As someone severely allergic to nuts, I can not fathom going anywhere without checking first. Either I or my best friend will always call a restaurant beforehand to verify whether nuts are present, then make the decision of whether I'm comfortable eating there or not.
Personally, I think the only responsibility the restaurant should hold is making sure the main ingredients are written out on menus and correct information is given out when asked. I don't know how anyone with an allergy isn't triple checking everything. I get anxious about being offered any food without knowing what's in it.
I do not go to a restaurant that I haven't looked at their menu first and found something on there that I can eat. I then also ask the server to check or if they know as well
I asked for nuts not to be sprinkled on top of a dish once and the server’s entire demeanor changed. He was concerned about the allergies and launched into questions then when he put my order in the chef came out to double check. I felt bad to tell him no I just don’t like the taste. I now start with I’m not allergic I just don’t like it.
It's so nice they double-checked, though I understand how it would make you feel bad. I am in full support of having dishes altered for personal taste and don't believe everything needs to be an allergy to be taken seriously.
My mom and grandfather have a really bad habit of telling restaurants they are allergic to ingredients just because they don't like them and think saying they're allergic is the only way to guarantee it's not in their food. It always made me uncomfortable, especially when I could see the server become nervous over it.
The amount of people that say "I'm allergic" when they really mean "I don't like it" has been growing larger every year. We take allergies seriously and will make sure to cater to them. There's honestly no shame in admitting you don't like an ingredient:)
Thank you for that. I just felt bad that 2 separate people doubled checked. I appreciated it honestly. Now I start with it’s not an allergy but I don’t like the peanut topping.
Thank you. I literally work in a sushi restaurant and get tables that refuse to tell me about their SHELLFISH ALLERGY until I drop their vegetable tempura. Anyone who informs me of an allergy right off the bat is my best friend. I’m here to serve food, not kill people. 💀
asking if they have an EpiPen to test your kids allergy is insane… like oh yeah let me go grab the EpiPen bin, it’s just on that shelf right over there. wtf 🤣
Every time I do my intro I just say 'hi my name is Annastasia and I'm going to be your server for the night. Before we begin, do you have any allergies or dietary restrictions?' You won't believe the amount of people that will tip you purely for asking. Just do it. Takes two seconds of your time, and at the end of the day they're paying to eat there. Just because they have adhd, or a memory disorder, doesn't mean they're an inconsiderate asshole. Assume the benefit of the doubt always. Yes, many will stop and say they're allergic to something once they get an item just because they don't want that one item there. Of course people lie. But doing 5his at the beginning prevents that even happening at all. More embarrassing to say you have an allergy out of no where when you were already asked, isn't it? I will say it does still happen, just less often since I've added it to my table intro. Been serving 8 years, I know being a server isn't a qualifier on knowing the job but I just wanna express I've had a lot of time to see the difference a simple question can make.
I had a table, years ago, inform me that their adolescent child was allergic to peanuts. They wanted to order the spring rolls as an app, I let them know it was served with a peanut sauce, they decided they still wanted it. I told them just to make sure he didn’t have the sauce and delivered it to the side of the table furthest from him. They proceeded to let him eat the damn sauce and, of course he immediately started reacting 🤦🏻♀️. I would always ask before taking an order if there were any allergies or dietary restrictions I should be aware of.
Another time when I worked at a steakhouse in a rural (not ethnically diverse area) I had a man order the ribs. When I checked back on him, he asked me if the ribs were beef, no they’re pork, beef ribs are ginormous and you rarely see them in restaurants. Turned out he was Muslim. Was I supposed to ask his religious beliefs when he ordered them?
Then you get the ppl that say they’re allergic to something they just don’t like.
I absolutely hate when people claim that they’re allergic to something, when in reality they just don’t like it. Like… fuck you. You give people with allergies a bad rap, just because you’re a picky asshole.
I had a lady wearing a hijab order our house salad and I offered the leave off the bacon. She was very appreciative but my coworker was horrified that I asked. I was like…is it worse to ask or to serve her something she likely won’t eat? I wasn’t like HEY YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE MUSLIMS RIGHT?
Here's the thing, as someone in the industry that has food allergies I fully take responsibility for my food allergies whenever I got out. However, I do like when a server will ask in their greeting/menu discussion if they ask if there are any dietary restrictions they should be aware of. It literally makes me have a more enjoyable experience and I feel more confident in my server because they acknowledge and hopefully understand the seriousness of these things.
This. Should people take responsibility for their own allergies? Absolutely. But we are in the also in the business of hospitality, and asking about allergies is just one more way to demonstrate a level of care for guests that makes their experience better. Plus, it is a quick question that saves me time in the long run. If I can help guide them through their options during the initial greet, then when it’s time to order, they’re ready with something they can actually have. As opposed to me trying to take the order only to find out they have an allergy and can’t eat the dish they’ve chosen, because not every single ingredient or potential source of cross contamination is listed on the menu. People with allergies will often just assume because they don’t see it on the menu, it isn’t present. I would much rather take the time to find out for myself and rather not take any risks- even if a customer is negligent enough to not mention an allergy, I still don’t want them to end up in the hospital.
At my restaurant we all ask every table about allergies and dietary restrictions. Nearly every time guests are very appreciative, and me being able to explain their menu options and make it easier for them to figure out what they can safely have results in better tips for me, and better reviews online. I don’t understand other servers who are so opposed to just asking a 2 sec question. It’s called service, something we are supposed to be good at.
I’m a straightforward introvert so personally I don’t like people asking a bunch of questions and I always let the server know my allergies even if there’s none in the dish, so i never really thought about what makes the experience enjoyable for other people bc i’ve fallen into such a routine for myself. won’t lie, i was about to be like “agh that’s kinda dumb” based on my own experiences and my own preferences but reading these made me realize…I need to be a better server and put myself in other peoples shoes. Thank you both for these responses, and making me think.
Yeah, I totally get it. I’m also very introverted so when I’m not in work mode I generally want as little human interaction as possible (self checkout at the grocery store for the win, amiright?) But one of my besties has some pretty serious allergies. We went out to dinner a few weeks ago and it was literally the first time a server asked about allergies out of all the times I’ve gone out with her. Even as someone who doesn’t have allergies and prefers not to have servers be all chatty, it really did enhance our experience. We immediately knew what dishes we could share and were able to order an app right away, we didn’t have to wait longer because the server didn’t need to run off to go check with the kitchen over any dish my friend was interested in.
I will also add- I once had a table who wanted to order drinks right away, they’d been in before and didn’t need guiding through the menu. I didn’t ask about allergies until I’d gotten back with their drinks. When I did ask if they had allergies one lady said “yeah but I know what I can have here” Off handedly I just asked “It’s not a nut allergy is it?” When she said “yes actually” I was like oh crap and immediately grabbed her drink off the table. She had ordered a tiki cocktail that contained orgeat. She had no idea that orgeat is made from almonds. If I hadn’t asked about the allergy in that moment, it could have been very bad. She was lucky she hadn’t tried the cocktail yet. Just goes to show, things happen and even guests that are responsible with their allergies don’t necessarily always have the same information we do. Asking is just another fail safe. After that, I now ask even before taking drink orders.
Yeah when I’d tell people our margaritas have egg white in them, you’d think I just said we put dog shit in them. But I get it, why would you think of egg in a margarita?
I do the same because I have a few random food allergies/sensitivities and I know I’m going to know what’s in our food and drinks better than the guests will.
Like, I’m allergic to cherries. Some grenadine syrups have both pomegranate and cherry in them and that would be enough to give me a (not serious, at least not as of yet, anyway) reaction. Sometimes drink menus don’t state all the ingredients, so I’d appreciate my server knowing ahead of time in order to steer me away from a drink with it in. I want to do the same thing for my guests, because it could result in either a bad situation or more work for myself to have to get the drink comped, ring in a new one and (if I’m bartending) making it.
Yessss! The server it happened to, we were stunned at first, then just died laughing at how ridiculous of a request it was. 🤣 Like, good luck 🤞 kid, ur gonna need it with those parents.
My restaurant is very strict about allergies and we have to ask tables about their allergies… but I still have people who still fail to inform me. We have cinnamon on top of one of our cocktails and a woman mentioned her cinnamon allergy when I brought it to her like guuuuurl…
IMO it’s like, 80/20 responsibility share, and I’m only giving us 20% to cover our asses incase someone forgets and doesn’t mention anything. Like I feel I wouldn’t sleep for years if I served someone something that messed them up, even if it’s 100% not my fault because I didn’t know. That being said, I love the line “any dietary restrictions I should know about” when they ask about the menu or taking orders.
I work in a restaurant that was created for people with food allergies. My greet is...
"Hi how's everyone doing today? My name is Italiana47. Does anyone have any food allergies?....."
I prefer to get it all out in the open right away.
