Always check with a restaurant before bringing in your own food.
It is often considered poor etiquette to bring your own food into a restaurant. However, some circumstances warrant the need for patrons to bring outside food into the places they dine. When people have restricted diets, such as gluten or soy allergies, or strong religious dietary rules, such as a kosher lifestyle in the Jewish religion, they may require certain accommodations from restaurant owners. If you have a group of people dining in a restaurant for a birthday party, and you wish to bring in your own birthday cake, many restaurants are accepting of this practice. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Ask permission. Contact the restaurant ahead of time and find out if outside food is allowed inside the restaurant. They may ask you the reason for bringing in your own food, so explain the significancet. If the person on the phone tells you it is alright to bring in outside food, write down the name of the person you spoke with just in case you run into any snags when you arrive at the restaurant.
2. Pack your food into inconspicuous packaging. The restaurant may not appreciate it if you bring outside food packed inside another restaurant's containers, so wrap your food in unlabeled containers and plastic bags.
3. Tell the restaurant host that you brought your own food once you arrive at the restaurant. Inform him of the person who gave you permission to do so and show him your containers or bag of food. If you are only bringing in a cake for a birthday party, the host will take your cake and put it into the refrigerator for safekeeping until dessert. They may charge a slicing fee, however.
4. Look for restaurants that allow you to bring your own food. In certain cities, you may find restaurants that encourage people to bring outside food into the restaurant because they offer limited menus or only serve alcohol and beverages. According to a May 2010 article in the "New York Post," "The BYOF Boom," some bars and pubs in New York are jumping on the bring your own food bandwagon so patrons can have a personal picnic they prepare and bring themselves and just pay for the bar tab.
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