The Wheat-End Starts Here

A couple of weeks ago, our restaurant served a customer who told us over and over again that she was severely gluten intolerant. We had to find workarounds for everything she ordered on the menu; she insisted we clear out a section of the kitchen and clean all utensils “extra” to ensure no cross-contamination. She then refused to tip at the end of the night because she was positive that she could taste gluten, and now she “was going to go home and suffer because of you!”

So, you can imagine, one Saturday afternoon, how my shoulders sagged when I saw her walking into our establishment again. I was blessed with taking her order.

Customer: “I want the soup of the day.”

Me: “That contains gluten, ma’am. It’s pre-made, so I can’t offer a gluten-free version of it.”

Customer: “I never said I was gluten intolerant.”

Me: “I remember you being here a couple of weeks ago, ma’am. You stressed the importance of us remembering your gluten intolerance when prepping your meals.”

Customer: “Oh, but that was a Thursday. My gluten intolerance doesn’t flare up on weekends. Now, get me the soup and the lasagna, and a large beer!”