In America everything is considered "big" and portions in a restaurant are often so generous that even a person with a large appetite might not be able to consume all the food that is placed before him. Rather than to let the uneaten food go to waste many diners prefer to take it home to be eaten later. The waiter is summoned to the table and politely asked for a doggie bag. After all, it has been paid for, so it might as well be taken home rather than go to waste.

The inference to this request is that the unfinished meal will be given to one's pet who is protecting the homestead. It really doesn't matter that one's dog doesn't enjoy creamed broccoli, scalloped potatoes, french fries or the varied items found on a gourmet's menu, nor that one may have goldfish rather than a golden retriever. The doggie bag is never really meant to be given to man's best friend in the first place. Its contends will most likely be eaten by the pet's owner.

This take-home food might well be eaten later that same night as a midnight snack or perhaps reheated a day later as leftovers and served as part of a regular meal. When the waiter returns with the check, he will also hand the diner his doggie bag. Some restaurants even have heavy duty paper bags with a picture of a puppy imprinted on the side.

A "brown bag' restaurant, however, is something quite different. There are some restaurants which are not allowed to serve liquor because they do not have a license to do so. If they should be caught selling beer, wine or whiskey, they can be forced to close in violation of the law or else be subjected to a heavy fine. However, there is a way of getting around the legality of the situation. Patrons can bring in their own spirits in a brown paper bag and serve themselves.

The customers at the restaurant with a brown bag into which is carried their preferred alcoholic beverage for the evening to be consumed with their dinner. It may be wine, beer, whiskey or any other kind of alcoholic drink. The waiter merely provides the guests with the can opener or corkscrew after the meal has been ordered. In this way the management can never be accused of either selling or serving drinks without a license. It is a simple yet honest way of getting around a legal problem while providing an added service for the customer.

This custom of brown bagging is very popular and satisfies both the customer who has come to dine and the manager of the restaurant who wants to maintain his business. The customer likes it because he can enjoy his meal with a carafe of wine, a
bottle of whiskey or a can of beer purchased cheaply from the outside. The owner of the restaurant is satisfied because he is guaranteed the continued patronage of his customers without the added expense of maintaining a liquor license.