Are you thinking about going with a gluten-free menu offering for your gluten-free restaurant customers? Have you done so already? It’s a great move, one that is sure to boost your business and your standing among those who are gluten-free in your community. (It may be a relatively small group, but they are growing in number, extremely loyal, and talk amongst themselves.) But don’t forget a key element of making your restaurant gluten-free-friendly: staff education. Without a knowledgeable staff, all of your efforts to revamp your menu and make gluten-free foods available may as well be in vain. And it’s not just a select few employees who need to be in the know. Ideally, everyone will be on the same page about what’s on the menu and know how to communicate that to customers with questions.
Kitchen Staff
The folks preparing the food in the kitchen need to be educated about what gluten-free is and how to keep it that way. Cross contamination is a big problem with food allergens, so make sure that the gluten-free menu items are isolated in their storage and preparation. For someone with a severe gluten intolerance, even trace amounts of it can trigger a reaction, so cleanliness and the right preparation techniques are of vital importance.
Waitstaff
Your waitstaff are probably going to be the ones to field questions about your gluten-free menu items from customers. They need to be able to do so knowledgeably and with confidence. If you have gluten-free menu offerings, but customer questions about them are met with a shrug or an “I don’t know”, then that will not inspire much trust in those who need to know that the food they are about to eat is safe for them.
Managers
Restaurant managers and owners also need to be very fluent in the language of gluten-free, as they will most likely be the go-to for any kitchen staff or waitstaff who are unclear about gluten-free menu items or preparation techniques. There are a lot of ins and outs when it comes to gluten-free foods. Restaurant managers should be experts on the subject, and be able to answer any high-level questions that the rest of the staff are unsure about.
It may seem like quite a bit of trouble to go to for what many are labeling a fad diet. Keep in mind though, that for thousands and thousands of Celiac disease sufferers and others, eating gluten-free is a medical necessity, akin to taking prescription medication. Making sure that everyone who works in your restaurant has an in-depth knowledge of this issue will help ensure that your customers stay healthy and happy when they dine out at your establishment, and that they will be inspired to return again and again as loyal patrons.
Ready to educate your restaurant staff? Check out Kitchens With Confidence. Need help with your menu nutritional analysis? Contact MenuTrinfo today at (888) 767-MENU (6368) and learn about how we can help.
Image used under Creative Commons from Peter Burge.
