Family Get Together @ Pizza Place

[summerteeth]

My sister's 20th birthday is Friday. So on Saturday, my grandma and one of my aunts thought it would be a good idea to celebrate Emily's (my sister) and my uncle's birthdays. They chose a pizza place.

This is fine with me. At this point, I am not livid. I understand people like pizza and twelve people don't have to have dietary restrictions because I do. I went on the restaurant's website and see that everything is glutenous. Obviously, pizza - but of course pasta, sandwiches and fried food. That is it. That is all they offer (and, honestly, if they offered anything else, I don't think I would trust it. They are primarily a pizza joint, after all).

Even this doesn't make me that angry. I figure, hey, standard American fare. So I call the restaurant with hopes that they let me bring a lunch box. This is what gets me: they actually said no. I have never, ever in two years of being gluten free gotten this response. Usually after I say "celiac" and "food allergies" and "I get really sick" they understand, sympathize, and are totally cool with me bringing in some raw veggies and a plain chicken breast.

But no. The lady I spoke to actually said that they are worried that my family and I will use my freaking lunch box to feed twelve people and just use their restaurant as a meeting point. Think about it: a Laptop Lunch used to feed twelve people. If I weren't so angry I would probably laugh at that thought.

So I actually said to the lady at the restaurant, "So you expect me to sit there for two hours and watch my family eat...?" To that she said, "Well yes. You would be breaking our policy".

/end rant.

[gary'sgirl]

That is sooo ignorant and just plain unprofessional. I think you should bring a bagged lunch anyway and just wait to bring it out until they have brought everyone else their food. I doubt that they would have the guts to tell you that you couldn't eat it then.

I'm sure these situations are why huge purses are in fashion now a days.

[kareng]

I wouldn't have asked. Just bring it in. As long as your not sharing with everyone else or bringing in what they are selling (like a soda) why would they care. Don't ask for a plate or silverware since we know they aren't very friendly. Maybe your family would choose a different pizza place that was nicer.

[jerseyangel]

What a rude response. Can you let your family know what the person said to you and see if they will agree to go somewhere else? I know I wouldn't want to give a place my business that treated someone that way--especially a family member.

If you must go there, bring something in your purse and order a drink. I might decide not to go, but that's a "you know what's best in your situation" type of thing.

[Skylark]

I would have gotten her name and asked to speak to a manager.

[Looking for answers]

I would also suggest changing venues. Who can support such a place?!

[summerteeth]

I may ask if we can change restaurants, but I am not holding my breath. And I don't want to ruin my sister's birthday (especially since she loves pizza so much).

I think I'll probably stick a Larabar and some Ener-g pretzels or something in my purse...

I told my mom the story and she said just brown bag it - what are they going to do? Kick me out? Take my food away?

[Roda]

On the few occasions that I have went out to eat it never occured to me to ask if I could bring something in, I just did. There have been times that I have carried a little playmate cooler too. A few weeks ago when I met my parents in WV they wanted to eat at this buffett. Dad went in and asked if there was anything gluten free and they told him no. So I bought a few things at the kroger to go with what was in my cooler and proceded to the restaurant to eat with the rest. Out of four adults and two children we paid for five to eat. They even gave me a plate an fork. I asked how much a cup of icecream out of the machine would cost and they said for me to go get a cup since everyone else paid. Mind you they didn't have the best food (from what everyone else said), but they get kudos for their courtesy and for accomidating me. If they won't change locations, like everyone else said, take a big purse stashed with goodies and bring them out after everyone else is served. I doubt they will want to make a scene then.

[StephanieGF]

I'm sorry they were so terrible. I agree, never ask in that kind of situation, you never know what kind of random answer you will get from an employee. It is better to just discreetly bring your own food and only justify it if you are pressed, and then ask to speak to a manager if you are being given a hard time. Most managers would rather have the business of the rest of the group even if one person has to abstain. Obviously, this does not work in a fine dinning type situation, but for take out style, or real casual place such as a pizza place, I have done it before and am just careful to not get my salad out of my bag (I use a cooler bag that kind of looks like a regular shoulder bag) until everyone has already has their food. Good luck.

