Is it appropriate to bring a birthday cake to a restaurant? —Suzy S., Kamuela, HI
There are many reasons to call a restaurant ahead of time, and this is one of them. Customers shouldn’t automatically assume that they can bring cake (or any outside food, for that matter) into a food-service establishment unless given permission. Some restaurants allow the practice, and some don’t. There are reasons for both:
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Liability: Due to insurance liability issues and/or health department regulations in some areas, many establishments stipulate “no outside food.” If a restaurant serves the food, then it’s (at least partially) responsible for any repercussions.
Service issues: There’s a cost and time factor involved with locating the cake onsite, cutting it, serving it, clearing plates, and washing dishes (to say nothing of the customers’ time spent at the table spending nothing). Servers and kitchen personnel are prepared to serve menu items; bringing in outside food can cause problems (like the time that a server dropped someone’s birthday cake face down in the walk-in cooler.)
House Desserts: A restaurant prefers to sell and serve its own desserts, and some have hired expensive pastry chefs expressly for that purpose. (And the results will be way better than grocery store sheet cake.)
Here’s how some restaurants have countered:
House Birthday Dessert: Some chefs (such as Helen Fletcher, pastry chef at Tony’s) create a special cake or dessert for birthdays. There’s also the option of pre-ordering a standard or favorite dessert and asking to have a candle placed in it.
Third-party Desserts: Some restaurants have an arrangement with a local pastry shop to supply whole cakes, pies, cheesecakes, etc. for in-house celebrations. If guests know that a restaurant can supply such a dessert (especially one that can accommodate dietary restrictions), then they’ll be less likely to bring their own.
Per-plate Charge/Flat Fee: Restaurants that do allow a dessert to be brought in often levy a charge to serve it, which is completely understandable. (If you’re taking time and effort away from another paying table, then expect to be charged for it.) Some call it a “cakeage fee,” similar to when restaurants add a corkage fee to a bottle of outside wine. Restaurants might set a high fee (to discourage the practice) or a small one (to encourage it), but most all places allow for the practice, including Cyrano’s Cafe in Webster Groves, a restaurant known for its desserts. “In the restaurant, we charge a flat $15 fee,” says co-owner Melissa Downs, “and $35 for an event in the private room, which we feel is very reasonable.”
Encourage Add-on Sales: Some restaurants that allow outside desserts will encourage appropriate add-on sales. If they can sell ice cream, coffee, tea, after-dinner drinks, etc., then they’ll often waive the cakeage fee.
Today, practicing hospitality means that restaurants must accommodate guests in every way possible, especially considering the repercussions of negative social media posts. Therefore, the wisest advice for restaurants is to take the high road: If possible, allow outside desserts to be brought in, and notify the guests if a fee is involved. When a restaurant can make a special occasion even more special—like agreeing to serve Grandma’s legendary cake at a family get-together—it creates an experience, inspires memories, and instills loyalty.
This article has been updated from an earlier version.
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