Dismayed diners are being charged as much as €5-a-head for bringing birthday cakes to restaurants.
Families are forking out to surprise their loved ones as eateries around the country look to cash-in.
There is no set price for the “cakeage” fee – like corkage for wine – and owners can seemingly decide how and when it applies.
One Dublin restaurant only charges if the party eats it in the restaurant – punters can sing happy birthday, blow out the candles and take pictures for free, but then the cake goes back in the box.
Some outlets will make diners pay per head or per cake, while others restrict the types allowed due to legal concerns over allergens.
One even makes customers sign disclaimer forms.
The “cakeage” term is thought to have been coined by San Francisco Chronicle writer Herb Caen as far back as 1991 and was entered into the Oxford Dictionary in 2015.
But being a relatively new phenomenon in Ireland, the charge has been slammed in what is seen as a booming time for eateries here.
Dermott Jewell of the Consumers’ Association Of Ireland said he was surprised a lot of restaurants were now charging money for cakeage.
He added: “I remember they were thinking of doing this in the UK a while back, I’m a bit surprised that it’s coming in over here.
"I’m not unaware of the costs of running restaurants but you can do damage to your business with things like this.”
