Let's Bombard Places With Gluten Free Questions

[floridanative]

Someone on this board recently posted about how she got her Manhatten co-workers to go to Starbuck's and order their test market gluten-free brownie so Starbuck's would think more people wanted the brownie than really do. I think this is a brilliant strategy. A few weeks back, someone on the Celiac listserv asked everyone to contact Uno's Pizza and inquire about gluten free pizza because they already knew Uno's was working on bringing in a gluten-free pizza. Knowing there is no Uno's here I knew it would not benefit me right now if they started offering a gluten-free pizza but I wanted to help others who could enjoy a hot gluten-free pie so I contacted Uno's, they ended up asking me for suggestions on pizza mixes etc. It was only later that I realized there is an Uno's where my in-laws live so I'll be going for a visit as soon as I know the pizza has hit the market!

Now here is what I'm asking those on this board to do to help those of us who eat out, even if you don't personally eat out yourself. Ask restaurants if they have a gluten-free menu if you are there for a function even if you're not planning to eat anything and you know they don't have a gluten-free menu. Stop in a place in a strip mall and inquire about a gluten-free menu when walking by. I'm not talking about asking Outback or chains that you know have such a menu - ask every place you know that doesn't. I'm not talking about getting in a car to go ask the question. I'm talking about taking a moment to ask about gluten-free options, even when you are certain there are none. This will raise awareness that there is a market out there that is being greatly underserved. Who knows, one day you might feel comfortable eating out again if the market place does what it should do, to allow everyone to eat out safely, even at mid price places.

The only way things are going to change so that you do feel safe eating out is if everyone who could eat out acts as if they would, IF places knew how to feed them safely. I don't really care if anyone who doesn't eat out now ever does again. It's not my business or concern - but if people with Celiac don't band together to address this issue and help each other, well we can't complain about how hard it is to eat out without spending $50 on dinner can we? I helped with the Uno's campaign, even though I was bummed to find out there is no Uno's here and now I find out that Atlanta will be the next major city they open in because they get more requests for it than any city natiowide.

I hope you'll really think about this idea and consider pitching in. You never know who you're helping and since my Ceilac dx, my life has been blessed because I decided to help others once I learned my new lifestyle. What I get back from those I help is absolutely priceless. Our gluten free dinner group is now the second largest in the country and we're teaching restaurants all over Atlanta how important it is to feed us safely - and not boring meals, but great tasting, flavorful, wonderfuls meals. Life after a Celiac doesn't have to mean no travel or eating out. It's a personal choice and one can only do these things safely if one demands (nicely) that they get the service they deserve. I guess I'm lucky - I was always a 'When Harry met Sally' kind of restaurant patron so having to order gluten free isn't much of a stretch for me.

Hope everyone has a great long weekend!

[abigail]

  floridanative said:

Someone on this board recently posted about how she got her Manhatten co-workers to go to Starbuck's and order their test market gluten-free brownie so Starbuck's would think more people wanted the brownie than really do. I think this is a brilliant strategy. A few weeks back, someone on the Celiac listserv asked everyone to contact Uno's Pizza and inquire about gluten free pizza because they already knew Uno's was working on bringing in a gluten-free pizza. Knowing there is no Uno's here I knew it would not benefit me right now if they started offering a gluten-free pizza but I wanted to help others who could enjoy a hot gluten-free pie so I contacted Uno's, they ended up asking me for suggestions on pizza mixes etc. It was only later that I realized there is an Uno's where my in-laws live so I'll be going for a visit as soon as I know the pizza has hit the market!

Now here is what I'm asking those on this board to do to help those of us who eat out, even if you don't personally eat out yourself. Ask restaurants if they have a gluten-free menu if you are there for a function even if you're not planning to eat anything and you know they don't have a gluten-free menu. Stop in a place in a strip mall and inquire about a gluten-free menu when walking by. I'm not talking about asking Outback or chains that you know have such a menu - ask every place you know that doesn't. I'm not talking about getting in a car to go ask the question. I'm talking about taking a moment to ask about gluten-free options, even when you are certain there are none. This will raise awareness that there is a market out there that is being greatly underserved. Who knows, one day you might feel comfortable eating out again if the market place does what it should do, to allow everyone to eat out safely, even at mid price places.

