Restaurants Fight Outside Cakes With 'Cakeage' Fees

Restauranteurs around the country are taking a stand against one of their least favorite habits of patrons by introducing a fee to discourage against the practice — bringing outside cakes inside the restaurant. 

While outside desserts have been flat-out banned by some businesses, others agree to let the cakes in for what's come to be known as a cakeage fee, which covers the cutting and plating of the cake. Neal McCarthy, owner of Miller Union in Atlanta, documents the funniest of customers' cakes on his Instagram. 

"These people sought out a nice restaurant, yet they undermine it by bringing in the world's most hideous cakes," McCarthy told the New York Times. What's more, McCarthy says, it's rather unusual that customers have come to expect restaurants to be so tolerant of their bringing outside food into a place that sells food. "Am I going to bring in my own piece of Wagyu beef or an appetizer I just whipped up at home and ask a place to serve it?"