Outrage from Australian diners over latest restaurant cake-cutting fee imported from overseas

Australian diners are being hit hard as more restaurants introduce a cake cutting fee.

Similar to corkage, where guests are charged for bringing their own wine into a restaurant, the practice of an establishment charging customers a fee for bringing an outside cake is known as “cakeage.”

The trend has slowly spread from overseas to Australian shores, sparking increasing outrage among guests.

An influencer caused a stir this month when she took to TikTok to complain about rising pie prices at Sydney restaurants and shared her experience of being charged $10 a head for pies.

Jules Rangihuea, a former Big Brother contestant who traveled from Perth to Sydney, said the upgraded charge was “criminal”.

Jules Rangihuea, a former Big Brother contestant who traveled from Perth to Sydney, said the upgraded charge was “criminal”.

Rangihueea said that while she was aware that there were costs associated with the restaurant serving outside cake to guests, the prices had become disproportionate and were unreasonable given the rising cost of living

It has long been common practice for restaurants to charge customers a fee for bringing their own cakes.

This is usually done to cover the costs of storing the dessert, which can often be quite large, as well as preparing, presenting and serving the cake.

There is also a cost associated with cleaning, and the fee is intended to cover the restaurant’s loss of revenue if customers did not order dessert from the establishment’s menu.

But what exactly is a fair price for cake?

Rangihueea said that while she understood that there were costs associated with the restaurant serving an outside cake to guests, the prices had become disproportionate and were unreasonable given the rising cost of living and therefore eating out.

“I feel like this is something new too because it only happened to me at the beginning of September,” Ms. Rangihuea said of the $5 per head fee.

In her TikTok posted in early October, she said the cost of the cake fee had doubled since then.

“I know people will say, ‘Oh, the fridge size’ and so on, but have fridges changed in six months?

“I’m so confused, especially about the cost of living, like now people only go out to party and a lot of celebrations include cake.”

Many small businesses and well-known restaurants have closed their doors during the cost of living crisis, falling victim to skyrocketing costs.

Earlier this year, Rocky Pitarelli and his wife Kerrin were forced to close Italian restaurant Caruso’s in Gymea after five years as it collapsed under “unbearable” increases in business expenses.

Earlier this year, Rocky Pitarelli and his wife Kerrin were forced to close Italian restaurant Caruso’s in Gymea after five years as it collapsed under “unbearable” increases in business expenses

“It’s tough – you put your life into a venue and the end result, what you have to show for it, is nothing,” Pitarelli told News.com.au.

“(But) it’s an honor to celebrate at your venue – families have made you a part of their lives and trust you with the baptism, the birthday party, the engagement – those milestone celebrations.”

In fact, many small businesses are struggling with mass disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic and now the skyrocketing costs of energy and products, largely impacted by natural disasters.

A report from investment bank UBS published in May found that the average cost of food at Woolworths and Coles had risen a whopping 9.6 percent the month before.

Coles argued the report was “not an accurate reflection” of the way it calculates and reports inflation, while Woolworths admitted customers were “switching to cheaper options”.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is largely blamed for rising energy costs.

Some restaurants are now simply refusing to accommodate customers who want to bring their own desserts. Two of these restaurants are well-known Brisbane restaurants Bianca (pictured) and sAme sAme, which introduced bans last year

Questions about appropriate cake offerings have been circulating in online forums for years, and some restaurants are now simply refusing to accommodate customers who want to bring their own desserts.

Two of those restaurants are well-known Brisbane restaurants Bianca and sAme sAme, which introduced bans last year.

A spokesperson for Bianca told the Courier Mail in 2022 that customers could instead purchase one of the various in-house cakes on offer.

“Once customers have paid for the cake, it can be portioned and served whenever the customer desires,” they said.

A spokesperson for sAme sAme shared a similar sentiment, encouraging customers to choose from their “selection of in-house, bespoke cakes”.

While cake fees cover the costs involved, some restaurants have introduced higher fees just to dissuade customers from the practice in the hopes that they will instead order substitute items from the establishment’s menu.

In 2021, a person took to Reddit and asked if cake was normal, especially if the dessert in question was cupcakes.

One former hospitality worker said customers often “underestimated” the hassle involved in the practice, while another urged Australians not to take cupcakes to restaurants, calling it a “logistical nightmare”.

A Reddit user who was at Sydney’s Rockpool Bar & Grill, one of the city’s most sophisticated fine-dining restaurants, a few years ago said the staff overheard it was their birthday and surprised them with a cupcake, but gave them a cupcake -Fee of $5 imposed on invoice.

One person who identified himself as a pastry chef said he found it “pretty annoying” when customers brought their own desserts.

One person who identified himself as a pastry chef said he found it “pretty annoying” when customers brought their own dessert

“The desserts I have on the menu actually take time to prepare and serve,” they said.

“Not to mention, you wouldn’t come into a restaurant with your own fried chicken and have us heat it up.

“I feel the same way if you all bring your own cupcakes and stuff.”

However, customers and restaurant owners seem to agree that such fees should be communicated to guests in advance.

Likewise, there seems to be a consensus that the fee shouldn’t be exorbitant – although the exact “fair” amount varies from person to person.

Certainly, some increase in cake charges can be expected in line with the increasing costs of running a hospitality business.

Commenters on Rangiheuea’s TikTok were quick to point out that the fee had become standard in Sydney, but some admitted that “$10 is too high.”

Other Australians urged their customers to support the hospitality sector during the cost of living crisis, which has also seen workers and owners struggling.

“Consider the hospo community, one of the hardest hit industries,” one person said.

“Alternative option – buy desserts from the restaurants you visit.”