The only way things are going to change so that you do feel safe eating out is if everyone who could eat out acts as if they would, IF places knew how to feed them safely. I don't really care if anyone who doesn't eat out now ever does again. It's not my business or concern - but if people with Celiac don't band together to address this issue and help each other, well we can't complain about how hard it is to eat out without spending $50 on dinner can we? I helped with the Uno's campaign, even though I was bummed to find out there is no Uno's here and now I find out that Atlanta will be the next major city they open in because they get more requests for it than any city natiowide.

I hope you'll really think about this idea and consider pitching in. You never know who you're helping and since my Ceilac dx, my life has been blessed because I decided to help others once I learned my new lifestyle. What I get back from those I help is absolutely priceless. Our gluten free dinner group is now the second largest in the country and we're teaching restaurants all over Atlanta how important it is to feed us safely - and not boring meals, but great tasting, flavorful, wonderfuls meals. Life after a Celiac doesn't have to mean no travel or eating out. It's a personal choice and one can only do these things safely if one demands (nicely) that they get the service they deserve. I guess I'm lucky - I was always a 'When Harry met Sally' kind of restaurant patron so having to order gluten free isn't much of a stretch for me.

Hope everyone has a great long weekend!

I totally agree and also I would like to ask evrebody to keep calling to the companies like kraft, that want to "teach you" how to read lebels, but not will compromise on writting GLutten Free on their packages!!

lets all work together!!

Abi

[Kaycee]

Whenever we go out for lunch, and usually I just stick with a coffee, I always ask the assistant what have they in the way of gluten free food. Usually it is nothing butI feel the more they get asked, the more they will probably come to the party and investigate gluten free. So far it has not worked, but I am working on it.

Cathy

[Sweetfudge]

What a great idea. I have definitely done this in my own little way w/ my coworkers. They are very gluten-conscious thanks to me. I think posting our responses is a good idea as well. I called Zupas, for example, a soup/salad place, and asked what on their menu was gluten-free. The girl told me a list of 3 or 4 soups. I asked her if this was all, and she said "uh, i think so"...I then prodded her by asking about their salads, and she told me that this and this dressing had gluten, and the rest were safe. I asked her, "So if i ordered w/out crutons, and avoided these dressings, I'd be safe, right?" and she replied, "oh yeah, i guess you would." So, even though she told me the "list"...I got more out of her...she was kind of a noob if you ask me

[SunnyDyRain]

I agree that this is good idea. Yesterday i was out with my mother and we needed some lunch, so we decided on longhorn steakhouse, figuring I could get a steak and be ok. I asked the waitress if any of the entree were gluten free. She knew nothing about it. I told her a little bit, she said she would go ask the manager. She came back with "my manager said all the steaks and all the salads - but i don't think that is right.. he kinda brushed me off." I was so shocked that the mamger would brush off a server asking a question about how to serve a customer! I told her it wasn't that simple, and that the "signature salad" she just told us about had breaded chicken and corn bread crutons. i don't think the waitress got the whole idea of gluten, but she now knew more than her manager and maybe planted a little seed that she might be curious about someday.

If we keep asking about gluten free options at resraunts we allready know don't have menus, maybe they will get ones!

[floridanative]

Yes - that's the idea. Every time we say gluten to someone who doesn't know what it is, we're helping ourselves and everyone else that's gluten free. We're not going to wake up one day and the whole country is going to know all about Celiac and gluten and more importantly, how to prepare gluten free food for us. It's going to be long, drawn out process and if we all do our part we can speed up the process. I really didn't know much about Parkinson's disease until Michael J. Fox got dx'd with it and started talking about it. We don't have a Michael J. Fox for Celiac yet and we can't afford to wait until we do. It's up to all of us for now. You know what they say about one person being able to make a difference. Well in this case, with all of us getting involved in a grass roots effort, together we can make a huge difference. There is power in numbers and the rates of Celiac dx's are climbing at a staggering rate each month. Soon we will be a force to be reckoned with and that will be a very good thing indeed!