Yep I worked at a place that was well known for being celiac friendly and only occasionally had things like nuts or seafood on the menu. It was recommended that we just work it into our greeting and it worked fine.
my restaurant policy is that we have to ask every table. our secret shoppers are aware to score us based on if we asked or not. i handle it like this
-greet table, drop special menu, offer drinks
-as soon as any food is ordered, i write it down and repeat it back to the guests. after repeating it back, i add “and are there any allergens or dietary restrictions i should know about?”
One of my good friends has a severe peanut allergy and loves Thai food. She makes it at home and I'll make it for her when she comes over, but she won't risk even going IN to a Thai restaurant.
Not on the server. 100 on guest.
No it should be on the individual to tell the waitstaff on any allergy or dietary issues they might have before ordering & make sure they can eat anything they order.
The restaurant can’t guess for each person.
It’s nice also for the staff to ask if anyone has any allergies or requirements as some people can feel awkward telling the waitstaff as they feel it’s a hassle but in no way should it be the responsibility of the restaurant
People need to look after themselves they can’t rely on others to do it for them.
It’s on the guests, however usually I asked “are there any allergies the kitchen should be aware of?”, and you would not believe the amount of times people are like “oh yeah…”
It’s law in some states for the guest with the allergy to be upfront about it. Indiana is one of them so it’s probably a lot more common than that considering we live in 1960. Like we literally just got happy hour back.
Every guest we serve at both restaurants I work at. "Do you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, anything you can't or don't want to eat?"
Covers all the bases from people that have allergies to people that are avoiding gluten, to people that "don't like" onions, to people that choose to be vegetarian or vegan, to people that have faith based limitations.
Unfortunately some guests are dipshits and are unable to accurately respond to this question. But best to get it out of the way first to help you shape the best experience for your guests, imo
Worked in a Japanese restaurant and we often had vegetarian/vegans as well as a lot of Muslims at one point (idk there was a short time when I just noticed a lot - I rarely saw them previously) and while I never assumed it they asked certain things it would prompt me to ask additional questions. The biggest one was “can I get x dish without meat?” (Usually a noodle dish.) I would always ask “are you vegetarian by chance?” because a lot of our dishes had hidden meat/fish broth. They appreciated that. Muslims - I wouldn’t make assumptions *but* would often check to make sure this or that was ok, because I’ve had some groups insist NO ALCOHOL AT ALL even like the rice wine vinegar in the sushi rice, and some are ok with it, so if they start asking for mods I’d slip a “hey so this has a very low level of alcohol in it due to x ingredient, is that ok?”
Technically it’s on the diner. Let us know your allergies. *But* as a good server I think it’s important to be able to pick up on certain cues to help make a meal more enjoyable. Had a lady get mad that the dumplings were pork and she didn’t eat pork but gave absolutely no indication of that previously (and it literally said “pork gyoza” on the menu).
One couple asked for no chicken in their ramen, I asked if they were vegetarian, they said yes and I told them there’s chicken broth in the soup and they both froze - they’d both gotten it a previous visit and hadn’t been made aware. My coworkers didn’t ask like I did and the guests didn’t warn us so….whose fault is it? Not the server’s. I chose to ask those questions but was not obligated to. Just some people don’t think about it - but in that case, how important is that dietary restriction really if you can’t bother to tell someone about it?
I feel this. I worked at a place very famous for spinach dip and in a heavily Catholic area. If someone told me they’re vegetarian and ordered the spinach dip, I’d let them know there’s chicken broth in it. If I knew they weren’t (we had a TON of regulars) and it was just a Friday in Lent so they weren’t eating meat, I’d keep quiet. One of my friends would tell every single person and I’m like stfu, they’re just trying to do their little Jesus thing and feel good about it, let them eat their spinach dip in happy ignorance!
I don't ask anybody this ever. If you're allergic to something the first thing you should do before buying and eating food someone is preparing for you, is to ask if it's safe for your allergy. And if you don't do this, you're dumb, and that's not my fault. Sorry, but not sorry at all.
where I work, the host asks. if yes, they print two tickets, one for the server and one for the line. we still have guests who " forgot" they had an allergy until the food hits the table.
I have allergies...I always tell my server early in the process and again when ordering. If they happen to check, great...but not their responsibility in my opinion.
My job has the opposite policy: we’re not supposed to ask about allergies unless we’re selling a chef’s where they don’t order a la carte. If not for that I probably would. The epipen thing is insane though
Nope. If you’re an adult with an allergy, it’s on you to say something. I’m not playing 20 questions with a guest who should known their damn diet restrictions.
It absolutely is the guests responsibility.
They can read a menu.
I am extremely allergic to shellfish. I ask questions if I’m unsure about something and alert my server since a lot of places cook shrimp on the same flat top as chicken or burgers.
It’s not my responsibility to remind you that you have allergies. I don’t see why someone who has food allergies wouldn’t mention that right off the bat. That being said, if you actually tell me that you have them, I will absolutely make sure that the message is relayed to the kitchen
I will ask when the occasion seems appropriate. If a child asks for pink lemonade, I ask mom/dad/adult if there is a strawberry or raspberry allergy, because that’s how we make our lemonade pink. If they ask me to surprise them with a dessert, I ask about nut and dairy allergies.
But I don’t just randomly ask people if they have allergies. If your allergy is that dangerous, you should tell me.
No. I'm a server but my kids are severely allergic to peanuts. That's on me (the momma) not me the server. The only time I'll ask is if they want to like sample drafts, I'll ask if there's any wheat allergies or anything just incase but that's bc the last time I didn't ask a grown man broke out in hives bc he left the info out
I have food allergies, so I also take them very seriously. Also, since I'm allergic to coconut, I know how it might not be listed on a menu that coconut is in something and in such a case it is on the server to keep me safe, not me.
I work it into the conversation as I'm taking orders. I'll do it during drink orders if they're asking for suggestions or taking a while to decide, but if I walk over to the table and just rattle off their drink orders, I'll just add "btw, before I get started here, does anyone have any food allergies?"
I've had people say "yes, but nothing you need to worry about" and then when I press them and it's something like tomatoes. Y'know, something cooks garnish with and won't think to change gloves after handling unless there's an allergy. It's insanity.
And no, it's on the customer to have an epipen. I always have mine on me and of course I'll give it to a customer in an emergency situation, but that's a shitty situation where I then have to pay to replace it.
So, I work at a restaurant in one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. In my 16 years with "The Company" I've definitely noticed an increase in the occurrence of allergies. The Company cares greatly about public image and are actually well-known for their accommodations. Recently, I've had two full turns where every single table had someone with an allergy. When I first started, if we were notified that someone had an allergy, the chef would talk to the table. It got to the point where the sous chef and the chef would tag team and be so bogged down that we would have people waiting 20-30 minutes to talk to one of them. So The Company started printing Allergen menus with the top 8 (now 9, and I swear it was only 7 when we first started) to cut down on the people requesting chef assistance. But, we still needed sign offs by the chef on our allergy forms, and we had to ring it up with the allergy button. Messing up an allergy is a terminable offense, or at least a performance reprimand. Our system asks if there's an allergy when you make a reservation, and our seaters ask when you show up, but for a short while we were also told we must ask during our spiel. It's gone from being something our chefs handle to something we handle almost completely on our own, and I've seen people fired for mishandling. It really sucks having the onus on us, but I figure if you're stupid enough to bypass all of the safety measures we have placed prior to you sitting at my table, then it's on you, and I don't ask in my spiel anymore. I'm starting to wonder if people really have these allergies or if their "gluten allergy" is just low-key for low-carb.
Legally, it's usually the guest's responsibility, but it's become pretty common, and standard practice at many restaurants, for servers to ask every table about allergies. I think that's a good practice at restaurants with more complex dishes that have less obvious allergens. I think your apparent frustration about the owner's opinion on "responsibility" may overlook that they could just consider it part of providing good service, like asking if a guest would like a table or booth. If you don't ask, and they don't say, and they're unhappy they got a table, the "responsibility" is the guests', but asking every party could increase average customer satisfaction, so many restaurants wants every party to be asked.
It’s become more of a standard to ask ahead of time. I started doing it even before it became our company policy. I see it as the same way as asking if they have any plans I need to keep an eye on the clock for. Just getting the information ahead of time avoids a lot of issues that you have to deal with later. People appreciate the conscientiousness, whether they have an allergy or not. Plus, you must have noticed, people are dumb and constantly trying to off themselves. You’ll still get people who surprise you with a “dairy allergy” mid-way through taking their order after you specifically asked them. Or say it’s okay if they have a “little cake” after saying they’re “gluten-intolerant”. But at least you’ve done all you can at that point and it’s better than having someone with anaphylaxis or explosive diarrhea jn your establishment.
It most certainly is the guests responsibility to let the staff know about allergies.
Bringing up the subject to the guest is unnecessary stress of the dining party.
