Some of you may know that I'm shipping a cake to NYC this week, at my MIL's request, for her birthday celebration with my brother-and-sister-in-law and their kids. They are planning to meet for brunch in a well-known restaurant on Central Park. I suggested that my SIL check with the restaurant first to make sure they would allow them to bring in their own birthday cake for the celebration.

Yes, it's allowed. And yes, they charge a $5.00/slice CUTTING FEE!!! That's more than I charge to create, deliver, set up and serve an entire wedding cake!

Yeesh.

Although the $5 price is high, it is not uncommon for venues to charge a cake cutting fee.

That is insane! I've heard of ppl charging 2.00/person and I almost died...I can't imagine $5!!!!!
The restaurant in Central Park is very nice though so maybe you will get some big business by sending your cake...tell the guests to all take a big bite out of it with no hands then they won't have to pay that crazy fee!! haha

Please tell me that you are not suggesting they want $5.00 per slice to cut the cake!!! That can't be right! Did I read it wrong?

wow...
I've heard of $1.50 maybe even $2 a slice and others letting you cut it yourself as a courtesy...

I'd recommend a tailgate cake cutting in the parking lot or going to one of the relatives nearby for cake and coffee!

How are you transporting your cake there???

Just a few weeks ago, a member posted that she lives, or lived, in the Seattle area, and some venues are charging $8 per slice as a cutting fee. It's no wonder I am getting invited to more and more weddings lately!

Theresa

I'm with goal4me....eat the cake elsewhere..

I can understand it when a restaurant imposes this charge. It is partly to discourage you from bringing your own dessert (understandable, since they make and serve desserts), partly to compensate for the time your server is used, partly for providing of silverware and plates (which need to be washed, etc.). Some places simply just don't let you bring your own cake in at all - which is totally their right.

Just a different perspective.

Yes..It has become the norm here also.Most big hotels etc are charging astronomical amounts for this new called "Cutting Fee"..I think it is pushing people away from having larger wedding s anymore.My mom has seen a decline in business as well as people are choosing to go to Destinations to have their weddings as the hotel and such are just getting to expensive.When the venues charge an extra $5.00 or more per person to cut cake plus all the food and corkage for liquor ...forget it!! I personally think it is price gauging people and trying to capitalize on an already emotional day...I can see where Brides elope and say Forget it!! Too bad really!!!

I can also understand this fee, but some of the fees that are charged are outrageous. Many venues in larger cities will not allow anyone but a staff member to do the slicing, either.

Hence, the newfound popularity of Cupcakes! No slicing, no plates, no fees!

Theresa

I ran into the same problem here in Orange County . . . I had booked my moms big 50th party at a restaurant in Newport Beach until I found out a few of their rules:
1) I couldn't make my own cake and bring it in. Any outside bakery goods had to be made by an approved vendor. (They gave me a list.)
2) There was a $4 per slice cutting fee.
3) I could not provide my own table centerpieces. All flowers, decorations had to be done through approved vendors and they attached a fee to the restaurant for allowing them to setup.

Needless to say, I cancelled the party at the restaurant . . . had to bite a $500 non-refundable deposit (could have been worse!) . . . and we are having a really nice shindig at our house. I can understand the restaurants not wanting it to look shabby when you decorate, but this is MY mom and I want to do it!!!!

That is common to for some places to charge for slicing a cake you bring in. Some places let you bring your own bottle of wine and they charge a fee to open bottle from $5 to $10 a bottle depending where you have your banquet meeting, wedding reception, etc.

Man..I would have been bummed about the $500.00 non-refundable deposit..Are you sure you can get some of that back.Did you cancel the event really close to the day or weeks even months before.I don't think they can keep a deposit like that if you cancelled well in advance!!

Well....I guess I need to change jobs, lol!


Forget making the cakes, I'll just go to school to slice them!!!

I'm with you..just show up to 3-4 weddings a weekend and cut cake...I can do that!! HA!HA!

jdogga said:
The restaurant in Central Park is very nice though so maybe you will get some big business by sending your cake...tell the guests to all take a big bite out of it with no hands then they won't have to pay that crazy fee!! haha

****
This made me laugh out loud (and people at work are looking at me funny!! I'm picturing everyone standing around this cake and they all bend over and take a huge bite out of the cake - complete with frosting all over their faces when done. LOL

I would be flabbergasted but TOTG is about as high-end as it gets.. well, high enough, anyway. I understand.... they then have to provide the dishes, forks, etc... but WOW! I definitely would be trying to think of something else...

