Cork It!

The GTM's post on an unfortunate lunchtime incident at Ray's Hell Burger prompted me to think about a hidden fee that I recall finding shocking the first time I encountered it: corkage.

Now, I'm no expert here. My experience working in restaurants is limited to KU or line cook duties. I've never waited tables or performed Maitre[sic] d' duties, but I'm no stranger to the life restaurateur. I couldn't have been more than 19 or 20 the first time I got hit with a line-item gratuity, and I do recall many of my former workplace associates bludgeoning me with complaints of non-tipping customers who had indeed paid the gratuity (the line-item gratuity isn't paid out in cash at the end of a server's shift, at least at the places I've worked). So perhaps it's a bit odd that I was pushing 30 when I first encountered corkage fees.