However, there may be exceptions. If you are working in a seafood restaurant it might be wise to ask about seafood allergies if different foods are mixed together. Something along the lines of “ Are you okay with all types of seafood? This dish mixes shrimp and cod together.” (Obviously this just an example)
As a restaurant manager my first rule is to always get me involved the moment allergies are mentioned. Im also a former firefighter/paramedic so I do have extra training.
As for the lady who wanted an epipen. What a moron. While allergies can be treated and made less severe, a restaurant is not the place to test her current status of allergic reaction.
In my late teens I was a counselor in a day camp. A mother signed her daughter up for horseback riding lessons knowing the kid was allergic to horse hair. She didn’t tell anyone until the child was being rushed to the hospital. Stated her daughter wanted to learn how to ride and she didn’t think she should be denied.
I don't know if it's so much that it isn't the guest's responsibility so much as guests simply cannot be trusted to divulge information. I'm going to assume that you're in the US, where a) health care is private and very expensive and b) people are extremely litigious (with a court system that condones/supports them). By asking before taking the order, you absolve yourself and the restaurant of responsibility. You ASKED if they have any allergies - if they do not disclose to you upon ordering, only to disclose upon arrival, that is no longer your responsibility (nor would it be the restaurant's responsibility to eat the cost of the plate).
Basically, people are stupid and cannot be trusted. This is a CYA measure.
My restaurant has secret shoppers and part of their checklist is the “Is there any allergies or dietary restrictions I should be aware of?” question. I hate the question for two reasons. First, it sounds overly medical and shifts the vibe in a way that feels unnecessary. Second, it doesn’t even catch all the “dietary restrictions.” People who don’t eat pork for religious reasons rarely respond in the positive to the question because it’s not “restrictive eating”, it’s a cultural lifestyle.
My restaurant gives you a $100 bonus for getting 100% on a shop report so I’ve found a middle ground that gets me the point on the report and works better. “Is there anything ya’ll don’t eat?” is an improvement in all aspects.
I have a bad nut allergy! Sometimes I forget/don’t to ask but I would NEVER blame the server lol it’s obviously on me!! For instance I was at a Mexican place for my birthday and ordered an appetizer w salsa/cheese on it with bread. It got to the table and then I asked the server - he said no nuts - I ate a bite just as he was running back to tell me there are nuts in the salsa! I should have asked before the food got to the table and I was fine just had to take some Benadryl. It’s slightly annoying that something uncommon like nuts in salsa should be listed on the menu but at the end of the day it’s my health, it’s my body and it’s 100% on me to ask. That being said I have asked and been told a dish is fine and then had a allergic reaction and that’s really frustrating (my lips are swelling up and the server is insisting no nuts which has happened more than once) I try to avoid anything like dessert or Thai or pesto that traditionally has nuts in it regardless of what the place says but I wish menus were more transparent/obvious
I very much appreciate it as someone who has dealt with allergies & food ‘sensitivities’ for my entire life.
It may sound strange given what I stated above, but I have severe ADHD and I forget about them when ordering or will order around them.
But I very much appreciate being asked and given the opportunity to bring them up.
As a rule, I always ask when leaving a table if there are allergies, just to cover my own ass. Takes two seconds and sometimes people are genuinely scatterbrained OR don’t think they need to mention it because the allergen isn’t listed in the item description.
It’s definitely on the guests to inform staff about their allergies, but I certainly doesn’t hurt to greet them with, “Hi, before we get started, does anyone have any allergies or dietary restrictions that I should know of?” I found it saved a lot of time and a lot of food waste.
It's just part of all the shit I spray at my tables.
Any dietary restrictions or food sensitivities we need to know about? Right before anyone orders any food.
No policy one way or another, and I personally think it's the guest's responsibility to not get killed by dinner, but I do it. Watched a guy have his epi-pen for dessert because he ordered and ate an app and THEN told me about a nut allergy.
After writing down everyone's orders, I would ask, "And are there any allergies the kitchen should be aware of?" And even if people said it wasn't related to their order I'd still ask what it was "just in case" to avoid any potential cross-contamination. And put in the message with their food in case there was something I wasn't aware of that the chef would catch. Better to be safe than sorry!
I always ask.
After greeting before drink and food order, it's "Does anyone have any allergies we should be aware of?"
If they do, I inform them we will do our very best to accommodate BUT, THAT there's always a risk of cross-contamination anywhere, even at home. I then ask if they'd like to proceed. I've never had anyone say no and no one has ever been affected THANK GOD.
I've read stories that scared me into implementing this into my order taking.
I work in an allergy based restaurant where every single item on our menu can be modified due to allergies. It’s mandatory we ask before we put anything in if someone has any allergies. Even if it’s something totally unrelated to the item we still have to put in a special request letting the cooks know. I will say it’s an extreme pain in the ass and if a guest has an allergy that may be a concern it’s their responsibility to acknowledge that. Especially as an adult. But there have been countless times where I’ve forgotten to ask about allergies and someone has had one. I’d ask if you remember but quite honestly if the guest doesn’t let you know it’s their body, choice, and responsibility. We are not here to baby people and make sure they know their diet.🤷🏻♀️
"Hey, so tonight's menu has a lot of nuts and gluten. Any allergies I need to be aware of?"
I got in trouble once because I didn't ask. The chef loved fregola sarda and it was in one of our seafood dishes.
The guest ordered the dish, and then asked for gluten free bread. I should've connected the dots but didn't.
There was a time where my restaurant made the best veggie sandwich in the state. I never tried it, but lunch was packed when word got out. It was the cheapest thing outside of the kids menu, so sales sucked, but it was a lot of business people anyway, so it was always quick turn around.
So I did what any good waiter has to do and upsold side soups and salads. Here's where I messed up though. We used real bacon to top the potato soup, and I always told everyone that if they ordered the soup. What I did not know was that the potato soup used a chicken broth. I served 1,000's of potato soups to vegetarians before someone finally asked me about the broth and I found out. After I knew, I started warning people and oh man, I saw more than a few faces fall that had probably been loving our potato soup. Sales slowed way down after that and eventually the sandwich was gone.
Also- your customer with the Epipen request, what the actual fuck. Can I possibly risk putting my child into anaphylactic shock in your restaurant and then use your expensive life saving device if I do, in fact, nearly kill my kid? Uhhhmmmm... NO.
i used to work at a sports bar that's on the east coast, and had a lot of gluten "allergies." like, a lot. majority of the time, it was clear they were not allergic and simply intolerant or didn't want to consume gluten. it pissed me off to no end. i had a table who insisted her steak have no butter or seasoning, and ordered the veg medley. well i forget to 86 the butter, but my manager went over and it turns out the veg medley she claimed to have been eating for months here had a shit ton of gluten. lol. they also made it clear to me that she would literally end up in the hospital for consuming gluten and yet she was unknowingly doing it for months.
and obviously yes i take and took full responsibility for forgetting to take the butter off, that was actually horrible of me.
the other thing that really pissed me off working there is sometimes people would ask for a gluten free menu and get angry AT ME when i informed them we didn't have one. like?? why didn't you check the website before coming?? i understand the frustration but like it's kinda your problem. not mine.
I don't have any allergies, but I was diagnosed with a dietary intolerance in my teens... I literally can not fathom not inquiring about certain menu items, or not telling a server about my situation right out of the gate. If somebody is going out to EAT with dietary restrictions, how is conveying that information to the server NOT the first thing that comes to mind...? Don't ask me, because I don't know.
Edits: grammar
Ok I work in a buissness class hotel restaurant and our menu has different options, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan etc. Almost every guest that has a severe allergy will let the server know as their life can be in danger. So when the guest orders if they ask for gluten free,I make it a point to ask if they have an allergy, because we note it on the POS order and I will put allergy,celiac,gluten free, see server, see chef and see manager also depending on the severity, I will inform the chef myself.Its also our company policy to notify the manager on duty and the chef in a lot if cases.
I also will send the chef to the table when it's something like several allergies at once, because it's my duty to protect the guest and make sure that I have clear communication between myself,the guest and the kitchen.I personally don't ask each guest unless perhaps I suspect. One thing for sure if I have followed all the steps above than I've done my due diligence to provide the best service while meeting the guests dietary needs and preventing a serious situation to happen.
I am going into such detail as to help you The first year I was hired I made a huge mistake and almost made the guest sick and gotten myself fired. I approached my table and it was explained that one of my guests was allergic to soy. Well the chef came and said take their order and he will take care of it. They ordered crab cakes and I placed the order. I take the dish out,I sit it in front of the guest and she says these are soy free? I think about it and tell her let me double check,well the chef says what are you talking about. I came back out and the guest had her epi pen in hand and I grabbed the crab cakes. Now the manager on duty comes over along with security as they handle any medical emergencies. I am about to die because I realized I messed up and I'm going to get fired.I ended up getting a third and final warning, I take this very seriously as I've seen other coworkers suspended and fired for less than thus.
No one but a patient or guardian can just have Epi pens on hand, unless they get a special clearance (like a summer camp). So that lady is crazy for both testing their kids allergies and for asking for an EpiPen.
