BYO Nights at Jake's and elsewhere

[KatieLoeb]

Joining the trend of having BYO nights is Jake's in Manayunk. On Sundays and Mondays from now through the end of September, you may bring your own wine to the restaurant and pay no corkage fee on those evenings. This means Jake's is joining Georges, Sovalo, Brasserie Perrier and a few others in allowing customers to bring their own bottles on selected evenings.

Are there any other restaurants that I haven't mentioned that are doing this? Has anyone availed themselves of this policy, and if so, how do you think it effected your experience at the restaurant?

Full disclosure: I am waiting tables at Jake's a couple of nights per week.

[Capaneus]

Joining the trend of having BYO nights is Jake's in Manayunk.  On Sundays and Mondays from now through the end of September, you may bring your own wine to the restaurant and pay no corkage fee on those evenings.  This means Jake's is joining Georges, Sovalo, Brasserie Perrier and a few others in allowing customers to bring their own bottles on selected evenings.

Are there any other restaurants that I haven't mentioned that are doing this?  Has anyone availed themselves of this policy, and if so, how do you think it effected your experience at the restaurant?

Full disclosure:  I am waiting tables at Jake's a couple of nights per week.

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If memory serves, Davio's was one of the pioneers in this trend - and (again if I recall correctly) they do it on a prime night: Friday.

Meritage, as far as I know, is allowing unlimited BYO.

[davidbdesilva]

Perhaps these restaurants are realizing that, in a city full of BYOB's, people are not willing to pay the 400% mark-up that they place on their wines? (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, at least some of the time?). I think the end result will be some people (like me) trying some of these restaurants that they would normally avoid because the alcohol tab runs up the total bill to an astronomical amount. This is the case with Jakes, which we will now have to give a try (on a BYOB night). Thanks Katie!

[KatieLoeb]

This is the case with Jakes, which we will now have to give a try (on a BYOB night). Thanks Katie!

It's funny. The new BYO policy is not going over too well with some of the longer time staff at Jake's. Many of them have said they made a conscious choice to work there and not at a BYO because of the higher check average and how that translated into their tip average. Other said they were afraid it would draw a restaurant filled with water drinkers and appetizer eaters, and fill up the seats for very little translation into money in their pockets at the end of the shift for the same amount (or more) running around. I think diners like you and your wife will try the place on a BYO night and (assuming you enjoyed the experience) would still come back on another occasion when the BYO might not be in effect and be just as happy.

Unfortunately, not everyone is like you.

Tonight I only had one table that BYO'd. They were very nice and still ordered two appetizers, an entree to share, dessert and coffee and an after dinner glass of Sauternes, so they weren't there to be frugal!

I see both sides. I hope that the policy will draw some new clientele that will happily return on other evenings, whether or not it's BYO on those nights. Hopefully this will translate into busier nights and more revenue overall on what are traditionally slower nights. Hopefully, it all balances out in the end.

As far as I know I'll be working next Monday if you want to come in and see me! I usually work Wed/Thurs nights but I have some prior commitments next week and swapped around those days.

[dinwiddie]

I live in DC where BYO is only permitted at licensed establishments, but there are over 100 places that permit corkage. A trend we see is free corkage (corkage fees are normally in the $15-25 range) on Mondays and Tuesdays. I think restaurant owners are finding that if they offer free corkage on nights that are traditionally slow, they get people to come in. There is one place where my wine group went on a Monday night to avail ourselves of the free corkage. There were 5 tables of at least 6 people who had brought wine in there that night. And none of us tend to be cheap when we BYO, after all what we are saving on excessively marked up wine, we can spend on the meal. Of course I don't know if Jake's has a slow period on Sundays and Mondays since I've only eaten there on a Saturday now and then when I'm visiting relatives in Phila., but it is better to have diners in the restaurant bringing their own wine than to have empty tables.

[philadining]

Thought I'd bump this thread, as it's getting more and more common for licensed places to have a BYOB night.

As of May 2007:

Ansill does BYOB on tuesdays.

Brasserie Perrier does it on Sundays.

where else?

[mrbigjas]

i read in the city paper or weekly last week that gayle does thursdays.

[san]

We do indeed allow BYOB on Fridays at Davio's... Surprisingly not very many of our Friday guests take advantage of this.

[philadining]

Matt reminded me that Sovalo does BYOB on mondays.

[Capaneus]

Prime Rib has BYO Sundays. Quite the buy, particularly when coupled with their $30 early-bird prix fixe.

Course, we guys have to wear jackets.

[degustazione]

farmicia has a byo policy everyday. but there might be a stipulation with party size