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My Own gluten-free Restaurant....?

gf4lyfe

By gf4lyfe
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

gf4lyfe Newbie
gf4lyfe
Posted

:lol: Hello !!!

My name is Laura, and I have been gluten-free for 1 yr and 3 months :) I was enrolled in a two yr culinary program (in my 1st yr of it) and found out about my allergy :P it was a huge change and then things got easier. I am in my 2nd yr now and also taking an intro to buisness class! we have to create our own buisness and present it to members of the school board and head of career tech. I am extremely excited to start my gluten free restaurant plans :) I'm hoping to someday open a real one in my area.....

I am just wondering if anyone had any special ideas or request. I am making this extremely realistic in hopes of winning the competiton :) If you have any 100% gluten-free recipies to offer they will be greatly appreciated. Anything else that you think might help os welcome too!!!

Thanks soooo much :)

Laura :D

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Rondar2001 Apprentice
Rondar2001
Posted

One suggestion would be to make it kid friendly. My biggest complaint with eating out is there is very little options for children (menus usually consist of burgers, chicken fingers and pizza).

Good luck with your presentation.

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

I think one good idea would be to offer menu items which are not only gluten-free, but dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, corn-free, egg-free etc. Many of us have additional sensitivities/intolerances to consider, and that makes eating out all-the-more challenging. As to how to manage such a kitchen, and not have CC from one type to another might get tricky, but if you can figure that out in a way that makes business sense, I think you'd have a very popular place.

Here's a list of gluten-free recipes:

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Gluten%252dFree-Recipes/

*lee-lee* Enthusiast
*lee-lee*
Posted

there is only 1 restaurant in my area that has a dedicated gluten-free menu and i have yet to dine there because it's so darn expensive! i don't want to pay $20 for spaghetti. i'll just cook it at home, for cryin' out loud!

ultimately, i'd be willing to deal with a smaller selection of foods if the prices were reasonable. i'm not sure if your plan will include a menu with prices but that was the first thing that popped into my head when i read your post.

climbmtwhitney Apprentice
climbmtwhitney
Posted

Neat project!

One poster suggested offering items that exclude other major allergens as well. Along those lines, it would be extremely helpful to actually list ingredients for all menu items. That way diners can accommodate their individual intolerances/allergies.

Good luck!

Jill

CeliacMom2008 Enthusiast
CeliacMom2008
Posted

What a great project!

My suggestion - make it a gluten free restaurant that would appeal to gluten eaters. I was amazed to find out how many of my recipes were easily converted to gluten free. There are so many recipes that gluten eaters would never even know were gluten free. It would be tricky to get the word out to those needing to eat gluten free while still keeping it a secret from those finicky gluten eaters, but maybe you could come up with a creative way to do that so that you could get both the gluten market and gluten free market!!

Good luck!!

aliciatakescare Newbie
aliciatakescare
Posted

You have a wonderful idea brewing here. There are NO restaurants in my area that have dedicated gluten free options, so if and when I eat out, i have to be very specific and it gets met with resistance and people think I am just being finicky.

as one other poster said - converting traditional recipes to gluten free is really more simple than some might think. One issue that I have run into personally is low-fat, low-sugar and low sodium contents while maintaining good taste and texture. In order to launch such a project, I would say that variety is key. I really try to mix up our menu here at home. For example, every week I try to fix different things than I did the previous week on at least 4 of the 7 days, kind of a rotating menu. Stir fry is very easy to make gluten free and have excellent flavor and texture while keeping sodium and fats to a minimum. Spaghetti is another easy gluten free meal you may consider. I am still trying to find a good tasting, good textured pizza crust that is low sodium, but still working on it. Another idea may be things such as pot roast, "Irish Casserole" (Ring bologna or polish sausage with potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage cooked all in a slow cooker or oven), steamed fish with veggies, broasted or fried chicken with gluten free breading, tuna casserole, hot beef sandwiches, wow, this list goes on.

i wish you the best of luck! Keep us posted on how you turn out

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Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
You have a wonderful idea brewing here. There are NO restaurants in my area that have dedicated gluten free options, so if and when I eat out, i have to be very specific and it gets met with resistance and people think I am just being finicky.

