Cakeage??

[purplemumster]

Testing the waters here to see if we're just stingy country bumpkins!

A group of us are going out for a meal tonight to make a bit of a fuss of a friend before she has a baby. We've booked a table at a restaurant/posh pub she'd mentioned she'd like to go to.
Had a look at the menu, relatively steep prices - cheapest starter £15, cheapest main £25 but looks delish and she's our friend and worth making a fuss of so all good...... Until...

One of our group thought it might be a nice idea to take a cake along, totally fine, it is a kind of celebration I guess. So out of courtesy we let the pub know in advance and were informed that they charge a 'Cakeage' charge of £30 if we touch the cake but don't order a dessert with themselves. It was a very odd response basically giving us 3 options

1. they will unbox the cake, bring it out and then rebox it - no charge to us whether we order desserts or not.

2. They will unbox the cake, bring it out and if we eat any of it but don't order a dessert with them they will charge us a £30 'cakeage' fee

3. I'll be suggesting we take the cake outside after the meal and eat it in the car park under the northern lights😂

Is this a thing?? I've obviously heard of corkage but not this. It feels kind of grabby but I guess the AIBU is - "is cakeage a thing and AIBU to think it's a bit stingy?"

They are gaining far more by the group choosing to eat and drink there in the first place. They do not have to eat there.

They are gaining far more by the group choosing to eat and drink there in the first place. They do not have to eat there.

And while they're sitting there eating cake that the restaurant doesn't profit from, and perhaps using their cutlery and plates the restaurant could be making a profit by serving another group.

Totally normal yes

You’re bringing outside food into a restaurant instead of spending money and on too expecting them to bring it out doing the whole candles thing and then cut and serve it, using their dishes.

Perfectly normal for there to be a charge.

The restaurant also doesn’t have to let them sit in their premises, using their dishes and facilities to consume food they aren’t actually purchasing so not really sure what your point is.

I never have puddings in a restaurant so I'd be properly peeved if I was being charged this just to tak a cake in a restaurant. I'd go elsewhere, a place that doesn't cost day light robbery for starters as well.

Yeah it's a thing, I was surprised when six years ago we had this, but hey 🤷 they are just mitigating for you bringing your own food

This is one of those situations where I can see both sides.

Of course they want you to have dessert there and pay for it.

However, if you are a large-ish party, and they're unlikely to seat that table again that evening (which I assume is the case?), I'd think they'd go along with you having the cake but with a nominal charge involved. I think £30 is a bit steep, personally.

Also I've checked that this is for a meal on a Monday night, this makes me lean towards them BU. Monday evenings are famously quiet in restaurants, much less people doing a big 3 course meal etc.

I've worked in restaurants, a million years ago. I remember one place having a plate fee. It's not unheard of, but I think it was selectively applied (ie, read the table. Are they doing it to take up our space for another hour without buying anything else, drinks etc?) or is it cake in addition to other things. It's a delicate balance.