The provincial government’s proposal to allow diners to bring their own wine to restaurants may be a great idea for customers but not for business owners.
The Liquor Licence Amendment Act 2004 is currently moving through the legislature and would give diners an inexpensive alternative to the expensive wine prices charged by restaurants.
The Bring Your Own Wine (BYOW) program has already been successfully implemented in Quebec, New Brunswick and Alberta.
Some critics have raised concerns over liability and increased alcohol consumption.
Restaurants, just as they are now, would continue to be liable for patrons who drink too much.
It also seems unlikely that people would drink more because of the legislation.
The government will make it a requirement that those restaurants participating in the program have a device which would allow them to reseal unfinished bottles of wine. All businesses participating would have to purchase this equipment.
However, the most critical concern centers around corkage fees. Corkage fees are charged to help the restaurant cover washing and handing of wine glasses, in addition to offsetting losses from letting diners bring their own wine.
Generally, in other BYOW areas in Canada, corkage fees run from $5 to $20
The fee is optional, but you can bet most restaurants will charge it. In addition to this, restaurants can set the fee at whatever they please. In most cases, a fee of $10 is common.
If a person brings a $10 bottle of wine to a restaurant, and is charged an additional $10 corkage fee, the bottle of wine now costs $20. This, in many cases, is about as much as it would cost to simply purchase that wine from the restaurant.
So is there a need for the BYOW? If patrons are bringing expensive wine to restaurants, the BYOW is a fantastic deal.
However, for the majority of those who buy $10 wines, the cost difference, because of corkage fees, is not going to be significant.
There needs to be a cap on corkage fees for restaurants so everyone is competing at a relatively similar level. Anything else is simply not fair.
This would result in reasonable rates, and not permit restaurants to take advantage of the corkage fee.
The idea of charging any corkage fee the restaurant wants is ridiculous and seems like a weak attempt to placate the restaurant industry.
But when all is said and done, the issue may not be such a big deal. Very little may change for restaurants. What this legislation does is continue a trend to give consumers more choice in the marketplace.
For that, the government should be commended.
— Katie Lewis