What's the deal with BYO and restaurants?

[unzippy]

Specifically Melbourne as that's where I am.  I see some restaurants advertise it from outside and assumed it was like London and to do with not having an alcohol licence.

But on closer inspection, it's only wine.  What kind of discrimination is going on there - I assume beer counts as alcohol (well, not the piss you sold at the cricket)?

[ali]

It's usually wine because they charge you corkage - which would turn out expensive if they charged you for every bottle of beer you opened.

[Toots]

We went to loads of BYO restaurants in Sydney and took beer, wine and spririts in with us.  Some places charged corkage, others didn't. 

[Drumbeat]

It depends on the restaurant. If they have no alcohol licence you can usually BYO anything. Many restaurants will allow BYO wine only despite having a licence while others will state no BYO at all. 

I think it's great to have the option, my husband doesn't drink wine so paying corkage for one makes it cheaper for me to BYO where possible.

[Marisawright]

In Sydney, BYO usually means BYO any kind of alcohol you like.   It's hard to get a liquor licence in Sydney so many restaurants don't have a choice. 

In Melbourne, I'm finding BYO is far less common, because liquor licences are so easy to get - even cafes have one.  I find it annoying because it pushes up the price of the meal (I went to one restaurant recently where the bottle of wine cost more than the food!).  

[AussieMum]

A small place might have a BYO permit instead of a full liquor licence as it's cheaper.  Others might stock bottled beer, etc, but have BYO for wine because that way they don't have the expense of having to have a decent-sized wine list for the occasional wine drinker.