What the EveryBite Diner Report Tells Us About Allergy-Friendly Dining

A recent partnership between FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) and EveryBite has the potential to make a significant change in the experience of allergy sufferers. As a newly published Restaurant Business article explains, FARE and EveryBite’s collaboration makes dining out significantly easier for those with allergies, but also presents a unique business opportunity for restaurants.

The Hassle of Eating Out

As someone who personally has tree nut and shellfish allergies, I understand how difficult it can be to find a restaurant where I feel totally safe. Most of the time, I end up asking the waiter whether a dish is safe for me to eat. But, as the article notes, restaurant staff often don’t know how to deal with customers with allergies and may not be aware of what allergens are present in a dish. More often than not, this creates friction: the waiter has to go back to the kitchen and ask the chef before answering definitively. 

EveryBite’s Solution

To combat the typical hassle that comes with eating out when you have allergies, EveryBite helps restaurants craft cutting-edge digital menus that can be personalized to each diner’s allergens. This menu can be used by both waiters and diners alike so that both sides have the ability to know which dishes are allergen-safe and which are not. 

Although 10% of the population has food allergies, allergens vary greatly person-to-person, making it difficult for restaurants to specifically tailor their dishes to serve their customers. EveryBite is developing an empirically-motivated solution to this, creating reports for restaurants on the most common allergens of their customers. In this way, restaurants can now better gauge what dishes to put on the menu, making dining out more enjoyable for allergy sufferers and also more profitable for restaurants. As a food allergy nonprofit, FARE has partnered with EveryBite to help these allergy sufferers—a big step in making restaurants more accessible to them.

My Thoughts 

Overall, this was a really exciting story to read. I think that this is a great first step in helping restaurants meet the needs of diners who have allergies. EveryBite is cultivating a mutually beneficial relationship where both the restaurant and the diner benefit. 

Currently, EveryBite has been used by 50 brands with over 4,000 locations, including Cracker Barrel, Playa Bowls, Bartaco, and more. You can find the full list on their website. If you have a food allergy, I recommend trying to see if EveryBite helps you at one of these locations! 

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!