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Why Restaurant Corkage Fees Drive More Wine Sales
Episode 105 of Restaurant Business with Fexingo explores corkage fees — the charges restaurants impose when diners bring their own wine. Lucas and Luna unpack a 2025 Cornell study of 1,200 US restaurants that found establishments with a corkage fee sold 14% more wine by the glass than those banning BYOB outright. They discuss why a moderate fee of $15 to $25 signals confidence in the wine program, how it converts BYOB guests into future bottle buyers, and why the optimal policy has a cap of two bottles per table. The hosts also touch on the psychology of a 'corkage waiver' for wine…
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