Dietary restrictions can make it difficult for people to find a place where they can eat. For example, a person with a gluten allergy may struggle to find a restaurant that has appetizing gluten free options. The percentage of people who have dietary restrictions is on the rise. It is important for restaurants to be aware and provide viable options for their guests.
Communicate With Your Customers
If you want to help your customers, you must communicate with them. Equip your staff with the knowledge to be able to communicate effectively with people who have dietary restrictions.
Your guests don’t want to be singled out to monologue about their health restrictions just to educate your staff and avoid an incident. Provide evidence to your guests to show that your staff has a baseline awareness of the challenges facing people with dietary restrictions. One of the best ways to communicate this is on the menu. An unfortunate approach is creating a separate menu for those with dietary restrictions. People enjoying a meal with friends and family don’t want to call attention to their situation by asking for your “special menu”. They want to focus on enjoying time with their loved ones, without feeling like an outsider. Menu items that can be altered to meet allergies should be clearly labeled. Make creative symbols for different allergies and add them next to each applicable menu item. It is as simple as that.
Think About How You Cook the Food
You also need to consider how you cook the food in your restaurant. For example, some restaurants cook their food in peanut oil. Since some people have peanut allergies, this may cause them to have an allergic reaction.
If you plan to keep your customers informed, you can put footnotes on all your menus. Make sure they state what you cook the food in, so people know about these points. If you can, you should find cooking alternatives to serve your customers who have dietary restrictions.
You should also cook the food separately. Some of your customers may worry about cross-contamination, so make sure you have specific pans and utensils for various dietary needs.
Speaking of separation, you should also sanitize your kitchen utensils properly. You want to ensure you never cross-contaminate your food, so you should always clean your utensils. For example, once you use a pan to cook a dish, you should immediately put it in the sink. Make sure you do this with all your dishes, so you can clean them right away.
Even though this may seem unnecessary for certain ingredients, you need to remember some people have rare allergies. As a side note, some areas may see it as a health code violation if you use the same pan for different dishes, so always keep your restaurant clean.
Do Your Research
Knowledge is power. Creating general awareness regarding the top common allergens can make all the difference. Rather than facing a potential life-threatening situation when they eat at your restaurant, your guests can feel comfortable trusting your staff’s competence.
An alternative that works for one guest could be problematic for another. By generally avoiding these top ten allergens, you broaden the scope of clients you can serve.
Final Comments
Your guests will appreciate your efforts. Making dishes that people love accessible to them is an unforgettable experience for someone who is used to going without, due to their dietary restrictions. Make some efforts in this area, and you will earn loyal patronage.
By mary
Dietary restrictions can make it difficult for people to find a place where they can eat. For example, a person with a gluten allergy may struggle to find a restaurant that has appetizing gluten free options. The percentage of people who have dietary restrictions is on the rise. It is important for restaurants to be aware and provide viable options for their guests.
Communicate With Your Customers
If you want to help your customers, you must communicate with them. Equip your staff with the knowledge to be able to communicate effectively with people who have dietary restrictions.
Your guests don’t want to be singled out to monologue about their health restrictions just to educate your staff and avoid an incident. Provide evidence to your guests to show that your staff has a baseline awareness of the challenges facing people with dietary restrictions. One of the best ways to communicate this is on the menu. An unfortunate approach is creating a separate menu for those with dietary restrictions. People enjoying a meal with friends and family don’t want to call attention to their situation by asking for your “special menu”. They want to focus on enjoying time with their loved ones, without feeling like an outsider. Menu items that can be altered to meet allergies should be clearly labeled. Make creative symbols for different allergies and add them next to each applicable menu item. It is as simple as that.
Think About How You Cook the Food
You also need to consider how you cook the food in your restaurant. For example, some restaurants cook their food in peanut oil. Since some people have peanut allergies, this may cause them to have an allergic reaction.
If you plan to keep your customers informed, you can put footnotes on all your menus. Make sure they state what you cook the food in, so people know about these points. If you can, you should find cooking alternatives to serve your customers who have dietary restrictions.
You should also cook the food separately. Some of your customers may worry about cross-contamination, so make sure you have specific pans and utensils for various dietary needs.
Speaking of separation, you should also sanitize your kitchen utensils properly. You want to ensure you never cross-contaminate your food, so you should always clean your utensils. For example, once you use a pan to cook a dish, you should immediately put it in the sink. Make sure you do this with all your dishes, so you can clean them right away.
Even though this may seem unnecessary for certain ingredients, you need to remember some people have rare allergies. As a side note, some areas may see it as a health code violation if you use the same pan for different dishes, so always keep your restaurant clean.
Do Your Research
Knowledge is power. Creating general awareness regarding the top common allergens can make all the difference. Rather than facing a potential life-threatening situation when they eat at your restaurant, your guests can feel comfortable trusting your staff’s competence.
An alternative that works for one guest could be problematic for another. By generally avoiding these top ten allergens, you broaden the scope of clients you can serve.
Final Comments
Your guests will appreciate your efforts. Making dishes that people love accessible to them is an unforgettable experience for someone who is used to going without, due to their dietary restrictions. Make some efforts in this area, and you will earn loyal patronage.