Accommodating Guests With Food Allergies In Your Restaurant

QUESTION FROM: Anonymous in IA

“Have you ever developed allergy menus? What was your process and what allergies specifically did you focus on when you were creating them?

I know I will I need to look at all our ingredients and identify accordingly but I want to make sure we execute it correctly.  We always identify allergies on the ticket etc, but I want more clarity from guest to server to cook and back again. 

We have just started the TIP of the iceberg in developing this and now that I have some time, I would like to eliminate the grey areas in our menu. 

Any advice or good resources to successfully do this?

What are some things I should communicate on the menu? Is it better to have separate menus? 

Any suggestions welcome.”

HH ANSWER:

First of all, let me just commend you on not falling into the trap of forgetting that guests are the reason for our work…and while telling Karen jokes and poking fun at guests with gluten sensitivities may sometimes provide levity - they gradually erode the grave seriousness of the responsibility we have to not only serve every guest as we would expect to be served - but to ensure no one gets sick or dies because of us.

A food allergy is no joke. It’s a disease.

I’m not exactly sure how you’re planning to approach this beyond the obligatory red chit mod: 

***ALLERGY***

***ALLERGY***

***ALLERGY***

but whichever procedure you adopt - your Chef should be involved in every aspect of it’s design as they, along with the General Manager, should be responsible for it’s dissemination, implementation and evolution.

I’ve found the most efficient way to execute the development and implementation of a Food Allergy Program is with a 3 step process that puts most of the onus on the guest yet provides them with 1.) plenty of up-to-date accurate information and 2.) an educated staff as a second line of defense.

Step 1: The Book

Work directly with your Chef, GM and food vendors to build a “Comprehensive Menu” or “Food Ingredient Guide” that lists every ingredient in or on every menu item (from fat for pick-ups, prepped sauces, salsas, mixes and marinades to every garnish on every plate ). Specific measures need not be mentioned nor should every prep, pick-up, cooking or finishing method.

Print multiple copies of this book as you might do with a reserve wine list (or, for those more casual outlets…like a MSDS book) and be sure to keep a few stocked in the host stand. Having a living document / digital copy that can be printed or easily sent to guests on demand is also a good idea.

Any time a guest requests or references one of these menus/guides on-premise, it should be noted in your reservation book or under “guest notes” if you utilize a CRM platform of any kind like OpenTable or IBM.

While this book should be updated regularly, it’s understandable that some items or ingredients may slip through the cracks (as manufacturers, growers and suppliers using ingredients approved for use in the US aren't always required to fully disclose every “natural flavoring”, “seasoning” or component of those ingredients) so it is imperative you consult with a competent attorney to develop the most appropriate and tactful non-liable statement for inclusion.

I would expect your attorney to recommend every menu (including to-gos) and every page of the Comp Menu / Food Ingredient Guide to mention the fact that “the guide is meant, not as a promise or guarantee for any or all dishes to be free from any one specific ingredient, even upon request, but merely to help mitigate the likelihood of a guest with a food allergy or sensitivity from suffering an negative reaction…” or something to that effect.

Step 2: Most (Not) Wanted

Have your BOH/HOH crew make a sheet with (and be tested on) each of the more common allergies (e.g., seafood, soy, shellfish, egg, peanut, tree nut, dairy, wheat, etc.. ) as headings - and then list foods that are present on the line and on the menu that may cause a reaction under each one.

These pages should be posted on a wall near the expo line if possible and inserted into four binders (with plastic page holders) so that there might be one for the line, one for expo, one for the Chef’s office (back-up) and one for the GM/ Restaurant Mgrs’ office. Your Chef and GM can then use this collateral for training / testing.

Consider saving these docs in the cloud as well (e.g., as GoogleDocs). That way they can also be accessible on the fly from any Mgr’s mobile phone and can quickly be printed off or copied for reference during BOH & FOH pre-shift meetings as well.

Many POS systems now enable you to list additional info under the menu item which means this can be done via a sub menu function known as “recipe notes”.

You might be more accustomed to seeing this under cocktails / bar menu item buttons but check with your POS provider to see if they can walk you through the programing on other order screens as well.

As long as staff is regularly reminded to use that as a reference tool, they should begin to develop a pretty healthy base of knowledge…and nothing says you value your product and your guest quite like being educated about both.

Step 3: Mitigation

Train and test BOH/HOH staff on allergy cross-contamination (from using separate knives, boards and pans to the importance of maintaining dedicated fryers), FOH staff on the proper way to inquire about and communicate any food sensitivities/allergies and every other member of staff on the appropriate use of menu cards to ensure EVERY dietary restriction is taken and treated seriously.