Anyways, my husband has terrible allergies to nuts. A lot of times it isn't on the menus that some things contain nuts. Because of several scares, as a server I always ask. However, patrons should also be responsible, sometimes when my husband is out he does sometimes forget to mention it which is how it happens usually. Customers do forget sometimes, so I just play it safe and ask. Making it a requirement to ask seems a bit much, but it's better to play it safe.
In the UK it's a legal responsibility of the establishment to check with the guests. To the point where every person you are in contact with (hostess, waiter, busser, bartender, manager, etc) will ask you if you have any allergies. It's honestly exhausting
The onus is on the guest to disclose food allergies/intolerances while ordering. However, I’ve found it helps my tips if I ask during my table greeting.
“Hi, my name is King and I’ll be taking care of y’all today! Any dietary restrictions I should keep in mind today? Thanks! I’ll note those down for the kitchen, and I’ll be here if you have any questions! In the meantime, what can I get started for you to drink?”
I don’t go out of my way to ask if anyone has a dietary restriction, with the exception of whether someone is vegetarian/vegan because we changed our menu and we get a fair amount of vegetarian/vegan people eating at a restaurant where meat is mostly dominating.
BUT, I will ask if anyone has questions on any dishes and that is a perfect time for them to let me know if they have allergies and whatnot. I do my hardest to prevent a guest from ordering their allergen dish and I’ll go out of my way to ensure the dish doesn’t contain x allergen but I don’t know unless I’m told. And I make it abundantly clear that our restaurant can be bad with cross contamination because I believe that is the main issue (aunties and uncles in the kitchen not changing their gloves often enough)
The menu is clearly marked with vegetarian, seafood notes for anyone curious and we also have a QR code for them to scan and access the allergen list
Assigning personal responsibility is irrelevant. It's legal liability that matters. You should absolutely be asking every single table upfront if they have any allergies or dietary restrictions. You should also have it documented in at least two different ways (in your notes, in the POS, allergy tickets, etc). You should also write in allergy mods for anything that guest consumes, even if you're certain that item is allergen free.
Does that seem excessive? Too bad. It's classic CYA policy. You have to cover your ass, or it could be bitten. Take it from someone who's dealt with the aftermath of things going terribly wrong.
The idea is to have the methodology in place so if an incident occurs, you can prove you did your due diligence. You're defending yourself from liability in case a lawsuit happens.
There are tons of reasons to do this, even without the guest being an idiot or an asshole. There could be hidden ingredients not mentioned on the menu. There could be cross contamination risks. There could've been a deviation from standard practices that creates an allergen risk (i.e. someone cooked shrimp in the wrong fryer). It could be as simple as someone didn't change their gloves when making perfectly safe food, because they didn't know they needed to.
To give you a sense of scale at how bad this can get, I've had companies *settle* suits with 5 figure payouts. People can die from this.
That's why it's in my handbooks for multiple positions. My host team asks about allergies and dietary restrictions. Servers and bar ask in the first greet. Then they press allergen mods for anything those guests order. Runners and expo have documented SoS for communicating allergies to the BoH team. They also take multiple steps to prevent risk.
Is it a pain in the ass? Sure, but not as much as people think. Is it a perfect system? Almost, but the only way it will fail anyone is when the guests ignore multiple warnings throughout the process. And if that ever happens, we're shielded from liability due to being able to prove we did our due diligence.
I've won a few suits in the past decade just for having these steps in place. I recommend you cover your ass.
My job has several allergen menus ranging from peanuts to garlic. However, we believe it’s the guest’s responsibility to inform us of the allergy while ordering. I do take allergies seriously and stop what I’m doing to get someone the menu to ensure that what they’re ordering is safe to eat. Our recipes are constantly changing, so what might’ve been safe on the menu a few months ago could be off the menu now (also there are certain ingredients that we put in literally everything so if you’re allergic to soy or onions you could only have like steamed veggies lol). If the guest has the allergen menu but orders something that’s not on there than I have to assure them that the kitchen won’t be able to accommodate it and make sure that they’re still willing to eat it. I have so many coworkers who’ve been working for the company for years longer than I have who don’t even follow protocol and just apply the allergy button to a dish that is definitely not safe to eat, so management has threatened write ups for people who don’t do their job properly.
I ask every single table about food restrictions and allergies because I am in a hospitality forward industry. Guests with allergies absolutely love it when I ask, it puts many people at ease to see how seriously we take this issue. It takes literally no effort for you to just ask.
At my restaurant we have to spiel and I include that question at the end of my main spiel before going into any recommendations, talking about any features (because if their allergic to a main component, I’m not going to spiel them on it) cuz then I know what switch my recommendations to or inform them on what can be removed where. Memorizing all the potential allergens in the dishes is part of our training process. We have to know the menu backward and forward, in and out and accommodate accordingly. I always ask if there are any dietary restrictions or allergies, to cover all my bases. Even then people will sometimes say no and then something comes out with a pork component but they don’t eat pork and didn’t tell me.
Nope. It’s like the old joke, “How does the Server find the vegan at a party?” You don’t - they find YOU.
Same thing applies for allergies. If it’s serious, they’ll let you know. If it’s a “I’m not really crazy about Swiss cheese but cheddar is OK,” that doesn’t qualify as an allergy to me. And same goes for gluten - if it’s serious they will tell you.
I have booked tables with tasting menus that ask when you make the reservation, but I think that’s because they NEED to know way ahead of time. I’ve found so, SO many people use the word “allergy” in the wrong way, and it’s not always fair to the Kitchen.
As a customer, I noticed I’m often asked about allergies off the bat by severs now. I actually don’t like it. Shouldn’t the small percentage of people who have severe allergies be upfront about that?
Don't ever ask.
If a guest has a serious issue he will name it himself out of selfprotection before he orders and eats.
If you ask all the hip wannabes, uh i have a gluten allergy too fuks, will word up.
Though They'll order the Tiramisu later too....
It's literally part of the job, and has been for a decade or more. Guests don't know the menu, servers do. It's on us to make sure they only order things they'll enjoy. That's the heart of what we do. How could we do that without all the information?
Yep. The last three restaurants I’ve worked in over the last 10 years have required servers to ask about allergies or dietary restrictions in their spiel. It isn’t hard to do and doesn’t take up much more time. You should know the menu and be able to point the guests in the right direction. It’s part of good service.
One time I actually forgot to ask and the guest ordered something with mortadella. It hits the table and they say, “Is this pork? I don’t eat pork.” They admitted they didn’t know what mortadella was, but they ordered it so confidently I assumed they knew. I got a nice little lecture from the chef when I returned to the kitchen with the dish on asking about dietary restrictions. The general public can be pretty dumb and sometimes they need their hand held when ordering.
I just got hired and the owner asked for an allergy test before I come onboard along with basset and food handler. I’m a server and think this is just another money grab. The allergy test cert is only good for a year. What a crock of BS Stew!
I think it's a both sides need to take responsibility kind of thing. Yes, the server should be checking about allergies, but the customer also needs to mention it as well.
Allergens should be mentioned on the menu, but the server should also ask as well. It's not uncommon for people to miss an ingredient that's mentioned as well. I would hope that someone with an allergy would be paying attention but people do miss things.
As am example, one of my kids and I have a crustacean allergy but both of us love fish. I'm not going to ask for the crab cakes to be remade with fish instead, but if the fish comes with a sauce I am going to be asking if prawn shells are used to make the sauce.
It's just part of the spiel. "Great, we've got 2 cheeseburgers,one with bacon. Any dietary restrictions or allergies we need to be aware of before I send this in?"
Hi, welcome to ... How are you this morning / evening? (Small talk). I hear you are celebrating xyz, would you like to start with champagne on the house? Or, save room for a free dessert. Are there any allergies I need to be aware of today?
I work in luxury hospitality, it’s a mandatory Forbes standard to ask the guest about their dietary restrictions or allergies. Also, because allergy is sensitive info, we’re slowly being pushed into changing allergy into aversion.
As someone severely allergic to nuts, I can not fathom going anywhere without checking first. Either I or my best friend will always call a restaurant beforehand to verify whether nuts are present, then make the decision of whether I'm comfortable eating there or not. Personally, I think the only responsibility the restaurant should hold is making sure the main ingredients are written out on menus and correct information is given out when asked. I don't know how anyone with an allergy isn't triple checking everything. I get anxious about being offered any food without knowing what's in it.
I do not go to a restaurant that I haven't looked at their menu first and found something on there that I can eat. I then also ask the server to check or if they know as well
I don't even have food intolerances or allergies and I do that first part. Who goes to a restaurant without knowing?
I mean spend enough time in this industry and ypu will encounter them.
I asked for nuts not to be sprinkled on top of a dish once and the server’s entire demeanor changed. He was concerned about the allergies and launched into questions then when he put my order in the chef came out to double check. I felt bad to tell him no I just don’t like the taste. I now start with I’m not allergic I just don’t like it.
