Restaurants

You are making a difference in the education of Applebee’s!

by on October 1st, 2010

Educating Applebee’s About Food Allergies

YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Not only were there 24 hits on the blog yesterday from Applebee’s home town, but I received 2 calls from them.

We’ll see where this goes, but obviously your coming out in full force made a difference. There were over 50 comments on our AllergyEats sites and many more on the sites of some of our food allergy friends.  Please continue to encourage others. They can comment here or on the original blog entry itself (where the comments have been great) – https://www.allergyeats.com/blog/index.php/applebees-decides-not-to-address-food-allergy-concerns/.

A huge thank you too to the many other food allergy sites, blogs, and support groups who helped spread the word! (wish I could list them all here)

I’ll keep everyone posted when there’s news of substance in the future.

Comments

    Author:
    AiXeLsyD13
    Written:


    I applaud your persistence and organizing everyone to come together until a response is heard!

    Author:
    Canary Alice
    Written:


    I stopped going to Applebee’s years ago when I asked them about an allegen and they ignored me. Keep up the good work!

    Author:
    AEPaul
    Written:


    From Facebook:

    Libby Block Treat Thanks for letting us know. This WILL affect my choice when I’m picking some place to eat.

    Janet Johnson wow, who knew little ole allergy people can make a big difference for everyone…so neat!(Were not really little…I think we are commonly widespread and many)

    Anna Chambley I posted on facebook your blog about Applebees and asked my friends & family not to dine there & spread the word.

    Barbara Whaley Martin I have done the same with my friends and family Anna….

    Author:
    Kathleen
    Written:


    Next you can take on Ruby Tuesdays! Had a horrible experience there today! Of course, my experience was bad all the way around, service as well as gluten.

    This is a fairly new Ruby Tuesdays that has only been open a couple of years in Lexington, SC. My husband and I ate there once or twice when they first opened and it was fine – that was before I knew I needed to eat gluten free.

    Today I was meeting 8 other people there for lunch after our water aerobics class. They know I am Celiac and can’t eat gluten so they asked me if Ruby Tuesday’s was a place I could eat. I went online and did my homework at their website, I checked nutrition and allergy facts, printed off the allergy sheet (which is not a menu, no descriptions, no pictures, and no prices). The website gave the appearance of being an allergy friendly establishment and I had an idea of what I could safely eat before I got there. That being said, I take full responsibility for anything I put in my mouth and reserve the right not to eat the food presented to me if I feel it is not gluten free.

    Most of our party had arrived before me and already had a table. However, even though the place was practically empty at 11:45, they still waited 10 minutes to be seated! And when I arrived, the hostess just said, “yeah, they’re here” and wasn’t going to show me to the table. When she finally did, it was very obvious that we needed an additional 4 top table, there wasn’t space for me, not even a chair, and she just walked away! And we had another person still on the way! So I asked the manager for an additional 4 top and two chairs. He gave me a dirty look and didn’t want to give us one, he wanted us to squeeze together and have two of us dining on the cracks of two 4 tops that were at least an inch different in height! Eventually, he did add an additional table, though we still had to ask for chairs and place settings!

    I’d also asked the hostess for the gluten free menu when I walked in, she rudely told me to ask the waitress! The waitress was not rude (the only one who wasn’t) but all she brought me for a menu was the same print out I already had in my hand! The others had already given her their orders and menus. So I had no idea what I was really getting other than the name on the print out and what I remembered from looking on line.

    I ordered a shrimp and avocado salad without wonton strips or the avocado ranch dressing per the instructions on the allergy print out. The print out mentioned nothing about croutons or I would have made sure to tell her no croutons! When my meal finally arrived – and it took a good long time – there were dark rye bread croutons buried in the middle of the salad under the shrimp! By this time, I was quite fed up, thus far, most of my time had been used up just trying to get a comfortable space at the table! I barely had opportunity to even engage in conversation or enjoy myself! So the croutons were just the last straw. I refused the salad and told the waitress I didn’t want it replaced, I didn’t want anything at all. I would just sip my water and enjoy my friends.

    Next thing I know, the manager is hovering over my shoulder wanting to “make everything right” and pushing to get me to order something else! I declined saying I couldn’t take the chance as I would be the one paying for it for the next couple days being sick. So he started shoving a gift card at me. He clearly didn’t know what gluten was nor did his staff, and after the level of service I’d had, no way would I ever return to this place! Now I’m getting more than a little irritated that he won’t leave me alone to at least enjoy my friends! So finally I took his gift card and slid it across the table to our water aerobics instructor (the final person to arrive who also had to wait for a chair and service!). Meanwhile the manager keeps pushing and pushing so one of the other ladies at the table spoke up to say that the salad bar had not been restocked for lunch, looked like it was just left from last nights dinner rush, and the tomatoes, mushrooms, and cucumbers were bad! She’d also asked for no mayo on her sandwich but got some anyway. So he did make her a new sandwich to go, but continued to hover and pester me till I finally just left! He followed me all the way to the door and gave me a new UPDATED printout of the allergy information. All this even after I’d explained to him that without proper training, this paper was absolutely worthless! If the staff does not know what gluten is or what it is in, there is no way I can trust the food in this establishment!

    It was just ridiculous! Ignoring my need for gluten free and based just on the over all service, I don’t see how they are still in business!!

    I won’t even go near an Applebee’s in this town with or without food allergies!

    Author:
    Leslie
    Written:


    We too have stopped going to Applebee’s because they just do not seem to care!

    Author:
    Joanne
    Written:


    I recently found out that although they have multiple pages of allergen menu items it doesn’t mean that every restaurant cooks those foods. Aside from some sides, a side salad or taco chips I can only eat one meal with my dairy and gluten allergies where I live. The menu tells me there are several beef entrees that line up for both allergies, but the menu given to everyone else did not include those meals. I asked the staff and they said not all restaurants have the foods. I’m afraid the next time they change the menu I’ll have nothing left to eat.

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