What Is a Corkage Fee Per Bottle?

A corkage fee is what you charge a guest to bring in their own bottle of wine, and most restaurants charge it per bottle. It covers the service your team provides, like opening the bottle, bringing glasses, and clearing up afterward, and it makes up a little of the profit you’d have made selling a bottle off your list.

The fee depends on your style of restaurant. Casual restaurants often charge somewhere around $15 to $25 per bottle. Nicer restaurants with a big wine program might charge $35 to $75 or more. Many owners set the fee close to what they’d make in profit on an average bottle, so it feels fair to both sides.

A few rules help keep it simple. Cap it at one or two bottles per table. Ask guests not to bring something already on your list. Some places also waive the fee if the guest buys a bottle from you at the restaurant, which is a good strategy to sell more wine.

Always keep your policy on the restaurant and teach your servers to explain it. Do check your state’s alcohol rules first, since a few states limit or ban bringing your own alcohol into a licensed restaurant.