Even though the percentage of people who have an intolerance to gluten — about one in 20 — is not high, businesses should still go the extra mile in accommodating people who follow gluten-free diets , said panelists at the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C., this week. Customers who follow gluten-free diets “tend to be a passionate group,” said Cynthia Kupper, the executive director of Gluten Intolerance Group of North America. Just as they will offer their praises and cash to businesses that accommodate their dietary needs, they will stir up trouble for businesses that put their health at risk with incorrect labels or sloppy food preparation. “We have actually seen groups [of gluten-free eaters] take companies out,” said Kupper, referring to the efforts of gluten-free advocacy groups.
Hilton Hotels executive chef Aaron Flores offered a more incentive-based view for why businesses should target gluten-free eaters. One gluten-free eater will typically bring along several diners who do not require gluten-free foods, thus increasing business. As evidence, Flores described a gluten-free happy hour that Hilton Hotels has started offering. “About 60% of people that come to the happy hour don’t actually need to eat gluten-free,” said Flores.
The panel, which included Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bake House founder Lee Tobin, as well as Flores and Kupper, offered several tips for how to begin attracting gluten-free eaters.
Create standards and procedures. The first step toward making your business more attractive to gluten-free eaters is to have a set system for guaranteeing gluten safety. This system should outline how food is prepared and served; how kitchen stations are cleaned to avoid cross-contamination; and how employees are trained so that they will know how to accommodate a customer who follows a gluten-free diet. An added benefit of implementing gluten-free standards is that these standards may also improve the overall efficacy of your kitchen operations.
Use contact barriers. Your kitchen should have designated areas where gluten-free foods are prepared. Flores recommends using allergen-free cooking boards and cordoning off an area of your grill for gluten-free foods.
Be patient with uninformed customers. Many people who require gluten-free foods are new to the diet. They may have recently been told by their doctors that they can’t have gluten and are coming to your store or restaurant with a lack of knowledge. “We see people walk up and down the gluten-free aisle for about an hour and still have only about six items in their shopping baskets. These are the customers that need the most help,” Tobin said.
Stock a variety of gluten-free products. A single menu offering or small gluten-free section is not likely to enamor any gluten-free eaters. The idea is to make your gluten-free offerings as diverse and appetizing as your non-gluten-free ones.
Does your restaurant offer gluten-free items? Tell us more in the comments.
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Well, for the most part, it's not as tough as a caterer guaranteeing a peanut-free environment. It IS tough for us caterers who can control what happens in our own prep kitchens, but then must transport all the food/equipment to an off-premise site. We are often in spaces so small that cordoning off a "gluten free zone" is next to impossible. Of course we do our best, and we discuss it thoroughly with the client ahead of time.
Actually, our biggest hurdle is in the ingredients of the products we buy. For example, Kikkoman Soy Sauce has a gluten product in it, but La Choy does not. As a layperson reading the label, I had no idea! And one of the most frustrating things? Going to the extra effort of creating two gluten free meals to look like the regular guest meals for the 175 sit-down, plated dinner guests, and having the "gluten free" guests say they'd prefer to eat what everyone else was having. What's that about? A comment on the taste of the gluten-free plate? Don't think so, as they never tasted it. Wanting to fit in with the rest of the crowd? Maybe. Or maybe just gluten-free preference, not due to an allergy.
Don't get me wrong! I have Celiac clients who travel with the stick Epi so that if they do accidentally eat a wheat product, they can shoot themselves to avoid death. But truly, those clients/guests are few and far between. And for the most part, they bring their own food. Just in case. And my feelings aren't hurt!
Ann – Please dig in and do your homework. Celiac disease, which causes gluten intolerance is an autoimmune disorder, not an allergy. An Epi-pen will do nothing to stop the damage gluten will do to those individuals. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, 1 in 133 people in the U.S., not 1 in 20 as quoted by the article are affected by this disease. As a foodservice professional I urge those in this industry to study this and other conditions affecting our customers. Knowledge is power, and it is a power we need to keep our guests and our businesses healthy.
