Why should I offer a gluten-free menu at my restaurant?
Until you offer gluten-free and allergy-friendly options at your establishment, you’re missing out on reaching an entire market segment. When my friends and I are out and about, they look to me to recommend a place to eat since I’m the one with special dietary considerations. You’re not only not making money off of me, but you can’t reach a whole party of people if even one person in that group can’t safely dine at your restaurant.
How much input do I have in the new menus you develop?
I would prefer that our partnership be a true partnership. I’m going to utilize my expertise and experience in producing your new gluten-free menu with consideration to your existing themes and reputation. Since part of my services include using my graphic design skills to order a new regular menu to include all the new gluten-free options, I would also like to work with you to streamline your current menu to be more profitable. If your customers aren’t ordering 10% of the items offered at your restaurant, let’s get rid of them. If you have to order a special ingredient that’s only featured in one or two items, let’s rework those recipes so you don’t have to order that ingredient. Let’s work together to best utilize your budget and the storage space in your pantry and walk-ins.
Is this going to be like those tv shows where some celebrity chef comes in and changes everything?
Yes and no. My skills include figuring out how to make gluten-free recipes taste as good as or even better than the original, plus my background in graphic design, marketing, and advertising. Your establishment will only get a makeover if you also hire an interior designer to update your restaurant’s appearance while we sit together in the back office for hours discussing ingredients and suppliers and whether you should switch your main fryer to gluten-free or reserve a pot of oil on the stovetop for gluten-free frying.
How do I know if my current customers will like the changes that you propose?
I’ve developed a customer survey that we can have printed on feedback cards to test the appeal of my services with your customers before you sign anything. A few simple questions will help determine the demand for new options at your restaurant.
- Are you or is anyone you know on a gluten-free diet or another restricted diet?
Yes/No - Would you be more likely to recommend this restaurant if it introduced a gluten-free and allergy-friendly menu?
Yes/No - Would you be willing to try gluten-free or allergy-friendly menu items knowing they were freshly made to order in the restaurant kitchen?
Yes/No - Have you ever experienced difficulties selecting a restaurant due to food allergies or intolerances among friends or family?
Yes/No - Are there any other changes you’d like to see implemented as a customer of this restaurant?
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Do you offer just one menu, or can I also sign up for gluten-free seasonal menu items?
I offer two options for menu development. A single permanent menu at a lower price, or a base menu with seasonal menu options at a reasonable value for the additional work in creating specialty menu items according to what’s available each season. All contracts are viable for a twelve-month period, at which time a new agreement must be made or the partnership must be dissolved and all branding elements for The Deglutenizer must be removed from your restaurant’s marketing and menu. For complete details on all consultation services offered, please download The Deglutenizer Restaurant Consultation Contract.
What can I expect my newly designed gluten-free menu to look like?
I do include my graphic design services in the creation of new menus for your restaurant. Ideally, you would order two new menus: a separate gluten-free and allergy-friendly menu for anyone who requests one, plus your new streamlined main menu offerings. You can download my sample menu for a hypothetical seafood restaurant partner’s new summer seasonal gluten-free menu by clicking on the preview image below.
What kind of marketing will you do for our new partnership?
Your restaurant will be featured on my Restaurant Partners page with a complete profile including photograph, downloadable .pdf of your menu, your latest inspection grade, location and mapping of your restaurant, and customer reviews. I will also advertise our partnership on various social media platforms such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
What if I already offer gluten-free menu items?
I’m developing an advertising service for restaurants that already have gluten-free options. In my early calls on restaurants for consultation, I discovered that many restaurants have gluten-free offerings. I just didn’t realize it because they don’t advertise their allergy-friendly choices. Since it’s likely the owners of these restaurants wouldn’t hire me for consultation to help them refine their services for a niche market, it occurred to me that they might advertise directly to that market through an existing gluten-free information outlet.
What will be included in your new advertising service for restaurants with existing gluten-free offerings?
Advertisers will get a listing on my Advertisers page, plus monthly promoted posts on my Instagram, Facebook, and twitter accounts. If your restaurant is 100% gluten-free, special icons will be posted on your listing and ads to denote your safe status. If your gluten-free items are prepared in a shared kitchen, your listing and advertisements will include a disclaimer that The Deglutenizer does not endorse any gluten-free claims made by the restaurant or its staff.
Why do you give a gluten-free endorsement to your Restaurant Partners but not your Advertisers?
When I consult with a Restaurant Partner to help them create a gluten-free and allergy friendly menu and develop a culture of awareness among their staff, I am assuming half the risk of introducing the menu to the public. My professional reputation as a gluten-free expert and consultant is tied to how well the staff prepares and handles every dish any time someone with a gluten-induced medical condition enters their establishment. My endorsement comes with completion of my program of training custom-tailored to be executed with absolute precision within their place of business once I leave. I expect my consultation clients to be able to maintain the standards that I’ve set for them during training, and endorse their gluten-free status with confidence.
When I sign a new Advertiser contract, it is with the understanding that I will always post a disclaimer of non-endorsement of any gluten-free claims because I haven’t been hired as a consultant. I have no means of verifying the Advertiser’s claims, and can’t confirm that a gluten-free dish prepared at the establishment will be safely handled every time it is delivered to a customer’s table. The only time I can endorse an Advertiser’s gluten-free statements are if the entire restaurant is gluten-free. 100% gluten-free establishments will get special icons posted on their listing and ads to denote their safe status. All other Advertiser postings will include my disclaimer.
Please submit any additional questions to me by filling out the form below, or email me directly at jamie@thedeglutenizer.com.