Restaurant Approach to Handling Special Dietary Requests
The collaborative process between restaurants
and guests ensures that guests are served an enjoyable, allergen-free
meal. The chart below outlines this process in two components—planning
and table-side communication.
To successfully handle gluten-free requests,
restaurant staff need to follow seven key steps.
1. Educate staff about potential
dietary requirements
a. Conduct training for management and staff
on specialized diets
b. Obtain certification from appropriate
organizations and restaurant awareness programs
c. Talk with other restaurants dealing with
specialized diets
d. Monitor training effectiveness and guest
feedback
2. Identify restaurant-specific
ingredients and preparation techniques to be potentially modified
for specialized diets
a. Identify common food allergens and associated
ingredients
b. Assess what areas of food preparation
specific to our kitchen contain common food allergens
c. Identify which menu items are naturally
free of specific allergens
d. Explore potential modifications to menu
items based upon specific allergens and ingredients
e. Determine possible cross-contamination
and potential changes required in our kitchen
f. Identify what ingredients and areas of
food preparation cannot be modified
3. Understand guest’s special
dietary needs and discuss menu
a. Discuss guest’s dietary conditions
b. Discuss menu items and safety factors
of dishes
c. Discuss which menu items must be avoided
d. Confirm menu items and preparation with
chef based upon requirements
4. Facilitate accurate understanding
of the order and special requirements
a. Determine if the special order is understood
by the cooks under the chef’s supervision
b. Assess and factor in language considerations
with the kitchen staff
c. Determine the feasibility of executing
special requests based upon how busy the kitchen is
d. Assess if order can be prepared as requested
e. Follow-up with guest if a change to the
order is required
5. Ensure fulfillment of special
order
a. Confirm with the chef if special request
can be handled
b. Monitor fulfillment of special request
c. Re-confirm order with kitchen staff prior
to delivery
6. Deliver meal
a. Deliver meal to guest
b. Confirm their special dietary request
when the meal is delivered
c. Handle situation if meal does not meet
the guest’s expectations
7. Follow-up with guests about
service and ensure satisfactory dining experience
a. Follow-up with guest to ensure meal is
satisfactory
b. Provide guest feedback to manager and
chef as needed
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