Bill, if you read the article it says 1 in 20 are gluten intolerant, not celiac. My understanding it that have even said it is closer to 1 in 10
Bill, I agree with you. I have a dietetic and nutrition background as a chef of 25 yrs. I have seen many changes in trems of passing food fads and necessity to change the way we serve customers with special needs. I also live with someone who has Celiac and watched her suffer 1 hour after meals that contained any form of gluetin, with some containing ingredients I knew nothing about. We are finding most chain restaurants are accomidating this need with information on the menu, and servers are willing to go ask the cook, while others are unaware of the issue and show disinterest in their customer's comfort. We are in the service of people who desire healthy , appealing, and nutritious food, we should not loose sight of their needs while making a profit.
Ann, the Epi pens are usually for allergies such as nuts, soy, shell fish and bee stings, just to name a few…
[...] here is a blog posting by Sam Taute about gluten free at the show… click here! [...]
Thank you Sam for great posting – we couldn't agree more. We see attracting GF diners as a marketing/sales strategy that will increase restaurants' customer base and sales. It's a learning process, for sure, but the real proof is in the stats of people who can't eat gluten: a huge community who want to spend money in restaurants but don't/can't! As a Celiac and Chef, I work with restaurants to modify existing menus, create new dishes, staff training and product sourcing. Of course we've encountered a range of responses from Chef's and Owners, from "Those GF people are a pain in the a** and I don't need any more business" (really?) to "I totally get it and want to capitalize on this opportunity." We're excited to be part of the changing the landscape for GF diners.
Thank you to make people aware of the intollerances and allergies that we now have to deal with in Hospitality
I am wheat free myself and can tollerate spelt ok for my gF customers I can do most of the meals on my menu as everything is cooked to order except my base sauces whith have spelt in it but as long as our customers let us know of their intollerance there should be no problem http://www.waitete.co.nz
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As someone diagnosed with celiac disease 10 years ago, I have to say that the restaurants which go out of their way to make it safe for me to eat there have won my undying affection (and I don't hesitate to express it on Yelp, Facebook, FourSquare, Twitter, etc). The menu at my favorite independently owned brunch place has a little icon next to each dish that CANNOT be made gluten-free — everything else can be. And they're quite flexible; when I asked why the huevos rancheros couldn't be made GF, they told me there was flour in the green chile sauce, so I opted to order the dish without that. No problemo!
A restaurant that treats my dietary needs with respect and caution will win repeat visits and good reviews. A restaurant that treats me like a pariah, offers nothing that can be adapted for my diet or outright lies to me about what's in the food (yes, this has happened) faces, at best, bad reviews. A friend of mine with life-threatening nut allergies went to a restaurant where the waitress noted her allergies in bold letters on the ticket; half an hour later, my friend was stabbing herself with an Epi-Pen in a cab en route to the ER because no one at the restaurant had realized that there were walnuts in the spread on the sandwich she had ordered. That restaurant paid for her hospital bill. Your restaurant does not want to go there — be careful!
Although I see many more restaurants beginning to accommodate gluten free and allergen free diners, a successful effort is much more than taking care in cross contamination or elimination of the offending ingredients. This is very important, but not the entire picture.
Traveling the globe for over 20 years as a Celiac, I have learned that the diner's perspective and overall dining experience is what develops the diner's confidence to be a repeat customer and tell others. Even with restaurants that offer gluten free items on their menu, I am not fully confident that my meal will be safe. Perhaps the chefs understand how to prepare the meal, but more could be done now to communicate and make visible to the diner the care and effort that restaurants are providing to enable a worry free dining experience. In my experience, this is a huge differentiation for establishments looking to attract this market segment
I am also advocating that gluten free offerings at restaurants actually taste exceptional and provide some nutritional value. We have a long way yet to go!
Thank you for posting the article! I have a friend that has to eat only gluten free foods. In our town, I've noticed more and more restaurants offering gluten free dishes and we love it! I hope this trend continues to rise. Here is a gluten-free salsa that we love! http://www.missionrs.com/blog/recipes/gluten-free… I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for raising awareness about celiac disease. There is one fine restaurant in my area that serves gluten free as well as "regular" food. My family and friends go there even when our GF member isn't with us – we want to show our support for this restaurant. We want it to stay open! I believe that if a restaurant can successfully serve GF food, it means that they have a clean, well organized kitchen that uses fresh whole foods!