If this is the norm, is must not be uncommon for the cutting fee to be more than the cake!

goal4 me -
I loved the idea of the tailgating party. LOL. Cake, beer, wine, hot dogs, burgers. Gotta love it.

Grrrr that makes me so mad! I understand the plates, silverwear needing to be washed, and the server's time, but I'm guessing they're already going to be spending a hefty penny there for meals as it is.

If it's a smaller party, what I would presonally do (as the host of the party) is just walk right in with the box and cut the darn thing myself, quickly!

Or perhaps ask if the restaurant will serve THEIR dessert for $5 per serving. I'm guessing the place would normally charge $7-8 per dessert?

if it is tavern on the green then maybe more like 10-12 bucks for a dessert, as I recall. and places that have a fee for cake slicing may impose a charge even if you bring something into the place and serve it yourself.

I would think that someone maybe from a local bakery would love to make some extra money to just come in to cut it. If they will even let someone else do it.

It's a restaurant, not an event hall.

Why on earth would they want to make it easy for you to bring in your own food?

If you want to eat your own food, stay home.

I've never heard of such a thing! I work as a waitress in northern Indiana's largest restaurant (we served 6000 people on Labor Day!) and we have a bakery next to the dining area. Groups can either buy cake from us or haul in their own. I 'll get them plates and silverware and even serve if I have the time but most people will just serve themselves. I'm glad our management is so laid back about it! I agree with another post - eat the cake somewhere else!

Ummm why can't the people (guests) who are going to be at the table cut the cake themselves? Or is that not allowed?

It's not allowed~

It's true that TOTG is a very high end restaurant. Plus prices in NYC are much higher than the rest of the country. I would think that most people who bring a cake or event to that particular restaurant are buying cakes from decorators like Duff or Colette Peters. Those cakes aren't cheap so in perspective, the $5 cutting fee is minimal compared to the price of the cake.

Though it's ridiculous to think of your family paying that price, it is cool to have your cake in a restaurant of that standard. Make sure you get pics so you can look at them and be proud of yourself.

We have a restaurant and whilst we don't charge a slicing fee I do understand why some do (although $5 a slice is steep), often restaurants do more than slice the cake, they often dress and garnish the plate with fruit, cream, sauce etc so it costs them for this plus the washing of plates and utensils and the lost sales on dessert. Since I started doing cakes we only slice and garnish our cakes and if they bring their own cake we just hand them a knife, a stack of plates and forks and leave them to it.

boy I glad i live in acountry town the restraunts here do not hae a charge if you bring in you own cake. Your buying there food and eating there Know if you only come in and have coffe and bring the cake that might be different. Heck we even give the waitress some of the cake after we all get some. we never get charged not even at Denney's lol.

I think it is insane to charge for slicing a cake. So what if you use their dishes Its not like they are hand washing them after. As for the wait staff well it's not like you are asking them to wait on you to cut it. God what is this world coming to. Honestly you are giving them your business by buying their food and I am sure leaving a tip as well. And if their service is good I would think you would go back there as well as recommend them to friends and family. If it was me and they wanted to charge you could be sure I would be telling everyone I know not to go there as to me this would constitue bad service as well as bad customer relations. I think this world is getting money crazy and to heck with trying to be nice to others. I dont see what the big deal is in letting a family enjoy a celebration cake that is costing the restaraunt nothing. As for buying their deserts well maybe if they would charge a reasonable amount for a custom made cake (made to your specifications) then maybe people wouldnt feel they had to bring their own.

Our reception venue charged us a fee to cut the cakes at our wedding. My husband's cousin made the wedding cake and I did the groom's cake, but I paid to have both of them cut for us. We did have the option of doing it ourselves, but I wanted my DH's cousin to be able to enjoy the wedding also. Granted, it was only $80 for both cakes and not done on a per-slice basis, but we did still pay.