I think the most important thing you can communicate to your service teams is that, even if they are 100% positive that a particular dish would be safe for a guest with an allergy to order/consume; once it’s known that a guest has an allergy they must always TRIPLE CHECK with the Chef (ONCE before the order is placed, AGAIN immediately after items have been ordered and ONCE AGAIN before it’s ran/delivered to the guest) as the Chef is ultimately responsible for every dish that leaves the line (If you’re just creating these SOPs, be sure that requirement is added to your Employee Handbook as well).

NB* In the event your beverage program includes: tinctures, syrups, infusions, reductions, powders and other food-based additives, it’s crucial for your Beverage Manager and Head Bartender to be working in-stride with the Executive Chef on this.

SAMPLE FOOD ALLERY ACCOMMODATION PLAN:

Separate - Have one or two separate deep fryer(s) for potatoes and non-gluten items if possible.

Detect - In order to determine which, if any, guest has a food allergy, amend the server or bartender spiel to open with “Does anyone have any food allergies , dietary restrictions or food sensitivities?”

Record - Use a standard form, card or sheet (brightly colored) that enables the server or bartender to quickly check off which food allergy the guest(s) has/have (include an “other_______________” option), use a separate sheet/card for each guest with table number and seat position clearly noted and confirm all details re visual inspection with the guest.

Communicate - Have the server pass off the form immediately to the Manager on Duty who then brings it to the Executive Chef or Kitchen Manager on Duty.

Evaluate - Chef compares allergies to menu item ingredients and alerts respective stations, expo and Manager to any substitutions, alternatives or omissions.

Avoid - Cross Contamination by having a designated line cook in charge of their plate: wash their hands, put on fresh gloves, use fresh pots/pans, allergy friendly fats and utensils as far away from other allergens to avoid cross-contamination as much as possible.

Announce - The (specific) allergen free dish to put guest at ease. (using a distinctly different dish is an additional layer of protection as most experienced operators know almost anything can happen on the way to the table)

A few years ago, I had a client who tried to convince me that “Eating out is a privilege not a right.”

While no law needs to exist in order to do the right thing. This is less a question of law than it is one of feasibility, intentionality, accommodation, inclusion and respect….AKA the core tenets of genuine hospitality. Until people with food allergies are designated as a protected class of citizens- I don’t think it will ever be a “law” to give them equal access to a business’ products or services in this country.

That being said - I DO think every restaurant operator should, at the very least, try to accommodate each and every to the best of their ability - within reason. After all - providing warm, engaging and personal service is the heart of what we do as hospitality professionals but ensuring the safety of each guest comes first so if it’s not reasonable in your facility and with the resources at your disposal - just be open and forthright about that in all communication to guests.

Remember, most guests realize that restaurants are not hermetically sealed labs staffed with highly trained medical professionals. They understand that restaurants are spaces full of a multitude of various ingredients, germs, chemicals and shared air… never having been designed for separate individual meal preparation let alone spaces where a multiple of allergen-free meals for different people with different allergies could be safely prepared in a highly controlled environment. We do the best we can do for as many guests as possible.

That being said - Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs articulates every person’s deep desire to fit-in and belong somewhere….and that once that feeling is felt - they become emotionally attached to a place. So, as the demand for more “allergy friendly” restaurants continues to increase year after, you have yto ask yourself: Do you want to be someone’s safe place - or just another reason someone doesn’t feel comfortable going out and spending money on a meal prepared by someone else?

If this rate of demand continues, we may very well begin to see some “restaurant labs” popping up over the next few years....if not something of even greater significance surfacing like...say a new certification boards for culinary professionals to obtain an “allergy-safe” designations. (something Paire Appetit will be rolling out for owner-operators in the PRO version of the new food+travel app: Paire).

Consider the steps outlined above and remember to ensure staff is working an allergy question into their greet spiel.

Remember: if any guest has a food allergy or food sensitivity, it’s written down and TRIPLE CHECKED / communicated BEFORE doing anything else (including entering anything into the POS).

And finally, don’t forget to speak with your lawyer about crafting some non-liable language to be included on your Comprehensive Menu / Food Ingredient Guide (i.e., a disclaimer so that it is clear to all reviewing it that it is merely a menu supplement and not a promise or guarantee).

Examples might include something like:

“This menu supplement is intended to mitigate the exposure to certain ingredients but may not represent the most up-to-date information or reflect all ingredients in our kitchen and therefore recommend you contact our management team at least 24hours prior to your arrival to discuss the most appropriate menu selections or the crafting of something off-menu that may give you greater confidence and enjoy your dining experience with us .”

or

Due to the multitude of ingredients, cooking methods and design of our facility, we can not offer a 100% guarantee that your dish will not come into contact with any particular allergen(s) that may be used in the preparation of other dishes or included as ingredients in some food products used in the preparation of your meal. Your service team does however take every allergy, food sensitivity, dietary restriction and food or beverage related inquiry very seriously and will do everything we can to address each one to the best of our ability.”

Hope that helps,

Josh Sapienza | Managing Partner

UbiquityAdvisors.com & Paire.io: The Dating App For Your Taste Buds