server, maitre’d, or sommelier! They’ll really appreciate these thoughtful gestures!
I hope this is a helpful guide as you think about bringing your own bottle to a restaurant and what that experience might look like. Again, it is very normal to BYOB, as long as you check with the restaurant before to see what the policy is. If you want to learn more about this topic then listen to Episode #121 of The Wine CEO Podcast.