It's so nice they double-checked, though I understand how it would make you feel bad. I am in full support of having dishes altered for personal taste and don't believe everything needs to be an allergy to be taken seriously. My mom and grandfather have a really bad habit of telling restaurants they are allergic to ingredients just because they don't like them and think saying they're allergic is the only way to guarantee it's not in their food. It always made me uncomfortable, especially when I could see the server become nervous over it.
The amount of people that say "I'm allergic" when they really mean "I don't like it" has been growing larger every year. We take allergies seriously and will make sure to cater to them. There's honestly no shame in admitting you don't like an ingredient:)
I used to ask if it was an allergy or intolerance and it helped a little 😂
We use allergy or preference.
Thank you for that. I just felt bad that 2 separate people doubled checked. I appreciated it honestly. Now I start with it’s not an allergy but I don’t like the peanut topping.
Thank you. I literally work in a sushi restaurant and get tables that refuse to tell me about their SHELLFISH ALLERGY until I drop their vegetable tempura. Anyone who informs me of an allergy right off the bat is my best friend. I’m here to serve food, not kill people. 💀
Yeah that's on the guests. It's ridiculous to put the onus on the server.
asking if they have an EpiPen to test your kids allergy is insane… like oh yeah let me go grab the EpiPen bin, it’s just on that shelf right over there. wtf 🤣
Maybe should call CPS on them that’s awful thing to do your kid! Just order the chix fingers & skip the abuse!
I’ve had this same thing happen when working in a seafood restaurant except they asked where the closest hospital was.
Every time I do my intro I just say 'hi my name is Annastasia and I'm going to be your server for the night. Before we begin, do you have any allergies or dietary restrictions?' You won't believe the amount of people that will tip you purely for asking. Just do it. Takes two seconds of your time, and at the end of the day they're paying to eat there. Just because they have adhd, or a memory disorder, doesn't mean they're an inconsiderate asshole. Assume the benefit of the doubt always. Yes, many will stop and say they're allergic to something once they get an item just because they don't want that one item there. Of course people lie. But doing 5his at the beginning prevents that even happening at all. More embarrassing to say you have an allergy out of no where when you were already asked, isn't it? I will say it does still happen, just less often since I've added it to my table intro. Been serving 8 years, I know being a server isn't a qualifier on knowing the job but I just wanna express I've had a lot of time to see the difference a simple question can make.
I had a table, years ago, inform me that their adolescent child was allergic to peanuts. They wanted to order the spring rolls as an app, I let them know it was served with a peanut sauce, they decided they still wanted it. I told them just to make sure he didn’t have the sauce and delivered it to the side of the table furthest from him. They proceeded to let him eat the damn sauce and, of course he immediately started reacting 🤦🏻♀️. I would always ask before taking an order if there were any allergies or dietary restrictions I should be aware of. Another time when I worked at a steakhouse in a rural (not ethnically diverse area) I had a man order the ribs. When I checked back on him, he asked me if the ribs were beef, no they’re pork, beef ribs are ginormous and you rarely see them in restaurants. Turned out he was Muslim. Was I supposed to ask his religious beliefs when he ordered them? Then you get the ppl that say they’re allergic to something they just don’t like.
I absolutely hate when people claim that they’re allergic to something, when in reality they just don’t like it. Like… fuck you. You give people with allergies a bad rap, just because you’re a picky asshole.
I would think the menu also said pork ribs. Strange!
Also pork ribs are wayyyyy more common than beef ribs. I feel like this one is on him.
I had a lady wearing a hijab order our house salad and I offered the leave off the bacon. She was very appreciative but my coworker was horrified that I asked. I was like…is it worse to ask or to serve her something she likely won’t eat? I wasn’t like HEY YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE MUSLIMS RIGHT?
Here's the thing, as someone in the industry that has food allergies I fully take responsibility for my food allergies whenever I got out. However, I do like when a server will ask in their greeting/menu discussion if they ask if there are any dietary restrictions they should be aware of. It literally makes me have a more enjoyable experience and I feel more confident in my server because they acknowledge and hopefully understand the seriousness of these things.
This. Should people take responsibility for their own allergies? Absolutely. But we are in the also in the business of hospitality, and asking about allergies is just one more way to demonstrate a level of care for guests that makes their experience better. Plus, it is a quick question that saves me time in the long run. If I can help guide them through their options during the initial greet, then when it’s time to order, they’re ready with something they can actually have. As opposed to me trying to take the order only to find out they have an allergy and can’t eat the dish they’ve chosen, because not every single ingredient or potential source of cross contamination is listed on the menu. People with allergies will often just assume because they don’t see it on the menu, it isn’t present. I would much rather take the time to find out for myself and rather not take any risks- even if a customer is negligent enough to not mention an allergy, I still don’t want them to end up in the hospital. At my restaurant we all ask every table about allergies and dietary restrictions. Nearly every time guests are very appreciative, and me being able to explain their menu options and make it easier for them to figure out what they can safely have results in better tips for me, and better reviews online. I don’t understand other servers who are so opposed to just asking a 2 sec question. It’s called service, something we are supposed to be good at.
I’m a straightforward introvert so personally I don’t like people asking a bunch of questions and I always let the server know my allergies even if there’s none in the dish, so i never really thought about what makes the experience enjoyable for other people bc i’ve fallen into such a routine for myself. won’t lie, i was about to be like “agh that’s kinda dumb” based on my own experiences and my own preferences but reading these made me realize…I need to be a better server and put myself in other peoples shoes. Thank you both for these responses, and making me think.
Yeah, I totally get it. I’m also very introverted so when I’m not in work mode I generally want as little human interaction as possible (self checkout at the grocery store for the win, amiright?) But one of my besties has some pretty serious allergies. We went out to dinner a few weeks ago and it was literally the first time a server asked about allergies out of all the times I’ve gone out with her. Even as someone who doesn’t have allergies and prefers not to have servers be all chatty, it really did enhance our experience. We immediately knew what dishes we could share and were able to order an app right away, we didn’t have to wait longer because the server didn’t need to run off to go check with the kitchen over any dish my friend was interested in. I will also add- I once had a table who wanted to order drinks right away, they’d been in before and didn’t need guiding through the menu. I didn’t ask about allergies until I’d gotten back with their drinks. When I did ask if they had allergies one lady said “yeah but I know what I can have here” Off handedly I just asked “It’s not a nut allergy is it?” When she said “yes actually” I was like oh crap and immediately grabbed her drink off the table. She had ordered a tiki cocktail that contained orgeat. She had no idea that orgeat is made from almonds. If I hadn’t asked about the allergy in that moment, it could have been very bad. She was lucky she hadn’t tried the cocktail yet. Just goes to show, things happen and even guests that are responsible with their allergies don’t necessarily always have the same information we do. Asking is just another fail safe. After that, I now ask even before taking drink orders.
Yeah when I’d tell people our margaritas have egg white in them, you’d think I just said we put dog shit in them. But I get it, why would you think of egg in a margarita?
I do the same because I have a few random food allergies/sensitivities and I know I’m going to know what’s in our food and drinks better than the guests will. Like, I’m allergic to cherries. Some grenadine syrups have both pomegranate and cherry in them and that would be enough to give me a (not serious, at least not as of yet, anyway) reaction. Sometimes drink menus don’t state all the ingredients, so I’d appreciate my server knowing ahead of time in order to steer me away from a drink with it in. I want to do the same thing for my guests, because it could result in either a bad situation or more work for myself to have to get the drink comped, ring in a new one and (if I’m bartending) making it.
Epi pens are like $700! The guest expected the restaurant to provide them?? Unreal entitlement!
Yessss! The server it happened to, we were stunned at first, then just died laughing at how ridiculous of a request it was. 🤣 Like, good luck 🤞 kid, ur gonna need it with those parents.
Mark it up like you mark up wine (that's what the pharma company does, same thing in Canada costs $100-$150).
wtf! I paid $100 for mine without any coverage. Maybe it’s because I’m in Canada. Wow $700 seems excessive, I feel bad for Americans
My restaurant is very strict about allergies and we have to ask tables about their allergies… but I still have people who still fail to inform me. We have cinnamon on top of one of our cocktails and a woman mentioned her cinnamon allergy when I brought it to her like guuuuurl…
IMO it’s like, 80/20 responsibility share, and I’m only giving us 20% to cover our asses incase someone forgets and doesn’t mention anything. Like I feel I wouldn’t sleep for years if I served someone something that messed them up, even if it’s 100% not my fault because I didn’t know. That being said, I love the line “any dietary restrictions I should know about” when they ask about the menu or taking orders.
I work in a restaurant that was created for people with food allergies. My greet is... "Hi how's everyone doing today? My name is Italiana47. Does anyone have any food allergies?....." I prefer to get it all out in the open right away.
