High-end Sydney restaurant’s ‘cake-cutting’ fee leaves birthday girl stunned: ‘Is this the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard?’

A woman celebrating her birthday at one of Sydney’s most expensive restaurants was stunned to discover she could be charged hundreds of dollars to cut a cake she had brought for her guests.

The woman had arrived at Mimi’s in Coogee with a large group of friends when she was informed there would be a $13 per person cake-cutting fee, despite allegedly being told over the phone that bringing her own cake was free.

Sydney comedian Jeremy Franco, who overheard the exchange while waiting to be seated, said the restaurant’s distinction between bringing a cake and actually eating it left him baffled.

With at least 15 guests in the group, the fee would have amounted to a minimum of $195 if everyone was charged, while a table of 20 would face a $260 bill simply to serve the cake.

‘The birthday girl asked the host if they could put the cake in the fridge,’ Jeremy said in a video.

‘The host goes, “Absolutely, but just so you know, it’s a $13 per person cake fee”,’ he recalled.

The woman questioned the charge, explaining that she had specifically contacted the restaurant to ask whether there was a fee for bringing a cake.

But the response from the host was what left the comedian particularly baffled.

‘This is where it gets so funny to me,’ he said.

‘The host says, “Yes, that’s correct, there’s no charge to bring the cake. If you want to bring the cake, have it on the table, and take photos with it, that is totally fine. But if you want to cut into that cake, that’s $13 per person”.’

Jeremy questioned the distinction between bringing a cake into the restaurant and actually serving it, particularly given the size of the birthday party.

‘This woman had such a big table. If there were 20 people, that’s $260 to cut into that cake. I would not know what to do,’ he said.

While he acknowledged that restaurants incurred costs when providing plates, cutlery and staff to serve outside food, Jeremy questioned whether the fee was reasonable.

However, he stressed that his main concern was the apparent lack of clarity when the customer initially enquired about bringing the cake.

‘I’m not blaming the restaurant. All I am saying is that if I called a restaurant to check if there was a fee to bring my cake and they said no, there’s no fee.

‘Then later finding out that you can bring the cake but if you want to cut into it, it’s extra, and they didn’t mention that when I asked…’ he said.

‘Am I being unreasonable or is this the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard?’

The video prompted mixed reactions, with some viewers agreeing that the distinction between bringing a cake and serving it was misleading.

‘I understand the need for a cake-cutting fee, but don’t misrepresent the situation by saying that “bringing a cake is free”. That’s semantics,’ one person wrote.

Another questioned how the charge would apply to smaller parties.

‘So if I was alone I only pay $13? That’s insane,’ they wrote.

Others defended the restaurant, arguing that cake-cutting fees were intended to compensate businesses for customers bringing food from elsewhere rather than purchasing dessert.

‘Restaurants aren’t charging for the usage of the plate and knife, they are charging you because you aren’t going to buy their dessert and you’re taking up seats of paying customers,’ one person explained.

Another questioned the practice of bringing outside food to a restaurant in the first place.

‘I personally never understood why people bring food to a restaurant. You go there to eat their food,’ they wrote.

One commenter pointed to Mimi’s premium pricing, arguing that a $13 cake fee was relatively modest compared with the cost of dining at the venue.

‘Set menus at Mimi’s are $220-$260 per person. $13 is really cheap to have someone leave service to serve you BYO food,’ they wrote.

Mimi’s, which is located in the Coogee Pavilion, does disclose its cakeage policy on its website.

Under the frequently asked questions section, the restaurant addresses whether customers can bring their own birthday cakes.

‘You may order one of the Mimi’s cakes from our pastry kitchen or bring your own which will incur a $13pp cakeage fee,’ the website states.

The published policy makes clear that a per-person fee applies to outside cakes, although Jeremy’s account suggests the woman believed she had been given different information over the phone.

It is unclear exactly what was said during her original enquiry or whether the group ultimately paid the charge.

The Daily Mail has contacted Mimi’s for comment.