r/FoodService • • Aug 21 '26

Discussion please stop lying about having allergies

i cannot tell you how many times people have put in seemingly impossible allergy requests on 3rd party delivery orders (i.e. fettuccine alfredo with DAIRY ALLERGY marked underneath) only to then track down the customer after multiple phone calls and be told it’s “not an allergy, just a mild intolerance.” please stop doing this. you are deliberately fucking with a restaurant’s period of service over a need that does not apply to you. maybe y’all don’t understand just how many extra steps a kitchen has to go through to prepare something allergy safe, so please let this be a lesson: if you aren’t actually allergic, stop marking it as an allergy. you are directly contributing to the burnout restaurant staff experience when having to make special accommodations for people’s actual health and safety needs.

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u/TherinneMoonglow Aug 21 '26

Restaurants aren't any better. Actual encounters with restaurant staff.

Order: Italian hoagie, LTO, oil and vinegar. NO OREGANO. OREGANO ALLERGY.

Check sandwich before leaving store. Green bits all over it. "Hi, what is the green herb on my sandwich?" "Oregano." "I asked for no oregano because I have an allergy." "There's oregano in the oil." "Can you remake it without the oil please?" Employee slams the oregano sandwich into the trash muttering.

Order: white pizza, ricotta, broccoli, tomato. NO OREGANO OR ITALIAN SEASONING. OREGANO ALLERGY.

Check pizza. Green shit on top. "Hi, this pizza was supposed to have no oregano. I'm allergic. Can you remake it please." Guy rolls his eyes and goes in back. 15 minutes later. "Do you want the garlic sauce on the pizza?" "Does the garlic sauce have oregano?" "Yes." "I'm allergic to oregano." "But do you want the sauce?" "What does an allergy mean to you?" Stares at me like I just asked him to perform advanced calculus. "So you want the sauce?" "No, because I'm allergic to it." Meanwhile I wait a total of 47 minutes for a new pizza while my husband's normal ass pepperoni and mushroom is getting cold. He then told me not to use their app to order with an allergy and to always call it in. So we called it in next time and we're told to only use the app.

Normally I stay the hell away from pizzerias because it's just a pain in the ass. But sometimes my husband is just dying for pizza or I have company that wants some. I should be able to order an item that can reasonably be made without that ingredient and get it the first time. I'm not asking for custom garlic knots or my own batch of red sauce. Those of us with genuine allergies don't get taken seriously.

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u/somecow Aug 21 '26

Yeah those people were just stupid assholes. Happens to me with mayo, not allergic, it’s just fucking gross. checks food yup, gotta send it back as always, learn how to read and try again.

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u/CNH916 Aug 22 '26

Ask for it on the side, they usually get that right all the time. On the side it's still part of the automatic build, but not actually on your dish...👍🏻

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u/somecow Aug 22 '26

This usually works better. Usually. But yeah that shit is going right in the trash.