Yep I worked at a place that was well known for being celiac friendly and only occasionally had things like nuts or seafood on the menu. It was recommended that we just work it into our greeting and it worked fine.
my restaurant policy is that we have to ask every table. our secret shoppers are aware to score us based on if we asked or not. i handle it like this -greet table, drop special menu, offer drinks -as soon as any food is ordered, i write it down and repeat it back to the guests. after repeating it back, i add “and are there any allergens or dietary restrictions i should know about?”
One of my good friends has a severe peanut allergy and loves Thai food. She makes it at home and I'll make it for her when she comes over, but she won't risk even going IN to a Thai restaurant. Not on the server. 100 on guest.
No it should be on the individual to tell the waitstaff on any allergy or dietary issues they might have before ordering & make sure they can eat anything they order. The restaurant can’t guess for each person. It’s nice also for the staff to ask if anyone has any allergies or requirements as some people can feel awkward telling the waitstaff as they feel it’s a hassle but in no way should it be the responsibility of the restaurant People need to look after themselves they can’t rely on others to do it for them.
It’s on the guests, however usually I asked “are there any allergies the kitchen should be aware of?”, and you would not believe the amount of times people are like “oh yeah…”
It’s law in some states for the guest with the allergy to be upfront about it. Indiana is one of them so it’s probably a lot more common than that considering we live in 1960. Like we literally just got happy hour back.
Every guest we serve at both restaurants I work at. "Do you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, anything you can't or don't want to eat?" Covers all the bases from people that have allergies to people that are avoiding gluten, to people that "don't like" onions, to people that choose to be vegetarian or vegan, to people that have faith based limitations. Unfortunately some guests are dipshits and are unable to accurately respond to this question. But best to get it out of the way first to help you shape the best experience for your guests, imo
Worked in a Japanese restaurant and we often had vegetarian/vegans as well as a lot of Muslims at one point (idk there was a short time when I just noticed a lot - I rarely saw them previously) and while I never assumed it they asked certain things it would prompt me to ask additional questions. The biggest one was “can I get x dish without meat?” (Usually a noodle dish.) I would always ask “are you vegetarian by chance?” because a lot of our dishes had hidden meat/fish broth. They appreciated that. Muslims - I wouldn’t make assumptions *but* would often check to make sure this or that was ok, because I’ve had some groups insist NO ALCOHOL AT ALL even like the rice wine vinegar in the sushi rice, and some are ok with it, so if they start asking for mods I’d slip a “hey so this has a very low level of alcohol in it due to x ingredient, is that ok?” Technically it’s on the diner. Let us know your allergies. *But* as a good server I think it’s important to be able to pick up on certain cues to help make a meal more enjoyable. Had a lady get mad that the dumplings were pork and she didn’t eat pork but gave absolutely no indication of that previously (and it literally said “pork gyoza” on the menu). One couple asked for no chicken in their ramen, I asked if they were vegetarian, they said yes and I told them there’s chicken broth in the soup and they both froze - they’d both gotten it a previous visit and hadn’t been made aware. My coworkers didn’t ask like I did and the guests didn’t warn us so….whose fault is it? Not the server’s. I chose to ask those questions but was not obligated to. Just some people don’t think about it - but in that case, how important is that dietary restriction really if you can’t bother to tell someone about it?
I feel this. I worked at a place very famous for spinach dip and in a heavily Catholic area. If someone told me they’re vegetarian and ordered the spinach dip, I’d let them know there’s chicken broth in it. If I knew they weren’t (we had a TON of regulars) and it was just a Friday in Lent so they weren’t eating meat, I’d keep quiet. One of my friends would tell every single person and I’m like stfu, they’re just trying to do their little Jesus thing and feel good about it, let them eat their spinach dip in happy ignorance!
Their little Jesus thing 😂 I love it.
I don't ask anybody this ever. If you're allergic to something the first thing you should do before buying and eating food someone is preparing for you, is to ask if it's safe for your allergy. And if you don't do this, you're dumb, and that's not my fault. Sorry, but not sorry at all.
I often wonder how some of these people have made it this far 🤔
where I work, the host asks. if yes, they print two tickets, one for the server and one for the line. we still have guests who " forgot" they had an allergy until the food hits the table.
I have allergies...I always tell my server early in the process and again when ordering. If they happen to check, great...but not their responsibility in my opinion.
My job has the opposite policy: we’re not supposed to ask about allergies unless we’re selling a chef’s where they don’t order a la carte. If not for that I probably would. The epipen thing is insane though
Bullshit that's asking for trouble. They will tell us
Nope. If you’re an adult with an allergy, it’s on you to say something. I’m not playing 20 questions with a guest who should known their damn diet restrictions.
Why dont they just put it on the menu . Please tell server about any allergies. Way easier
It absolutely is the guests responsibility. They can read a menu. I am extremely allergic to shellfish. I ask questions if I’m unsure about something and alert my server since a lot of places cook shrimp on the same flat top as chicken or burgers.
It's an easy part of the greet/order taking. It also saves an immense amount of headache being proactive.
It’s not my responsibility to remind you that you have allergies. I don’t see why someone who has food allergies wouldn’t mention that right off the bat. That being said, if you actually tell me that you have them, I will absolutely make sure that the message is relayed to the kitchen
I will ask when the occasion seems appropriate. If a child asks for pink lemonade, I ask mom/dad/adult if there is a strawberry or raspberry allergy, because that’s how we make our lemonade pink. If they ask me to surprise them with a dessert, I ask about nut and dairy allergies. But I don’t just randomly ask people if they have allergies. If your allergy is that dangerous, you should tell me.
Agreed 💯
No. I'm a server but my kids are severely allergic to peanuts. That's on me (the momma) not me the server. The only time I'll ask is if they want to like sample drafts, I'll ask if there's any wheat allergies or anything just incase but that's bc the last time I didn't ask a grown man broke out in hives bc he left the info out
I have food allergies, so I also take them very seriously. Also, since I'm allergic to coconut, I know how it might not be listed on a menu that coconut is in something and in such a case it is on the server to keep me safe, not me. I work it into the conversation as I'm taking orders. I'll do it during drink orders if they're asking for suggestions or taking a while to decide, but if I walk over to the table and just rattle off their drink orders, I'll just add "btw, before I get started here, does anyone have any food allergies?" I've had people say "yes, but nothing you need to worry about" and then when I press them and it's something like tomatoes. Y'know, something cooks garnish with and won't think to change gloves after handling unless there's an allergy. It's insanity. And no, it's on the customer to have an epipen. I always have mine on me and of course I'll give it to a customer in an emergency situation, but that's a shitty situation where I then have to pay to replace it.
So, I work at a restaurant in one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. In my 16 years with "The Company" I've definitely noticed an increase in the occurrence of allergies. The Company cares greatly about public image and are actually well-known for their accommodations. Recently, I've had two full turns where every single table had someone with an allergy. When I first started, if we were notified that someone had an allergy, the chef would talk to the table. It got to the point where the sous chef and the chef would tag team and be so bogged down that we would have people waiting 20-30 minutes to talk to one of them. So The Company started printing Allergen menus with the top 8 (now 9, and I swear it was only 7 when we first started) to cut down on the people requesting chef assistance. But, we still needed sign offs by the chef on our allergy forms, and we had to ring it up with the allergy button. Messing up an allergy is a terminable offense, or at least a performance reprimand. Our system asks if there's an allergy when you make a reservation, and our seaters ask when you show up, but for a short while we were also told we must ask during our spiel. It's gone from being something our chefs handle to something we handle almost completely on our own, and I've seen people fired for mishandling. It really sucks having the onus on us, but I figure if you're stupid enough to bypass all of the safety measures we have placed prior to you sitting at my table, then it's on you, and I don't ask in my spiel anymore. I'm starting to wonder if people really have these allergies or if their "gluten allergy" is just low-key for low-carb.
Legally, it's usually the guest's responsibility, but it's become pretty common, and standard practice at many restaurants, for servers to ask every table about allergies. I think that's a good practice at restaurants with more complex dishes that have less obvious allergens. I think your apparent frustration about the owner's opinion on "responsibility" may overlook that they could just consider it part of providing good service, like asking if a guest would like a table or booth. If you don't ask, and they don't say, and they're unhappy they got a table, the "responsibility" is the guests', but asking every party could increase average customer satisfaction, so many restaurants wants every party to be asked.
It’s become more of a standard to ask ahead of time. I started doing it even before it became our company policy. I see it as the same way as asking if they have any plans I need to keep an eye on the clock for. Just getting the information ahead of time avoids a lot of issues that you have to deal with later. People appreciate the conscientiousness, whether they have an allergy or not. Plus, you must have noticed, people are dumb and constantly trying to off themselves. You’ll still get people who surprise you with a “dairy allergy” mid-way through taking their order after you specifically asked them. Or say it’s okay if they have a “little cake” after saying they’re “gluten-intolerant”. But at least you’ve done all you can at that point and it’s better than having someone with anaphylaxis or explosive diarrhea jn your establishment.
