What Is a Corkage Fee? How Much to Charge & When to Waive It
Last updated: July 24, 2026 · Reviewed by the MenuPricer Team
A corkage fee is what your restaurant charges when a guest brings their own bottle of wine. Get the amount wrong in either direction — too high and guests feel nickel-and-dimed, too low and you give away revenue your wine program was built to capture.
Quick answer
Corkage fee = the charge for opening and serving a bottle the guest brought themselves
Also called: corking fee, BYOB fee, or bring-your-own-bottle fee. Typical range: $15–75/bottle.
What is a corkage fee?
A corkage fee is a charge applied by a restaurant when a guest brings their own bottle of wine or other alcohol to drink with their meal. The name comes from the act of opening (or “uncorking”) a bottle — although the fee covers more than just popping a cork.
The fee compensates the restaurant for:
- •Providing glassware, often premium stemware that represents a real cost
- •The service of opening, aerating, and pouring the wine professionally
- •Lost revenue from wine list sales — the main economic driver of the fee
- •The labor of a sommelier or server who would otherwise be selling from the list
From the restaurant's perspective, wine is one of the highest-margin revenue streams in the business. A bottle that costs the restaurant $20 sells for $70–90. When a guest brings their own bottle, the restaurant loses that margin. The corkage fee is designed to make the economic outcome roughly neutral — or at least soften the revenue miss.
Corkage fee by restaurant type
| Restaurant type | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Casual dining / pizza / bistro | $10–25 |
| Mid-range full-service restaurant | $25–45 |
| Upscale dining / wine-focused | $45–75 |
| Fine dining / destination restaurant | $75–150 |
| No-license / BYOB only restaurant | $0–15 |
How to set your corkage fee
The right corkage fee is the amount that makes bringing a bottle economically equivalent — for the restaurant — to ordering a comparable bottle from the wine list. A rough framework:
Corkage fee calculation framework
Example:
Average bottle on your list: costs $22, sells for $75 → gross profit $53
Minus glassware ($4) + labor ($6) = $43
Suggested corkage fee: $40–45
In practice, most restaurants round to a clean number and consider competitive norms in their market. If every comparable restaurant in your area charges $35, charging $45 may feel punitive to guests even if it is economically justified.
When to waive the corkage fee
Guest purchases a bottle from the list
This is the most common waiver policy. If the guest buys a bottle from your wine list, waive the corkage on their brought bottle. They more than compensated you with the list purchase, and they leave feeling treated well.
The bottle is genuinely special or irreplaceable
A guest who brings a 25-year-old bottle from a producer you cannot source is not competition to your wine list — it is a complement. A sommelier who recognizes this and waives the fee earns loyalty.
Special occasions and important regulars
For a couple celebrating a 30th anniversary with a bottle from their cellar, the corkage fee is a revenue-negative transaction. The goodwill from waiving it — and the story they tell — is worth far more than $45.
One bottle per table as a standing policy
Some restaurants offer one waived corkage per table as their standard policy. This prevents abuse (a table arriving with 6 bottles), while remaining guest-friendly for the typical BYOB situation.
Corkage fee etiquette — for restaurants and guests
For restaurant operators
• Post your corkage policy publicly — on your menu and website
• Train staff to explain the fee graciously, not defensively
• Never charge corkage without informing the guest first
• Consider a per-bottle limit (1–2 bottles) for BYOB tables
What guests should know
• Always call ahead to confirm BYOB is permitted
• Corkage fees are standard — they are not a surprise tactic
• Tipping on the corkage fee is appreciated (sommeliers earn gratuity on wine service)
• Bringing a bottle from the restaurant's list era is a nice gesture
FAQ
What is a corkage fee?
A corkage fee (also called a corking fee or BYO fee) is a charge that a restaurant applies when a guest brings their own bottle of wine or other alcohol to the restaurant. The fee compensates the restaurant for the service of opening and pouring the wine, providing glassware, and — more importantly — for the lost revenue that would have come from selling a bottle from the restaurant's own wine list. Corkage fees typically range from $15 to $75 per bottle depending on the restaurant's tier and wine program.
How much is a typical corkage fee?
Corkage fees vary significantly by restaurant tier. Casual restaurants that allow BYOB typically charge $10–25 per bottle. Mid-range restaurants with a wine program charge $25–50. Fine dining restaurants charge $50–100 or more, and some ban BYOB entirely to protect their wine revenue. In major cities like New York and San Francisco, $35–75 is the most common range at full-service restaurants. The fee is meant to make it economically neutral for the restaurant whether you drink from their wine list or bring your own.
Is a corkage fee per bottle or per person?
Corkage fees are almost always charged per bottle, not per person. If a party of four brings two bottles of wine, they typically pay two corkage fees. Some restaurants set a limit of one or two bottles per table to prevent guests from bringing their entire wine cellar and ordering nothing from the list.
When should a restaurant waive the corkage fee?
Restaurants commonly waive the corkage fee when: the guest purchases a bottle from the wine list in addition to bringing their own (the purchased bottle offsets the lost revenue), the bottle is a rare or special wine the restaurant cannot source (a 20-year-old bottle from the guest's cellar), the occasion is a special celebration where waiving is a goodwill gesture, or the guest is a loyal regular whose relationship you value more than the fee. Many restaurants also offer one waived corkage per table as a policy to encourage the practice without fully giving up the revenue protection.
What is the difference between a corkage fee and a corking fee?
Corkage fee and corking fee are the same thing — just different names for the same charge. Both terms refer to the fee a restaurant charges when guests bring their own bottle of wine or spirits. Corkage is the more common term in the United States, while corking is used in some other English-speaking countries. You may also see it called a BYO fee or bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) fee.
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