as one other poster said - converting traditional recipes to gluten free is really more simple than some might think. One issue that I have run into personally is low-fat, low-sugar and low sodium contents while maintaining good taste and texture. In order to launch such a project, I would say that variety is key. I really try to mix up our menu here at home. For example, every week I try to fix different things than I did the previous week on at least 4 of the 7 days, kind of a rotating menu. Stir fry is very easy to make gluten free and have excellent flavor and texture while keeping sodium and fats to a minimum. Spaghetti is another easy gluten free meal you may consider. I am still trying to find a good tasting, good textured pizza crust that is low sodium, but still working on it. Another idea may be things such as pot roast, "Irish Casserole" (Ring bologna or polish sausage with potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage cooked all in a slow cooker or oven), steamed fish with veggies, broasted or fried chicken with gluten free breading, tuna casserole, hot beef sandwiches, wow, this list goes on.

i wish you the best of luck! Keep us posted on how you turn out

That really IS a great idea (and a very, very cool project!)

My best ideas would say to make it versatile for populations of gluten and gluten free folks. Maybe in the project set aside a small space for food prep to where it's separate from food prep around gluten, as cross contamination is a huge issue. Another cool idea is to have a bi-annual gluten free workshop that is run by sponsorships (interactive and informative would be fun)

Good luck with your project!

I hate gluten Apprentice
I hate gluten
Posted

My personal idea is to make it a look like any other american eatery. Make it all american. burgers, fries, pies, cakes, pizza ect. Then when asked what makes yours so special tell them it is allergen free or gluten free. That would definatly strike awe and curiousity. It may not look special but we all know how special it is to want to eat like everyone else.

Jenny (AZ via TX) Enthusiast
Jenny (AZ via TX)
Posted

What a great idea. I hope you do it! I would love to have a dedicated gluten free restaurant near me. A place to go where I would not have to wonder if they were going to get it right. I went to a place in Dallas (now Laura's Bistro). It was really good. I ordered a hamburger on a bun and french fries. So great to order like that. It's funny because before I was gluten free I seldom ate hamburgers and french fries. I think I missed being able to order it normally.

It would be great to open something like a small Chili's. A restaurant with a lot of variety. A place where gluten people would feel comfortable too.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

Agreed on the allergy friendly thing.

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted
My suggestion - make it a gluten free restaurant that would appeal to gluten eaters.
That's a really good point. It sounds like it could be a key to the success of the place. I mean, You wouldn't be dependent only on folks who can't eat gluten, so your market reach would be much wider. It would also have a very positive effect on the awareness of Celiac. I can already imagine how a person would eat at your restaurant, and not get the usual symptoms they might expect. That alone would be good for business.

If it were me, I'd also host Celiac support meetings at the restaurant. That would just have to help raise awareness. Plus, people who don't normally eat out might be more inclined to do so once they get a taste of it. As the word gets out, I think it would draw curiosity if nothing else. The more often you can keep the parking lot filled, the more everyone else will want to dine there.

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

My favorite gluten free restaurant (and the only exclusively gluten-free restaurant I go to) is gluten-free, vegan (with the exception of one trout dish), and uses fresh, seasonal ingredients so the menu rotates. This type of restaurant appeals to celiacs, dairy-free people, vegetarians and vegans, people who like organic, seasonal food, and environmentalists, and I think they will be a lot more successful than if if were just a gluten-free restaurant. The menu is limited - maybe 5 appetizers, 7 entrees, and 4 desserts, but I don't care. At other places I get the same thing every time because I know it's safe so 7 options seems like a lot to me. They also piked a location near a neighborhood known for it's "hippie", vegan, organic-loving, artsy residents so there's a good customer base.

Adelle Enthusiast
Adelle
Posted

I have to disagree with the "kid friendly" thing. DH and I can't have children and at this point we HATE kid friendly places, because usually "kid friendly" means "kids running and screaming everywhere completely unattended". We don't go to places like that. DH and I eat out once ever 6 months or so and we want to enjoy it!!

The BEST solution I found (I don't know if this will be feasible for you) is a separate dining area. The ONE restaurant we go to is pretty nice and quiet, but they have a separate room in the back for families if you ask for it. It's all enclosed and kids can be as loud as they want without disturbing other patrons. 2 weeks ago my girlfriends (both vegetarians), me, and their kids went out to eat there, it was actually great!

Lovey25 Rookie
Lovey25
Posted

I would say, use ingredients that everyone is familiar with. I think when we use "alternative" ingredients in our gluten-free cooking, it scares people away. It makes them think it's disgusting or foreign, or just plain scary. I think when you can create yummy foods with ingredients that everyday people without food allergies are familiar with, they won't have any negative pre-conceived notions. They'll be more apt to visit the restaurant and enjoy it.

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