[LDJofDenver]

I'm with KARENG, above, I just take stuff in my bag (don't ask in advance). A couple pieces of cheddar cheese, a nut bar or cashews/peanuts in baggie, some rice/corn chips etc. Usually the restaurant doesn't even notice, especially in larger groups.

You have to look out for yourself.

But, yes, what a ridiculous reply from them! I'd go above their heads and lodge your complaint a little higher.

[lisa25]

A while back I was out of the office on a job with some co-workers. I brought my sack lunch to the place they chose to eat (just a little hamburger place) and the manager was very rude and asked that I leave because I was eating my own food. Even after I tried to explain the situation, didn't use any of their stuff, and only had a gluten-free sandwich and some chips in a little baggie, they still made me leave. Some people just aren't nice. Most will at least have a little sympathy.

Are there any gluten free pizza places near where you live you can suggest to your sister?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Are there any gluten free pizza places near where you live you can suggest to your sister?

Yes, where do you live? If you are anywhere near a city, there must be a place that also carries a gluten free option. We have Uno's Chicago Grill and Z-Pizza here. Some others I've heard of are Mellow Mushroom (select locations), Pizza Fusion, Garlic Jims and a company called Still Riding Pizza sells gluten-free crusts to various places across the country: Open Original Shared Link

If you can't get the restaurant changed then I would just discretely take in your own food anyway. The worst that can happen is they can ask you to leave, but with such a big party I don't see that happening.

[summerteeth]

Yes, where do you live? If you are anywhere near a city, there must be a place that also carries a gluten free option. We have Uno's Chicago Grill and Z-Pizza here. Some others I've heard of are Mellow Mushroom (select locations), Pizza Fusion, Garlic Jims and a company called Still Riding Pizza sells gluten-free crusts to various places across the country: Open Original Shared Link

If you can't get the restaurant changed then I would just discretely take in your own food anyway. The worst that can happen is they can ask you to leave, but with such a big party I don't see that happening.

I live in Rockford, IL. - there are no gluten free pizza places here -even though we are the 2nd largest city in Illinois.

I am just going to carry a large purse with my own food in it. I honestly cannot see them saying anything.

[Juliebove]

We went through this last year or the year before. Can't remember exactly. This place did have some sandwiches and beer battered fries, but we couldn't eat those things either. Literally the only thing we could eat was green salads, minus the croutons. My brother kept pointing things out on the menu to me but they were things we couldn't eat. They refused to change the restaurant. So we just ate beforehand and suffered through our salads. Really the salads weren't very good and we barely touched them. It was just too upsetting to sit downwind of those pizzas. We were seated at the end of the table and they set up the pizza on its own little table right next to us! Grrr...

In WA, it is a health code violation to bring food into a restaurant. So I am quite used to that. They do seem to allow baby food and bottles/sippy cups but nothing else is allowed.

At least in my case I have a few things going for me. I don't normally eat lunch. Exception being on Saturdays when we meet my parents for lunch. Then I just sleep in and don't eat breakfast. And my SIL likes to eat at odd times. So if it's a lunch party, I just don't eat, or I get the green salad. I'm sure it is much harder for my daughter though.

These days there are more and more places where we can get gluten-free food. Olive Garden, Bostons, The Old Spaghetti Factory. We do have a PF Changs, but I have an allergy to oysters and they put oyster sauce in all their food so I can't eat there.

Good luck!

[Takala]

There is a gluten free menu for Olive Garden Open Original Shared Link while it does not have gluten-free pizza, it has pizza for the glutoneers and it has other gluten-free items and there is one located at 6367 E State St in Rockford, IL

Open Original Shared Link