towie, the "$10 corkage" you speak about is not for opening the bottle! I here this far too often. This is the establishments way of trying to make that margin that you have avoided by not buying their wine/drinks. These businesses have many many expenses that unless you have been in the game then you just simply would not understand.
Too many people think that restaurant meals are over priced (i agree some are) and fail to understand why this is the case. Let me tell you first hand that expenses in the F & B industry are bigger than most realise. In fact they are enormous!
"expecting a tip at the finish", well this is probably because F & B establishments cannot afford to pay people $30 an hour unlike are businesses/companies. Tips are just part of the bill imo. In actual fact owners rely on customers leaving their staff tips so that their staff will stick around longer than a month!
