You asked, we listened – new feature on AllergyEats

AllergyEats was launched to the public in February, 2010.  That followed 20 months of consultation and development with many outsiders who were critical in helping shape our original vision into the much better AllergyEats you see today.

Still, we knew it wouldn’t perfect from day 1.  It was time to go live and let user feedback help guide future modifications.  Thankfully, many of you have come through with great suggestions and constructive criticisms over these first 6+ months.  I personally read all the messages and respond to almost every one.  I also keep track of what everyone is asking for, particularly if it is requested by many different individuals.

With that in mind, I’m happy to say that AllergyEats has now answered your call once more with a new addition more noticeable than some others. Read the rest of this entry »

While we remain in the midst of negotiating with Applebee’s to learn more about their food allergy beliefs and practices, I wanted to share a surprising and disappointing experience I had with my family last Thursday.

Summer vacation is just about over so my wife and I decided to take our older kids to Six Flags New England.  I haven’t been to a Six Flags in over 2 decades, nor am I a fan of roller coasters, rides where you drop, things that make you go upside down, or basically anything beyond what you would find in the Wiggles section (where I brave the 2mph cars with my 3-year-old).

In any case, when my wife and kids get tired of the thrill rides, and I start to accept the fact that my 8-year-old is braver than I, we decide it’s time to eat.

Six Flags New England has a lot of food kiosks, but one central food area - so we go there.  Of the many “cuisine” choices, we opt for good old reliables – burgers, dogs, fingers, fries, and pizza (not all my kids are food allergic).

One problem: we find out Six Flags cooks their fries and other foods in peanut oil! Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to the amazing show of support our members and Facebook fans demonstrated after our last blog post (Applebee’s responds to criticisms in AllergyEats Blog post… weakly!), Applebee’s decided to proactively initiate a phone conversation with me.  This call was greatly appreciated and, in my opinion, a step in the right direction for all of us.

Late Wednesday, I spoke to the Executive Director of Communications.  Let me say in advance that this call wasn’t the last – we’ve decided to follow-up next week.

In any case, the main message she wanted to emphasize was that Applebee’s had in fact added allergen info to their website last April.  (You can find it on this page of their site – bottom left.)  The decision to add this info was driven by an increasing number of calls from guests demanding it.  The process took quite a bit of time as they had to check with every vendor on every food product brought into the restaurants and then had to work with their nutritionists to organize this list, showing which menu items are safe for individuals with each specific food allergy.  She did state what a lot of our readers said in their comments - this list is constantly changing as their menu does, so it needs to be centrally managed.  Given that, she admitted that they might need to remind restaurants to print out the list more often and keep it readily available.  The problem as I see it, however, is that restaurant managers are currently not informed when the list changes; thus, the list they have on hand may already be obsolete… and this can be dangerous.  Applebee’s should find a way to “push” the new lists to the units as they are released.

For my part, I expressed my sincere appreciation for her willingness to open the lines of communication and also shared my gratitude that they made the decision to post allergen info on their website (which will soon be on our main AllergyEats site as well) – this was a good first step.

Of course, in order to represent our constituency, I stressed that the main issues our readers have had were not so much with the menu itself, but with the level of knowledge and training of the staff in the restaurants.  While having the list available is important, it doesn’t replace proper training about cross-contamination, substitutions, understanding the customer’s exact needs, the severity of a potential mistake, etc.  I shared with her my belief that it would be beneficial for all of us to take this conversation further, and I know most AllergyEats followers would agree.

We still want to understand more about the efforts Applebee’s has in place to increase their allergy-friendliness. Read the rest of this entry »

Eight days ago, the AllergyEats Blog posted an entry entitled “Guest Post – Applebee’s Disappoints!”  (For those who haven’t read it or seen all the comments, I strongly suggest doing so before reading on.)  At the time, I had no idea that this would be by far our most popular and controversial blog post.  Between responses directly on the blog and comments on Facebook, over 30 readers felt the need to share their opinions about Applebee’s as well.  These opinions were overwhelmingly negative (justifying the poor allergy-friendliness rating of 2.3 for Applebee’s on the main AllergyEats site).

Having never seen such an outpouring of negative opinion regarding a restaurant on this blog, I stated I would contact Applebee’s directly, point them to the blog entry, and offer them an opportunity to share their point of view.  While Guest Services never called me back as promised (twice), they surprised me by posting the following in the Comments section of that blog entry late Monday:
 

Dear AllergyEats Subscribers,

We recognize the importance of making sure our food-allergic guests have safe options they can enjoy at their neighborhood Applebee’s. Food allergies are a serious concern, and we are working to improve how we accommodate the needs of our FA-guests.
Depending on the food allergy, we do offer different menu items that are appropriate options, or that can be prepared without the allergic food. We recommend that you talk with your server or restaurant manager about the allergy, and how your meal is prepared, to help ensure your dining experience is safe. Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention — we value the safety and enjoyment of all our guests.

