Sarah Lauer of Glory Days Awarded for Dedication to Food Allergy Training
In late May, Sarah Lauer from Glory Days Grill was announced as this year’s 2017 Best Food Allergy Champion for Restaurants at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Il. given by AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo.
AllerTrain by Menutrinfo is the nation’s leading food allergy and gluten-free resource for the foodservice industry. This year they selected the top industry leaders in allergy training and awareness through their inaugural food allergy awards. The awards recognize the hard work and dedication displayed by those at the forefront of the industry. Sarah Lauer of Glory Days Grill is an exceptional example of someone who is not only passionate about training but goes above and beyond the standard in serving safe food. She is well deserving of the title as this year’s Best Food Allergy Champion for Restaurants.
“Glory Days Grill was a very early adopter in implementing AllerTrain. It’s been amazing to see how they’ve expanded on the core training across their brand with Sarah leading the charge. She and Glory Days Grill are true food allergy champions and so deserving of this award.” Said Betsy Craig, CEO, Menutrinfo.
Sarah Lauer is the Corporate Training Manager for Glory Days Grill and is an AllerTrain certified Master Trainer. She has trained every manager and key holder in AllerTrain and trains every employee through the AllerSTAR program. Glory Days Grill has a plan in place that assures safe, healthy dining for all customers regardless of allergy or intolerance.
“As a restaurant, Glory Days Grill has offered nutritional information, including the presence of the top 8 allergens in our foods, to our guests for the better part of a decade. Over time, with the increasing prevalence of food allergies and intolerances, Celiac and Gluten Free diners, it became clear to our team that only having the information available to guests wasn’t enough – that we could do more. Over the past few years, we’ve been educating our managers and team members on the safest methods to serve these segments of our communities. To be acknowledged for my contribution to our overarching team effort validates what we’ve accomplished thus far, encourages us to extend our efforts further in the pursuit of safer operational practices, and reinforces our desire to stay on top of emerging trends within the food allergic and Celiac communities.” Said Sarah.
Glory Days Grill has come up with a winning system when it comes to training their team. They conduct monthly allergen training for all staff, they have an extensive gluten free menu, there is a guest accessible allergen wizard on their website and their allergy alert system is extensive and successful. The restaurant’s allergy alert system teaches all staff to alert management of any customers with allergies, ask specific questions regarding allergies to guests, ring in food correctly, use appropriate utensils in the kitchen and avoid cross-contamination in all steps. Their allergen wizard is easily accessible on their website and is a tool that allows customers to search their menu based on the top 8 allergens. You can eliminate an allergen (or multiple) through this tool and all menu items void of these allergens become available. This allows all diners to have a custom menu at the touch of a button that is safe and specific to their needs.
Through the implementation of training and tools for customers, Glory Days has truly set a high bar for all brands wanting to serve safe food to consumers with allergies. Sarah Lauer is a prime example of someone who is passionate about creating a safer dining establishment and Glory Days Grill has supported her efforts ten-fold.
AllerTrain offers the only ANSI accredited food allergy and gluten-free training courses for the foodservice industry, and provides nutritional counseling and policy development. The courses have been approved to provide allergen training for both the state of Michigan and Montgomery County, MD. AllerTrain teaches foodservice professionals about the top foods causing food allergies, proper protocol for preparing food to avoid cross-contact and how to better serve diners with special dietary needs. Visit www.allertrain.com for more information.