Thanks to everyone willing to pitch in and get the word out about Celiac, gluten and how to feed us all safely!

[Guhlia]

Perhaps someone could start a poll on favorite restaurants pre-dx. Then, we can choose one restaurant every week and call, e-mail, mail, etc. asking for a gluten free menu. If we put them in rotation, they will feel as though they're constantly bombarded with gluten free requests. I would happily mail a letter or drop an e-mail once a week.

I really miss Red Lobster, Damons, and TGI Friday's. I think those are all national chains that everyone would benefit from a campaign. Right?

[SunnyDyRain]

  Guhlia said:

Perhaps someone could start a poll on favorite restaurants pre-dx. Then, we can choose one restaurant every week and call, e-mail, mail, etc. asking for a gluten free menu. If we put them in rotation, they will feel as though they're constantly bombarded with gluten free requests. I would happily mail a letter or drop an e-mail once a week.

I really miss Red Lobster, Damons, and TGI Friday's. I think those are all national chains that everyone would benefit from a campaign. Right?

Red lobster and Damons are my fave restraunts! I also love Olive Garden, but I hold out no hope for a gluten-free menu there, even if there was, i'd be worried about CC EVERYWHERE!

[janelyb]

great idea. Over the past 2 weeks I had to call one place called dinnersready for a friend who isn't celiac but needs to avoid wheat. This is a place that prepares meals for you and you take home and cook them. We got this as a gift for my friend since she had her baby. The manager was awesome to look up all the "spices" ingredients and help me figure out which meals where safe.

Then we were having my mom's suprise party at a restraunt called Cattlemans. They were nice there as well, they don't have a gluten-free menu but they helped me to figured out what meal to order. They also told me they have a special area/grill for special non seasoned meat. They insured me that my plain steak will not be cross contaiminated during cooking. Everything worked out fine my meal was great!

We don't eat out much anymore but if we do I always call ahead to check for gluten-free menu or what accominadations can be made.

[Annaem]

  SunnyDyRain said:

Red lobster and Damons are my fave restraunts! I also love Olive Garden, but I hold out no hope for a gluten-free menu there, even if there was, i'd be worried about CC EVERYWHERE!

So here's the contact information. Open Original Shared Link

Im in Canada, but it benefits me as well. So lets give this bombarding idea a go.

[Danesmommy]

  Annaem said:

So here's the contact information. Open Original Shared Link

Im in Canada, but it benefits me as well. So lets give this bombarding idea a go.

Is there any contact information for Pier 49 pizza? I think they offer a gluten-free pizza in one location in downtown Salt Lake City, but that is the only one I know of. Maybe if everyone contacts their local Pier 49, they might offer gluten-free pizza in all their restraunts.

[maryjoali]

Thanks for posting the direct link! I sent a message. Where else should us Canadians target?? Jack Astors? I tried to get some help from the hostess, waitress and manager on the week-end, but didn't get too far.

Great idea BTW!

  Annaem said:

So here's the contact information. Open Original Shared Link

Im in Canada, but it benefits me as well. So lets give this bombarding idea a go.

[Juliebove]

  SunnyDyRain said:

Red lobster and Damons are my fave restraunts! I also love Olive Garden, but I hold out no hope for a gluten-free menu there, even if there was, i'd be worried about CC EVERYWHERE!

Olive Garden does have a gluten free menu. No pasta on it though.

[jesse]

yeah, this is a good idea, i thought about it a while ago though never initiated any action

another avenue that i think hasnt been mentioned is the fast food industry, target them hard and get one chain after another to commit a few items to be gluten free.

Mc D's has nothing practically and they could very easily w/ a little bit of a push. for example there grilled chix would be good if they would use rice flour in the marinade (i believe it is in the marinade, if not the what hell are the chix breast' made of!). i wrote a letter to sam's club once about there roasted chix though they have done nothing, there chix is bought from an off premise supplier and then roasted in store.

Long John silver could have dedicated fryers and make there hush puppies gluten free, also they could make a gluten free tempura batter.....

i hope i have sparked some other people here w/ some ideas. i know as a groupl we can get things done though...

pm me if you like what i have to say, we can get the ball rolling,

jdog