Taking home undrunk wine from a restaurant

DSmiffy

lulu_92 wrote: »

Yeah but it means we've done something to try and prevent it.

For us our entrance was manned at all times so we stopped people if they tried to, but obviously it can be hidden in bags/coats/etc

If people want to do it, they will find a way.

Wow!! and people still came back?? :rotfl:

George_Michael

lulu_92 wrote: »

For us our entrance was manned at all times so we stopped people if they tried to, but obviously it can be hidden in bags/coats/etc

But you still don't get the point.
Your entrance could be manned by a dozen ex-SAS troopers but if they found a customer leaving with a half drunk bottle of wine, there is nothing that they could legally do to prevent them from going out of the door as the customer would not be committing any crime.
You couldn't take the wine off them without their permission as that would be theft and you couldn't physically stop them from leaving as that would be assault.

The door staff could ask the customer not to leave with the wine, but that is as far as they could go.

lulu_92

DSmiffy wrote: »

Wow!! and people still came back?? :rotfl:

Bingo customers are funny folk. They say they hate it but they come in every day and do the exact same things.

George_Michael wrote: »

But you still don't get the point.
Your entrance could be manned by a dozen ex-SAS troopers but if they found a customer leaving with a half drunk bottle of wine, there is nothing that they could legally do to prevent them from going out of the door as the customer would not be committing any crime.
You couldn't take the wine off them without their permission as that would be theft and you couldn't physically stop them from leaving as that would be assault.

The door staff could ask the customer not to leave with the wine, but that is as far as they could go.

I do get it. I'm saying that we tried our best to stick to the terms of our licences and it isn't worth risking losing those just because somebody can't finish half a bottle of Chardonnay before they leave. Legally we have to stick to the terms of our licence, which involves being vigilant and making sure we try our best to stop it being breached.

Of course we would never use force, we would just say to people that they weren't allowed to take alcohol outside (same applied to the smoking area) and they were fine with it. If people asked why we would tell them, and they understood.

It would have been so much easier if we had an on-off licence but we didn't. I was only doing my job and I wouldn't have risked losing it for anything, especially something as trivial as a beverage.

I'm not questioning the morals of people who do take leftover wine home, although I'm not sure what leftover wine is..

halibut2209

OlliesDad wrote: »

To increase profits.. If a customer finishes the bottle of wine at the end of the main course and they know they can get another one and take any leftovers home then they are more likely to buy one.

Also it then frees up the table earlier than if they stayed to finish the bottle, thus the potential for more customers.

mttylad

And they could report me to whomever they wish, if I have paid for a full bottle of wine then it is legally my bottle of wine to do with as I wish and no licensing laws (that control the licensee not the customer) will stop me.

Laz123

lulu_92 wrote: »

Bingo customers are funny folk. They say they hate it but they come in every day and do the exact same things.



I do get it. I'm saying that we tried our best to stick to the terms of our licences and it isn't worth risking losing those just because somebody can't finish half a bottle of Chardonnay before they leave. Legally we have to stick to the terms of our licence, which involves being vigilant and making sure we try our best to stop it being breached.

Of course we would never use force, we would just say to people that they weren't allowed to take alcohol outside (same applied to the smoking area) and they were fine with it. If people asked why we would tell them, and they understood.

It would have been so much easier if we had an on-off licence but we didn't. I was only doing my job and I wouldn't have risked losing it for anything, especially something as trivial as a beverage.

I'm not questioning the morals of people who do take leftover wine home, although I'm not sure what leftover wine is..

You obviously have great knowledge regarding the restaurateurs licensing laws. I'd be grateful if you could give me/us a link for the actual wording stating that unconsumed wine cannot by law be taken off the premises.

TIA

Laz123

I thought so. The internet is great you can make up anything you like.

In fact I trained under Marcus Wareing and run a chain of restaurants. We always place about five waiters on the door each evening to prevent people from leaving with unfinished wine. I had to fire one or two overzealous staff who wrestled a little old lady and an elderly gent to the ground for such an offence. Funny. they did come back after their injuries had healed.

Money-Saving-King

Laz123 wrote: »

I thought so. The internet is great you can make up anything you like.

In fact I trained under Marcus Wareing and run a chain of restaurants. We always place about five waiters on the door each evening to prevent people from leaving with unfinished wine. I had to fire one or two overzealous staff who wrestled a little old lady and an elderly gent to the ground for such an offence. Funny. they did come back after their injuries had healed.

Or perhaps lulu 92 hasn't came back and read this thread and seen any of your posts at all? Lulu 92 may just have you on ignore perhaps?

lulu_92

Money-Saving-King wrote: »

Or perhaps lulu 92 hasn't came back and read this thread and seen any of your posts at all? Lulu 92 may just have you on ignore perhaps?

Actually forgot about this thread :rotfl::rotfl:

Like I always said, I was just going off what I was trained on at my old work and one of my exams I had to take for my promotion which was all about licensing. Our premises licence stated we could not sell alcohol to be taken off premises (including leftover wine). If we broke the terms of that licence we would be breaking the law. I don't recall saying the customer was breaking the law.

I don't care enough about this to place someone on an ignore list, plus I was just giving my two cents going off my experience hope you had a merry Christmas!

Laz123

lulu_92 wrote: »

Actually forgot about this thread :rotfl::rotfl:

Like I always said, I was just going off what I was trained on at my old work and one of my exams I had to take for my promotion which was all about licensing. Our premises licence stated we could not sell alcohol to be taken off premises (including leftover wine). If we broke the terms of that licence we would be breaking the law. I don't recall saying the customer was breaking the law.

I don't care enough about this to place someone on an ignore list, plus I was just giving my two cents going off my experience hope you had a merry Christmas!

Happy New Year to you.

Just as an aside to my story, the little old lady, known as as Mrs Muffet, upon returning a few months later after her plaster cast had been removed polished off one bottle of vintage Chablis with her elderly gentleman friend, then ordered another. Unfortunately they couldn't finish the second bottle so preceded to try and smuggle the unfinished half-bottle from the premises. I only had three bouncers on duty that evening who attempted to prevent her from taking it away. Now, you know how people can change personality after becoming intoxicated, she then smashed the bottle over the biggest doorman's head. As he fell to the floor, she jammed the broken bottle into the second bouncer's face which needed sixteen stitches and it was only by the intervention of the remaining doorman, armed with a taser, who managed to stun her until three police squad cars arrived who took her away kicking and screaming.

Funny enough she did say, well shout out extremely loudly actually, that she'd be back to see us when she got out of prison.

Silly really, and all over some unfinished wine.