Ten years ago "do you have something vegetarian?" was still an occasional question. Today guests expect you to accommodate allergies, intolerances, plant-based choices and sometimes even smaller portions. For your team that is an extra layer of complexity, especially with a fixed menu or set daily menu where there is little room to deviate.
The good news: you do not have to remember it all. With the right structure, kitchen and floor staff know what matters before service. In this article you read how dietary needs evolved, how to handle them with a fixed menu, and how Restotailor helps with guest profiles, customisable emails and a personalised widget. Included in €65 per month.
How it evolved in recent years
Several trends come together. Vegetarian and vegan food has gone mainstream: guests expect at least a solid option, even in fine dining. European allergen legislation made transparency mandatory; the fourteen main allergens (nuts, gluten, shellfish, egg, milk and more) must be traceable for guests. Restaurants also see broader demand for flexibility: smaller portions, less alcohol, more plant-based. VRT NWS recently reported on calls for smaller portions in restaurants, partly due to changing eating habits and medication that suppresses appetite. Horeca Vlaanderen also points out that smaller portions help reduce food waste. In short: guests eat more consciously and expect you to respond, not as an exception but as standard.
The challenge with a fixed menu
Do you work with a fixed menu, chef's table or daily menu with limited choice? Then every dietary request feels like a puzzle. You cannot simply remove a dish from the menu. Yet "no, that is not possible" is rarely the best answer. Guests with a serious allergy want certainty in advance; vegetarians hope for a thoughtful alternative, not a side salad. The key is timing: the earlier you know what matters, the better your kitchen can prepare. A guest who only mentions coeliac disease on arrival puts your team under pressure. If you knew at booking, the chef can prepare an adjustment or honestly say what is and is not possible.
Practical tips for your kitchen
Start with a clear policy. Define which allergies you can absolutely accommodate and where you draw the line. Train your floor staff to actively ask about dietary needs on phone reservations. Note everything immediately, not on a scrap that disappears when dishes are washed. With a fixed menu, a standard approach works: one vegetarian or vegan replacement per course that your kitchen can prepare in advance, and a fixed procedure for the most common allergies (gluten, nuts, shellfish). Communicate honestly: better to say upfront that a dish cannot be adapted than to disappoint a guest at the table. And involve your whole team: host, service and kitchen must see the same info.
Track it in your CRM
In Restotailor you register allergies and dietary preferences per guest in the guest profile: vegetarian, vegan, nut allergy, gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance and the other main allergens, plus a free text field for other notes. Add them when creating a reservation or later on the detail page, and they stay saved for future visits. On a new booking you immediately see what to watch for. Via the filter menu you select guests with a specific allergy or preference, handy for a plant-based evening or gluten-free tasting. Combine this with your table plan and your team knows at every table who is seated and what matters, before the first course leaves the kitchen. Read more in our article on CRM for restaurants.
Communicate via confirmation and reminder
Not every guest mentions dietary needs spontaneously when booking. Proactive communication is essential. In Restotailor you fully customise the content of your confirmation email and reservation reminder in your mail settings. Add a short paragraph: "We serve a fixed menu. Please mention allergies and dietary needs with your reservation or reply to this email so our kitchen can prepare in time." Send the confirmation right after booking and the reminder 24 hours in advance, so guests still have time to pass something on. Keep the tone inviting, not threatening. You combine hospitality with a clear expectation: those who communicate in advance get the best service.
Personalisation in your reservation widget
The first impression starts when booking. In the widget settings of your reservation widget add a personalised notice that guests see while booking. For example: "We serve a fixed daily menu. Please share allergies and dietary needs with your reservation." Also match your theme colour and branding so the widget fits your website seamlessly. Want to highlight a specific message? Via the option to show an offer or notice at the top of the widget, you can place a short text with photo, for example about an allergy-friendly evening or a new vegetarian menu. Guests read it before they pick a time slot, exactly when it matters. Combine widget, email and CRM and you have one continuous line from reservation to service.
Conclusion
Dietary preferences and allergies are no longer a fad, they are part of modern hospitality. With a fixed menu it takes preparation and clear communication, but it is manageable with the right tools. Register preferences in your guest profiles, remind guests via confirmation and reminder emails, and state your policy in your reservation widget. With Restotailor it all sits in one system, linked to your reservations and table plan, included in €65 per month. Start with one concrete step: add a sentence about dietary needs to your confirmation email and check that your team knows where allergies are stored in the guest profile. Your next service will be calmer right away.