Can A Restaurant Require Patrons to Purchase Wine?

[YLee]

Strange rule. If you must buy wine only I would imagine they would lose a lot of business.

[AndrewH]

It sounds like the venue are desperately trying to monetize their cellar.

Ok, maybe you don’t want to out them. But I don’t think ‘small, family run’ is an excuse to hijack patrons. Or there is some backstory with corkage that has not been mentioned.

Personally, I would have sat down, fussed around a bit with the menu/list, called another place to book a table, and then left.

+1. It is probably legal, absent some specific state law, but at a minimum ought to be done with full disclosure. This sounds like they fell well short of that that (oh, you missed the small print in the pop up box on our website?).

As for whether it makes sense as a business proposition, I can’t imagine it does for anything other than a short-term effort to drain their cellar. I would have done something like this - maybe take a look at wine list and say “oh, this is a poor list, let’s go elsewhere”.

[NED_VALOIS]

I only drink Kosher !
Where is the door ?

[ybarselah]

strange policy, stranger still to not link to the restaurant or website for us to read the info, etc.

comedy clubs require 2 drinks.

more questions than answers right now.

I have no desire to call out the restaurant (small family run). As I said, no policy whatsoever listed on their website. Also, they specifically told us upon arrival, the policy was two wine bottles. There is no btg, no beer or mixed drinks. No alternative was offered.

I understand clubs and bars having drink minimums. If at a bar, you’re likely their to drink alcohol. If a patron doesn’t want alcohol, clubs usually serve soft drinks.

these threads are so strange. you’re not calling out the restaurant, you’re giving them free press. the laws of business is that they know how to run their business better than anyone and customers decide whether to agree or disagree.

unless we have access to the full context, we’re just relying on your one-off experience without the full picture.

[Sean_Devaney]

Ned they keep a couple of bottles of Morgan David and Manischewitz just for you and other MOTs.

[Michael_S_Monie]

Businesses should be willing to put their name on their policies. Absolutely no reason that they should not be named.

[Arv_R]

unless we have access to the full context, we’re just relying on your one-off experience without the full picture.

I think Yaacov is on to something. There is something more to this story, likely in a corkage context.

I can easily envision a restaurant saying ‘our BYO policy is buy a bottle for each bottle you bring’

That is a hospitality rule that doesn’t seem wildly controversial, even if its not the norm in California.

Still, I think everyone is better off if policies are well disclosed in advance.

[G_Greenbaum]

Corkage is $30. I asked after arriving, while discussing our beverage options. BTW-We came because of the recent press on the food (including this site). The chef is the son/newer business owner of his family’s restaurant and loves natural wine and feels wine is integral to his food…yada, yada. He was not there the night we were. I told his mother/manager, we would probably order wine, but by no means would we be forced to order anything. She reluctantly agreed. Our group was really looking forward to the food and our server was excellent. They have 4 tables outside no inside service. I also called the local ABC office. It’s illegal in CA.

There are multiple Yelp reviews calling out the place for the 2 bottle requirement. There was no mistaking the “requirement to purchase” without mention of corkage or any other offer. My feeling is the business is desperate to increase revenue, which by no means excuses their illegal practice.

[Chris_Seiber]

That’s incredibly strange on so many fronts. We do all know of comedy clubs, strip clubs and night clubs where there is a drink minimum, though (1) that’s just another form of cover charge for the venue and entertainment and (2) they don’t have to be alcoholic drinks.

Another question, Gregg – what were the prices on the list? What’s the least you could have paid to comply with the two bottle requirement? What’s the least you could have paid and had something halfway decent to drink?

[Neal.Mollen]

Alcoholics, those on pain meds, those who keep Kosher, and those who believe in temperance are not allowed in the joint? I find this all very difficult to believe.

[NED_VALOIS]

Ned they keep a couple of bottles of Morgan David and Manischewitz just for you and other MOTs.

I forgot to add ; “NO DREK” !

[Michael_S_Monie]

“Four tables outside, no inside service.” So if they are turning the tables once, they are serving eight tables a night. That’s a tough way to run a restaurant. But a forced, possibly illegal practice is no way to resolve it.

[Stan_Y]

Alcoholics, those on pain meds, those who keep Kosher, and those who believe in temperance are not allowed in the joint? I find this all very difficult to believe.

No Baptists!!!

Clearly this is a marketing problem. If they changed the policy to “two free bottles of wine” and increased prices by the cheapest wine they sell, it might end up a win for them.

[ybarselah]

this thread is just going to be gregg trolling us with incremental new info in this hypothetical restaurant situation.

[K_N_Haque]

Alcoholics, those on pain meds, those who keep Kosher, and those who believe in temperance are not allowed in the joint? I find this all very difficult to believe.

Muslims, too.

[G_Greenbaum]

Another question, Gregg – what were the prices on the list? What’s the least you could have paid to comply with the two bottle requirement? What’s the least you could have paid and had something halfway decent to drink?

Chris, about 40ish to 130 iirc. We bought a $48 Gruner.

[Eric_Michels]

Based on the description of the restaurant and the two bottle policy, I’m going to guess that this is Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks. From their reservation site:

Need to Know
Things to keep in mind for al fresco alley dining:

We must adhere to a 2 hour dining maximum for our seating length.

There is a two wine bottle purchase requirement. Choose from our incredible wine list to drink during your meal or to take home!

We offer a rotating menu of dry aged fish and seafood for a la carte reservations.

Omakase may include pork, shellfish, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts and dairy. Substitutions are politely declined.

In accordance with Covid protocols we will check temperatures upon arrival.

As best I can tell it seems to be a Covid-era policy related to maximizing revenue on limited seatings. I agree that it is odd and I would certainly be unhappy if I arrived not knowing about it but the restaurant doesn’t seem to be hiding it (and, as such, I don’t believe I am doing anyone a disservice posting the name and policy here - especially as I don’t even know that it is the same restaurant).

[AndrewH]

Alcoholics, those on pain meds, those who keep Kosher, and those who believe in temperance are not allowed in the joint? I find this all very difficult to believe.

No Baptists!!!

Clearly this is a marketing problem. If they changed the policy to “two free bottles of wine” and increased prices by the cheapest wine they sell, it might end up a win for them.

If they increased prices by the cheapest wine, it would be a win mainly for the savviest wine-drinking customers. They’d have to offer a wine credit equal to the cheapest wine . . .

[Stan_Y]

They’d have to offer a wine credit equal to the cheapest wine . . .

Absolutely! That gets spinned into wine discounts.

[AndrewH]

Based on the description of the restaurant and the two bottle policy, I’m going to guess that this is Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks. From their reservation site:

Fu needs to have a word . . .