Ordering a glass of wine or a bottle to accompany your meal considerably increases the bill for consumers, many of whom can no longer digest the increasingly salty bills. In this context, more of them could therefore change tables this year by frequenting more bring-your-own-wine establishments, believe the restaurateurs interviewed.
“We are in a niche where when people have a little less money, they come to see us,” says Noé Lainesse, chef-owner of the O’Thym restaurant in Montreal.
“Currently, this is probably one of the avenues to explore for restaurateurs,” believes Christian Latour, professor of management at Collège Mérici, in Quebec.
While many operators are going through difficult times, particularly due to a reduction in customers, the rise in food prices and rents, or even because they must, by January 18, repay the loan granted by the federal government during the pandemic, Mr. Lainesse notes for his part that his establishment is not experiencing “a huge drop”.
After consulting the menu of certain restaurants, The Press noticed – as do most consumers who eat out – that a glass of Joel Gott, a Californian Sauvignon Blanc, for example, sold for $13.50 while it costs $21.95 for a bottle at the SAQ. At the restaurant, this same bottle is priced at $52. A bottle of Kim Crawford, a New Zealand chardonnay, can cost $53 in restaurants while it is sold for $20.95 on the SAQ shelves.
“It’s certain that at the moment, with the economic context and the increase in prices, paying $25 for a glass of wine hurts people,” says Benjamin De Châteauneuf, owner of the restaurant Le Marlow in Longueuil. .
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Benjamin De Chateauneuf, owner of the restaurant Le Marlow
Yes, consumers will clearly turn to BYOB or they will buy a bottle at the same price as a glass of wine sold elsewhere. In addition, they can choose the product they like, instead of betting on a wine that they have never tasted, which will not suit them, but which they will take anyway.
Benjamin De Châteauneuf, owner of the restaurant Le Marlow in Longueuil
Mr. De Châteauneuf also relies on this asset to attract customers to his dining room where he offers cuisine notably composed of salmon steaks, braised beef cheeks and even scallop carpaccios. “Our BYOB restaurant is a great option for Marlow guests, as they can bring their own bottle of wine or beer and avoid paying exorbitant alcohol prices,” reads the restaurant’s homepage. its website.
“If we go to a restaurant, it’s to eat well, before drinking well,” he adds in an interview.
In Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, where he has owned a restaurant Au Vieux Duluth for 33 years, Pedro Marques says that in 2023 he experienced his best December “ever”. He noted an increase in his sales of between 10% and 15% compared to the same period in 2022, a month which he then judged “very good”.
“People know how to count,” he said. I think BYOB restaurants are going to suffer the least this year. We will find ourselves with a clientele who perhaps previously went to slightly more expensive restaurants. »
Is it profitable?
Knowing that the sale of cocktails, draft beers and wine allows restaurateurs to have a better profit margin, is the BYOB concept viable? Yes, say the main stakeholders. “Of course we have to do volume,” emphasizes the chef-owner of O’Thym. If you don’t fill your room, it becomes very difficult. We just sell food, so our margin is just on food. »
On the other hand, he doesn’t need to hold alcohol, which saves him from having to think about refrigeration. It also saves space. And he needs fewer employees, he says.
And those who believe that BYOB restaurant plates are systematically more expensive, this is a myth, according to Benjamin De Châteauneuf. “I’m getting a lot more net profit because I’m processing everything from A to Z. I’m going to order half a pig and I’m going to cut it up. My raw material is much cheaper. »
A stable industry
For the moment, however, Quebec is not seeing a phenomenal increase in the number of establishments where customers sit down with a bottle that they have previously purchased. “The growth is overall minimal,” maintains Martin Vézina, vice-president, public and government affairs, of the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ).
However, it is difficult to find precise figures. In 2013-2014, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) granted 1,698 permits to this type of establishment compared to 9,587 for restaurants selling alcohol. The number of permits issued for BYOB increased to 1,744 in 2016-2017. Subsequently, the way of accounting changed, and a restaurant holder who has several dining rooms can now pay for a single permit for their entire establishment, instead of doing it for each room as was the case. Before. In addition, due to “modifications” made to its computer system, the RACJ was not able – within 48 hours – to provide data between 2019 and 2023. It is also impossible to have figures for the years 1980 and 1990.
The need is there
Despite everything, Christian Latour, from Collège Mérici, believes that the need is there and that the opening of this type of establishment is “an avenue to explore”.
“People still want to go to restaurants. It’s just that there are economic limits which mean that the frequency has decreased.
“If a restaurant manages to prepare food for me that I can’t make at home and offers me the opportunity to bring my own wine, I’ll definitely become a customer. »
It’s hard to know if we’ll see an increase in the number of BYOB restaurants over the next year. Mr. Vézina would not, however, be surprised to see certain establishments that sell alcohol make offers where they occasionally sell their wine at the SAQ price…