Sincerely,

Applebee’s
 

How do I hide my incredible disappointment at this brush off?  How much effort was expended in sending this generic response?  Was any thought involved?  Did anyone truly read and consider the post and comments?

The answer to that last question is obviously “No.”  Had they read the posts, they would have known that talking to servers, managers, and others did NOT prevent these very negative diner experiences.  In fact, most of the problems were actually CAUSED BY such conversations.  Ironically, it seems the biggest issue Applebee’s has in attracting food allergic guests is the LACK of strong personnel training.

Further, given their weak response, I have to strongly doubt the sincerity of the statements “we recognize the importance of making sure our food-allergic guests have safe options,” “food allergies are a serious concern [to us],” and “thank you for bringing this issue to our attention – we value the safety and enjoyment of all our guests.”

So what to do now?  I see two choices. Read the rest of this entry »

Fastest Growing Source for Finding Allergy-Friendly Restaurants

(a pdf copy of this press release can be found here)

BOSTON, MA (August 24, 2010) – AllergyEats (www.allergyeats.com), the fastest growing source
for finding allergy-friendly restaurants, is celebrating its six month anniversary. Since its inception,
AllergyEats has provided valuable peer-based feedback about how well (or poorly) restaurants
accommodate the needs of food-allergic customers.

Most restaurant review sites include information about establishments’ food, ambiance or service, but
AllergyEats is singularly focused on food allergies, with peer reviews spotlighting where people with
food allergies or intolerances can comfortably eat.

AllergyEats has exploded in popularity, growing to thousands of members and restaurant ratings
since its February launch, demonstrating that the site meets a huge need within the food allergy
community. AllergyEats has also experienced a tremendous surge of interest on its social media
sites, with food-allergic “fans” regularly sharing ideas, recommendations and feedback on Facebook,
Twitter and the AllergyEats Blog. Interest in AllergyEats has been accelerating dramatically as word
spreads virally about the service AllergyEats provides to the food-allergic community. Read the rest of this entry »

I read a terrific thread of comments on LinkedIn the other day.  A page called “Celiac Handbook: Living and Loving the Gluten-Free Life” had a great discussion about how readers felt about the slew of restaurant gluten-free menus.  The post was started by Amy Leger of the Savvy Celiac (www.thesavvyceliac.com) and, in my opinion, had some very surprising comments, which is why I asked her permission to reprint them here.  To see the original LinkedIn page and add your comments, click here.
 

Here’s what the thread looks like so far (names and a few irrelevant comments omitted): Read the rest of this entry »

(This AllergyEats Blog entry has been guest written by Adrienne Walkowiak, a lifelong dairy allergic who also provides public relations services to AllergyEats.)

As someone that has had a lifelong dairy allergy, I’m always cautious when eating at restaurants.  And as a mom of two young daughters – who, thankfully, didn’t inherit my food allergies – I appreciate the convenience and affordability of family-friendly chains.  Until recently, most chain restaurants have been able to accommodate my special food requirements, while also providing my children with kid-friendly foods and crayons.

Recently, we went to Applebee’s as a family, and learned that they had changed their menu.  Apparently, they have also changed their willingness to accommodate their food-allergic customers.  Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference.  And sometimes you say “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that until now.”

So, better late than never, AllergyEats has added a “Refer a Friend” feature on the home page and all other pages.  (Click here to visit the home page.)

All you have to do is click the “Invite” box in the upper righthand corner, enter your name, enter your friend’s name and email address, and click Submit.  Your friend will receive a gentle invite suggesting that he or she might be interested in visiting AllergyEats.  That’s it.  We won’t save information or spam your friends in any way.

So why is that big news?

How often have you said, “I’ve got to remember to tell so-and-so about… whatever” and later forgot?  Happens most of the time for almost all of us. Therefore, by adding this little box, we’re helping remind users to tell their friends and acquaintances who deal with food allergies or intolerance about AllergyEats.

And since the power and value of AllergyEats is driven by the total number of users (which drives the number of ratings), any method of helping our users tell as many people as possible benefits all of us!

Please go to the main AllergyEats site (www.allergyeats.com) and use this feature.  And while there, please remember to rate any restaurants you’ve dined at recently.

Tossed, server of salads, wraps, and sandwiches in half a dozen states, has announced a new gluten-free menu.

Tossed has locations in Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, New York, and Massachusetts (no, I can’t explain the “geographic logic”)

To see the press release and link to the site, please click here (pdf).

Please visit the AAFA Michigan annual online fundraiser auction, now through 8/25.

Proceeds go to programs and services that educate and train those affected by asthma and allergies in Michigan, but you don’t have to be in MI to support this. There might be a great auction item for YOU in there!

AllergyEats is a proud sponsor of this event and all AAFA national and chapter events.

You can reach the site from the AllergyEats home page or directly by click the following link (http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=aafamich).