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A very helpful bunch of responses came in regarding the email I received
from TGI Friday's.  I am wondering if there is a brochure or package
that the gluten free restaurant awareness programs provide to
restaurants- if anyone knows of one, please post.  I would like to send
such a packet to a number of local establishments, to assist them in
understanding.  From conversations I have had with waitstaff at the
Outback Steakhouses, they are always packed with a waiting list partly
because of the GF community.  I think maybe the restaurant industry
doesn't realize what an advantage there is in being nice to the GF
community.

Anyway, here are the responses I received:
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This is a "generic" autoresponse. I just wrote them too and had an
answer within a minute. You will have to call them to get their
attention.I will do the same. If enough people call, they will react.
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I got a similar response from Applebee's, Olive Garden and Red Lobster
- as if eating gluten-free is a choice we voluntarily make like being
on a flipping low carb or low fat diet.  I was very irritated.  I guess
the big chains just go with what they see the money makers are.  Thank
goodness for Outback and PF Changs - as far as national chains go.

I do have to say though, that we did eat at a Red Lobster near our
house (2 hours away) twice since my diagnosis a year ago expecting that
I could only eat a salad.   I even had my own dressing with me.  The
first time we went, the assistant manager came over to help me select
from their offerings.  His grandmother is celiac.  The second time we
went, he wasn't working and I thought I was sunk.  I didn't have my
salad dressing with me that day.  But, the restaurant manager sat right
down with us and went through my preferences indicating which items had
wheat flour sauces or seasonings, which items might have malt vinegar,
which items may have been cross contaminated due to preparation, etc.
He was very knowledgeable about what gluten was and was very willing to
have about anything on the menu fixed so that I could eat it .  I was
very surprised!

A new Applebee's just opened a month ago about 4 minutes from my house,
but I am waiting for the mass rush of customers to clear before I
attempt to talk to the manager about their menu.  I have a feeling I
will get no where though.
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You didn't strike out, all you did was confirm that they are not ******
friendly.

By posting to the list, you reinforced my wish to never enter one of
their establishments.  I'm sure that I am not the only one with those
feelings.
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I got the same response when I contacted them.  I even told her that I
had Celiac Disease and which items I could not have and I still got that
same generic response.  It's frustrating because a low carb diet is
hardly similar to the gluten-free diet.  Our diet is for medical
reasons!  However, I do still eat there frequently w/out any problems.
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Doesn't sound like they have any idea what gluten-free is.  Thanks for
trying for all of us.
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I wonder if they realize how useless this information is!

Some people have had luck with working with individual TGIF's.
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I wonder if you told them that you can't have gluten because of celiac
disease if they might understand that this is more than a "nutritional
desire" like someone might pursue an Atkins diet. I imagine they don't
have a gf menu and that probably was all you could get from them anyway,
but I guessed from her response to you that this was something she
thinks you're electing to do as a diet plan and not for medical reasons.
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