Here's Why You Should Never Bring Your Own Cake to a Restaurant

On occasion, store-bought cakes can be beautiful (especially when inscribed with Drake lyrics). But usually, they're quite dismal and sometimes even offensive. And while no one is really going to mind if these abominations are eaten in the privacy of your own home, it's an entirely different story when customers arrive to an upscale dinner out with one in hand. In fact, restaurant folks are sick of seeing them turn up.

Neal McCarthy—co-owner and general manager of Atlanta restaurant Miller Union—is one such person, and he's calling for an end to this trend. In an interview with the New York Times, McCarthy explained that, "These people sought out a nice restaurant, yet they undermine it by bringing in the world's most hideous cakes."

There's no denying that this trick has its upsides: A larger amount of cake for a remarkably cheaper price is perfect for a large group, especially when eating at high-end restaurants where the check is more likely to stack up. But if you're already planning on spending a lot, why not go the extra mile for a gourmet dessert? And when so many chefs find it totally insulting, you run the risk of looking like a fool, which certainly does not make for a very happy birthday.

While most restaurants simply stick to charging customers a "cakeage" fee (similar to a corkage fee), McCarthy and chef Steven Satterfield aren't going out without a fight: The duo have started posting all the ugly cakes that customers bring in on their Instagram account. Unfortunately, it's private so we can't actually see any of these likely very hilarious monstrosities for ourselves, but the New York Times got a peak if you need to see these for yourself.

Though chefs have never been particularly quiet about their distaste for the unsavory tradition, McCarthy and Satterfield's efforts seem to have started something of an uprising. A number of publications have covered the news in the last few days and other chefs are beginning to tweet in solidarity.

But if the internet doesn't embarrass customers into nixing the trend once and for all (which it likely wont), hopefully it will at least get them to bring in prettier cakes.

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