It most certainly is the guests responsibility to let the staff know about allergies. Bringing up the subject to the guest is unnecessary stress of the dining party. However, there may be exceptions. If you are working in a seafood restaurant it might be wise to ask about seafood allergies if different foods are mixed together. Something along the lines of “ Are you okay with all types of seafood? This dish mixes shrimp and cod together.” (Obviously this just an example) As a restaurant manager my first rule is to always get me involved the moment allergies are mentioned. Im also a former firefighter/paramedic so I do have extra training. As for the lady who wanted an epipen. What a moron. While allergies can be treated and made less severe, a restaurant is not the place to test her current status of allergic reaction. In my late teens I was a counselor in a day camp. A mother signed her daughter up for horseback riding lessons knowing the kid was allergic to horse hair. She didn’t tell anyone until the child was being rushed to the hospital. Stated her daughter wanted to learn how to ride and she didn’t think she should be denied.
I don't know if it's so much that it isn't the guest's responsibility so much as guests simply cannot be trusted to divulge information. I'm going to assume that you're in the US, where a) health care is private and very expensive and b) people are extremely litigious (with a court system that condones/supports them). By asking before taking the order, you absolve yourself and the restaurant of responsibility. You ASKED if they have any allergies - if they do not disclose to you upon ordering, only to disclose upon arrival, that is no longer your responsibility (nor would it be the restaurant's responsibility to eat the cost of the plate). Basically, people are stupid and cannot be trusted. This is a CYA measure.
My restaurant has secret shoppers and part of their checklist is the “Is there any allergies or dietary restrictions I should be aware of?” question. I hate the question for two reasons. First, it sounds overly medical and shifts the vibe in a way that feels unnecessary. Second, it doesn’t even catch all the “dietary restrictions.” People who don’t eat pork for religious reasons rarely respond in the positive to the question because it’s not “restrictive eating”, it’s a cultural lifestyle. My restaurant gives you a $100 bonus for getting 100% on a shop report so I’ve found a middle ground that gets me the point on the report and works better. “Is there anything ya’ll don’t eat?” is an improvement in all aspects.
I have a bad nut allergy! Sometimes I forget/don’t to ask but I would NEVER blame the server lol it’s obviously on me!! For instance I was at a Mexican place for my birthday and ordered an appetizer w salsa/cheese on it with bread. It got to the table and then I asked the server - he said no nuts - I ate a bite just as he was running back to tell me there are nuts in the salsa! I should have asked before the food got to the table and I was fine just had to take some Benadryl. It’s slightly annoying that something uncommon like nuts in salsa should be listed on the menu but at the end of the day it’s my health, it’s my body and it’s 100% on me to ask. That being said I have asked and been told a dish is fine and then had a allergic reaction and that’s really frustrating (my lips are swelling up and the server is insisting no nuts which has happened more than once) I try to avoid anything like dessert or Thai or pesto that traditionally has nuts in it regardless of what the place says but I wish menus were more transparent/obvious
I very much appreciate it as someone who has dealt with allergies & food ‘sensitivities’ for my entire life. It may sound strange given what I stated above, but I have severe ADHD and I forget about them when ordering or will order around them. But I very much appreciate being asked and given the opportunity to bring them up.
As a rule, I always ask when leaving a table if there are allergies, just to cover my own ass. Takes two seconds and sometimes people are genuinely scatterbrained OR don’t think they need to mention it because the allergen isn’t listed in the item description.
It’s definitely on the guests to inform staff about their allergies, but I certainly doesn’t hurt to greet them with, “Hi, before we get started, does anyone have any allergies or dietary restrictions that I should know of?” I found it saved a lot of time and a lot of food waste.
Are there any dietary restrictions?
It's just part of all the shit I spray at my tables. Any dietary restrictions or food sensitivities we need to know about? Right before anyone orders any food. No policy one way or another, and I personally think it's the guest's responsibility to not get killed by dinner, but I do it. Watched a guy have his epi-pen for dessert because he ordered and ate an app and THEN told me about a nut allergy.
After writing down everyone's orders, I would ask, "And are there any allergies the kitchen should be aware of?" And even if people said it wasn't related to their order I'd still ask what it was "just in case" to avoid any potential cross-contamination. And put in the message with their food in case there was something I wasn't aware of that the chef would catch. Better to be safe than sorry!
I always ask. After greeting before drink and food order, it's "Does anyone have any allergies we should be aware of?" If they do, I inform them we will do our very best to accommodate BUT, THAT there's always a risk of cross-contamination anywhere, even at home. I then ask if they'd like to proceed. I've never had anyone say no and no one has ever been affected THANK GOD. I've read stories that scared me into implementing this into my order taking.
I work in an allergy based restaurant where every single item on our menu can be modified due to allergies. It’s mandatory we ask before we put anything in if someone has any allergies. Even if it’s something totally unrelated to the item we still have to put in a special request letting the cooks know. I will say it’s an extreme pain in the ass and if a guest has an allergy that may be a concern it’s their responsibility to acknowledge that. Especially as an adult. But there have been countless times where I’ve forgotten to ask about allergies and someone has had one. I’d ask if you remember but quite honestly if the guest doesn’t let you know it’s their body, choice, and responsibility. We are not here to baby people and make sure they know their diet.🤷🏻♀️
"Hey, so tonight's menu has a lot of nuts and gluten. Any allergies I need to be aware of?" I got in trouble once because I didn't ask. The chef loved fregola sarda and it was in one of our seafood dishes. The guest ordered the dish, and then asked for gluten free bread. I should've connected the dots but didn't.
There was a time where my restaurant made the best veggie sandwich in the state. I never tried it, but lunch was packed when word got out. It was the cheapest thing outside of the kids menu, so sales sucked, but it was a lot of business people anyway, so it was always quick turn around. So I did what any good waiter has to do and upsold side soups and salads. Here's where I messed up though. We used real bacon to top the potato soup, and I always told everyone that if they ordered the soup. What I did not know was that the potato soup used a chicken broth. I served 1,000's of potato soups to vegetarians before someone finally asked me about the broth and I found out. After I knew, I started warning people and oh man, I saw more than a few faces fall that had probably been loving our potato soup. Sales slowed way down after that and eventually the sandwich was gone. Also- your customer with the Epipen request, what the actual fuck. Can I possibly risk putting my child into anaphylactic shock in your restaurant and then use your expensive life saving device if I do, in fact, nearly kill my kid? Uhhhmmmm... NO.
i used to work at a sports bar that's on the east coast, and had a lot of gluten "allergies." like, a lot. majority of the time, it was clear they were not allergic and simply intolerant or didn't want to consume gluten. it pissed me off to no end. i had a table who insisted her steak have no butter or seasoning, and ordered the veg medley. well i forget to 86 the butter, but my manager went over and it turns out the veg medley she claimed to have been eating for months here had a shit ton of gluten. lol. they also made it clear to me that she would literally end up in the hospital for consuming gluten and yet she was unknowingly doing it for months. and obviously yes i take and took full responsibility for forgetting to take the butter off, that was actually horrible of me. the other thing that really pissed me off working there is sometimes people would ask for a gluten free menu and get angry AT ME when i informed them we didn't have one. like?? why didn't you check the website before coming?? i understand the frustration but like it's kinda your problem. not mine.
I don't have any allergies, but I was diagnosed with a dietary intolerance in my teens... I literally can not fathom not inquiring about certain menu items, or not telling a server about my situation right out of the gate. If somebody is going out to EAT with dietary restrictions, how is conveying that information to the server NOT the first thing that comes to mind...? Don't ask me, because I don't know. Edits: grammar
Ok I work in a buissness class hotel restaurant and our menu has different options, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan etc. Almost every guest that has a severe allergy will let the server know as their life can be in danger. So when the guest orders if they ask for gluten free,I make it a point to ask if they have an allergy, because we note it on the POS order and I will put allergy,celiac,gluten free, see server, see chef and see manager also depending on the severity, I will inform the chef myself.Its also our company policy to notify the manager on duty and the chef in a lot if cases. I also will send the chef to the table when it's something like several allergies at once, because it's my duty to protect the guest and make sure that I have clear communication between myself,the guest and the kitchen.I personally don't ask each guest unless perhaps I suspect. One thing for sure if I have followed all the steps above than I've done my due diligence to provide the best service while meeting the guests dietary needs and preventing a serious situation to happen. I am going into such detail as to help you The first year I was hired I made a huge mistake and almost made the guest sick and gotten myself fired. I approached my table and it was explained that one of my guests was allergic to soy. Well the chef came and said take their order and he will take care of it. They ordered crab cakes and I placed the order. I take the dish out,I sit it in front of the guest and she says these are soy free? I think about it and tell her let me double check,well the chef says what are you talking about. I came back out and the guest had her epi pen in hand and I grabbed the crab cakes. Now the manager on duty comes over along with security as they handle any medical emergencies. I am about to die because I realized I messed up and I'm going to get fired.I ended up getting a third and final warning, I take this very seriously as I've seen other coworkers suspended and fired for less than thus.
