Being a server comes with its difficulties. One of the biggest difficulties is the customers you’ll deal with along the way, as some are less than pleasant. One California server says that she has restaurant guests clocked when it comes to their use of dietary restrictions. As she says, some of these guests will use these restrictions “for attention.” Now, she’s showing her TikTok audience how to spot these guests.
Kalina (@kalinaisabella) shared a video explaining that some dinner guests at restaurants will “use dietary restrictions to get special treatment.” And right off the bat, let’s clear the air here. Dietary restrictions are critical for the success and safety of restaurants. They help keep guests away from allergens and intolerances that could negatively impact them. But as Kalina says, some guests don’t actually have these restrictions and she thinks they’re just playing it off like they do.
Kalina states that she has “proof” of who is using their restrictions for legitimate reasons and who is doing it just for attention. She shows a scenario in which she approaches the table and asks if a table wants to place their order. She says, at this point, someone raises their hand and says, “I’m a vegetarian and it doesn’t really look like you have any vegetarian options. I was wondering if the chef could maybe make me something special.” Kalina said that as soon as you tell them there are vegetarian options, they act unhappy with what they see in front of them. They’ll say things like “I don’t like beets.” Kalina thinks this is evidence that someone is faking their restrictions and they just wanted something special made for them.
It’s possible that some people are, in fact, using their restrictions to get attention. It’s also possible they want to gain special treatment to a menu tailored specifically to them. But I also think it’s important to consider that a lot of people aren’t doing that. Giving them the benefit of the doubt is vital because it could mean their livelihood. It’s also important for restaurants in general to consider that adding more vegetarian/vegan options to their menu is good for business, as many individuals follow these diets. And what’s the harm with bringing in more business to your restaurant?
One commenter shared, “I work at Red Lobster and the amount of people that come in with shell or just seafood allergies in general drive me mad!?!!” Another commenter replied to this, “SAME like why are you coming here when you’re allergic to shellfish like please.” Another quipped, “’I have a gluten allergy!!’ …proceeds to drown their sushi in soy sauce.”
