Drink tax rebels choose to BYOB

In a part of the country famous for resisting the government taxation of alcohol, it might be… In a part of the country famous for resisting the government taxation of alcohol, it might be hard to believe that the newly instituted tax on poured drinks has pushed the levy on booze in Allegheny County as high as 35 percent.

But in a few Pittsburgh restaurants the clinking wine glasses sound a bit like the drums of the Whiskey Rebellion.

At Cafe Zinho in Shadyside, a raucous group of a dozen young professionals rumbles with laughter around a table cluttered with dinnerware and a case of wine bottles in varying degrees of fullness.

Because of Zinho’s popular Bring Your Own Bottle policy the party is able to deftly sidestep the county’s 10-percent per-glass tax.

In the tradition of their forefathers, these whiskey rebels thumb their noses at the government’s efforts to exploit their drinking habits for the public coffers.

Monique Atkin, manager of Zinho, said that she welcomes such tax evaders to her establishment and is hopeful that the 10-percent levy – enacted Jan. 1 – will increase traffic in the future.

“We haven’t seen a big difference yet because it’s only been a few weeks,” she said. “But it’s always appealing here. When you have big parties, people bring a whole box of wine. It’s going to make a difference for them.”

Atkin said almost everyone who dines at the quaint Continental restaurant tucked into a cozy side street off of Ellsworth Avenue brings their own wine, and the ones who don’t often turn heel and make a quick trip to the liquor store when they learn about the BYOB policy.

Zinho has never had a liquor license nor has it ever considered purchasing one, Atkin said.

But other BYOB restaurateurs have thrown their plans to get liquor licenses out the window in light of the new tax.

Chef Domenico Aliberto, owner of Cafe Roma in Bloomfield, said his customers love his BYOB policy, and for him to try to pursue a liquor license would just be bad business.

“I was considering it. We are moving to a bigger location. But with this 10-percent tax, when I made my count, I threw out the idea to get a liquor license,” he said. “We’re already speaking with people, and they are happy that we are sticking with BYOB and not taking a liquor license.”

Aliberto also said he’s heard rumblings among other restaurateurs that sales are down, and a switch to BYOB might be a possibility.

“One restaurateur told me that people are drinking a little less wine, and he was actually thinking about taking away his liquor license.”

According to Aliberto, there are two possible outcomes for the city and county as a result of this tax.

“If restaurants lose money, they will close and move out of the city, or they will drop the liquor licenses, either way the city will lose.”

But Atkin said she’s not so sure the BYOB rebellion will get much traction in Pittsburgh.

“There are not so many [BYOB places] around,” she said. “It’s sort of scarce around here, everybody has a license.”

Aliberto, however, said he believes that BYOB establishments, which commonly charge a corkage fee of about $5 per bottle, are going to thrive.

“If I can buy a bottle of wine in the liquor store and come here and pay the $5, it’ll cost $15 instead of $25. I think restaurants like ours will see an increase in business, especially among those who drink wine.”

Philadelphia, now a Mecca for BYOB diners, saw the imposition of a similar 10-percent poured-drink tax in 1994.

The tax, levied to fund the city’s public school system, faced a level of public outcry from restaurateurs and patrons similar to that seen in Pittsburgh in recent months.

But now, almost 14 years later, the city has learned to cope with the tax.

Richard Hamic, manager of Audrey Claire, a BYOB bistro located in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, said that since the tax was imposed, hundreds of BYOB restaurants have sprung up in the city.

Hamic also said Pittsburghers may have to take some time to get used to their drink tax, but they will adjust.

“That 10-percent tax, it was a pain at the beginning, but after a while people will get used to it. It’s going to affect people for a little bit.”

As far as predictions for Pittsburgh’s BYOB scene, Hamic was skeptical.

“I don’t think it will be an explosion [of new BYOBs], but there might be some new places that open. They might wise up to it,” he said.