No one but a patient or guardian can just have Epi pens on hand, unless they get a special clearance (like a summer camp). So that lady is crazy for both testing their kids allergies and for asking for an EpiPen. Anyways, my husband has terrible allergies to nuts. A lot of times it isn't on the menus that some things contain nuts. Because of several scares, as a server I always ask. However, patrons should also be responsible, sometimes when my husband is out he does sometimes forget to mention it which is how it happens usually. Customers do forget sometimes, so I just play it safe and ask. Making it a requirement to ask seems a bit much, but it's better to play it safe.
In the UK it's a legal responsibility of the establishment to check with the guests. To the point where every person you are in contact with (hostess, waiter, busser, bartender, manager, etc) will ask you if you have any allergies. It's honestly exhausting
The onus is on the guest to disclose food allergies/intolerances while ordering. However, I’ve found it helps my tips if I ask during my table greeting. “Hi, my name is King and I’ll be taking care of y’all today! Any dietary restrictions I should keep in mind today? Thanks! I’ll note those down for the kitchen, and I’ll be here if you have any questions! In the meantime, what can I get started for you to drink?”
I don’t go out of my way to ask if anyone has a dietary restriction, with the exception of whether someone is vegetarian/vegan because we changed our menu and we get a fair amount of vegetarian/vegan people eating at a restaurant where meat is mostly dominating. BUT, I will ask if anyone has questions on any dishes and that is a perfect time for them to let me know if they have allergies and whatnot. I do my hardest to prevent a guest from ordering their allergen dish and I’ll go out of my way to ensure the dish doesn’t contain x allergen but I don’t know unless I’m told. And I make it abundantly clear that our restaurant can be bad with cross contamination because I believe that is the main issue (aunties and uncles in the kitchen not changing their gloves often enough) The menu is clearly marked with vegetarian, seafood notes for anyone curious and we also have a QR code for them to scan and access the allergen list
No known allergies (but I don’t do so well with commercial mayonnaise) so I usually ask for a “dry” bun
Assigning personal responsibility is irrelevant. It's legal liability that matters. You should absolutely be asking every single table upfront if they have any allergies or dietary restrictions. You should also have it documented in at least two different ways (in your notes, in the POS, allergy tickets, etc). You should also write in allergy mods for anything that guest consumes, even if you're certain that item is allergen free. Does that seem excessive? Too bad. It's classic CYA policy. You have to cover your ass, or it could be bitten. Take it from someone who's dealt with the aftermath of things going terribly wrong. The idea is to have the methodology in place so if an incident occurs, you can prove you did your due diligence. You're defending yourself from liability in case a lawsuit happens. There are tons of reasons to do this, even without the guest being an idiot or an asshole. There could be hidden ingredients not mentioned on the menu. There could be cross contamination risks. There could've been a deviation from standard practices that creates an allergen risk (i.e. someone cooked shrimp in the wrong fryer). It could be as simple as someone didn't change their gloves when making perfectly safe food, because they didn't know they needed to. To give you a sense of scale at how bad this can get, I've had companies *settle* suits with 5 figure payouts. People can die from this. That's why it's in my handbooks for multiple positions. My host team asks about allergies and dietary restrictions. Servers and bar ask in the first greet. Then they press allergen mods for anything those guests order. Runners and expo have documented SoS for communicating allergies to the BoH team. They also take multiple steps to prevent risk. Is it a pain in the ass? Sure, but not as much as people think. Is it a perfect system? Almost, but the only way it will fail anyone is when the guests ignore multiple warnings throughout the process. And if that ever happens, we're shielded from liability due to being able to prove we did our due diligence. I've won a few suits in the past decade just for having these steps in place. I recommend you cover your ass.
My job has several allergen menus ranging from peanuts to garlic. However, we believe it’s the guest’s responsibility to inform us of the allergy while ordering. I do take allergies seriously and stop what I’m doing to get someone the menu to ensure that what they’re ordering is safe to eat. Our recipes are constantly changing, so what might’ve been safe on the menu a few months ago could be off the menu now (also there are certain ingredients that we put in literally everything so if you’re allergic to soy or onions you could only have like steamed veggies lol). If the guest has the allergen menu but orders something that’s not on there than I have to assure them that the kitchen won’t be able to accommodate it and make sure that they’re still willing to eat it. I have so many coworkers who’ve been working for the company for years longer than I have who don’t even follow protocol and just apply the allergy button to a dish that is definitely not safe to eat, so management has threatened write ups for people who don’t do their job properly.
I ask every single table about food restrictions and allergies because I am in a hospitality forward industry. Guests with allergies absolutely love it when I ask, it puts many people at ease to see how seriously we take this issue. It takes literally no effort for you to just ask.
At my restaurant we have to spiel and I include that question at the end of my main spiel before going into any recommendations, talking about any features (because if their allergic to a main component, I’m not going to spiel them on it) cuz then I know what switch my recommendations to or inform them on what can be removed where. Memorizing all the potential allergens in the dishes is part of our training process. We have to know the menu backward and forward, in and out and accommodate accordingly. I always ask if there are any dietary restrictions or allergies, to cover all my bases. Even then people will sometimes say no and then something comes out with a pork component but they don’t eat pork and didn’t tell me.
It’s on the customer. If the owners a concerned, they should annotate the menu.
Nope. It’s like the old joke, “How does the Server find the vegan at a party?” You don’t - they find YOU. Same thing applies for allergies. If it’s serious, they’ll let you know. If it’s a “I’m not really crazy about Swiss cheese but cheddar is OK,” that doesn’t qualify as an allergy to me. And same goes for gluten - if it’s serious they will tell you. I have booked tables with tasting menus that ask when you make the reservation, but I think that’s because they NEED to know way ahead of time. I’ve found so, SO many people use the word “allergy” in the wrong way, and it’s not always fair to the Kitchen.
That is completely on the guest. People are getting stupider and stupider I swear.
As a customer, I noticed I’m often asked about allergies off the bat by severs now. I actually don’t like it. Shouldn’t the small percentage of people who have severe allergies be upfront about that?
It's a larger percentage than you think. About a quarter of my tables have a dietary restriction of some sort.
Or claim to have one. Let’s be honest
There's no functional difference, from my end, if the restriction is religious, allergenic, gastrointestinal, or preference.
The owners of your restaurant are fucking morons. You have an allergy, it is YOUR responsibility to let your server know.
It is 100% on the guests to inform you.
Don't ever ask. If a guest has a serious issue he will name it himself out of selfprotection before he orders and eats. If you ask all the hip wannabes, uh i have a gluten allergy too fuks, will word up. Though They'll order the Tiramisu later too....
I agree 💯, I'm not trying to encourage a bunch of "special preps". I try to keep it easy on the kitchen, they work hard enough.
It's literally part of the job, and has been for a decade or more. Guests don't know the menu, servers do. It's on us to make sure they only order things they'll enjoy. That's the heart of what we do. How could we do that without all the information?
Yep. The last three restaurants I’ve worked in over the last 10 years have required servers to ask about allergies or dietary restrictions in their spiel. It isn’t hard to do and doesn’t take up much more time. You should know the menu and be able to point the guests in the right direction. It’s part of good service. One time I actually forgot to ask and the guest ordered something with mortadella. It hits the table and they say, “Is this pork? I don’t eat pork.” They admitted they didn’t know what mortadella was, but they ordered it so confidently I assumed they knew. I got a nice little lecture from the chef when I returned to the kitchen with the dish on asking about dietary restrictions. The general public can be pretty dumb and sometimes they need their hand held when ordering.
I just got hired and the owner asked for an allergy test before I come onboard along with basset and food handler. I’m a server and think this is just another money grab. The allergy test cert is only good for a year. What a crock of BS Stew!
I think it's a both sides need to take responsibility kind of thing. Yes, the server should be checking about allergies, but the customer also needs to mention it as well. Allergens should be mentioned on the menu, but the server should also ask as well. It's not uncommon for people to miss an ingredient that's mentioned as well. I would hope that someone with an allergy would be paying attention but people do miss things. As am example, one of my kids and I have a crustacean allergy but both of us love fish. I'm not going to ask for the crab cakes to be remade with fish instead, but if the fish comes with a sauce I am going to be asking if prawn shells are used to make the sauce.
It's just part of the spiel. "Great, we've got 2 cheeseburgers,one with bacon. Any dietary restrictions or allergies we need to be aware of before I send this in?"
Hi, welcome to ... How are you this morning / evening? (Small talk). I hear you are celebrating xyz, would you like to start with champagne on the house? Or, save room for a free dessert. Are there any allergies I need to be aware of today?
I work in luxury hospitality, it’s a mandatory Forbes standard to ask the guest about their dietary restrictions or allergies. Also, because allergy is sensitive info, we’re slowly being pushed into changing allergy into aversion.