Top 6 Gluten-Free Spots to Discover in Avery Road Retail Center, Dublin

Kris Camealy

This was my second and last time dining here. I ordered the French toast off of the menu and asked for it to be made with the gluten free bread. On the menu, the French toast comes with bacon or sausage, so I requested bacon. When I was handed my bill I saw that I had been charged an additional $4.99 for the bacon. I asked the waitstaff to help me understand why I was being charged for the bacon because the menu said the French toast came with bacon. The waitstaff I was speaking to told me that because I’d ordered the French toast Gluten free, the bacon was no longer included. They told me there was a gluten free menu that made this clear but that they no longer give that menu out. The waitstaff told me that they assumed I knew that already. I asked them how I would know this information, since I was ordering off of the menu they gave me, (and not off of this non-existent gluten free menu), and she just said she assumed that I knew it. They told me I could call the owner to try to get a refund. I called the owner who did not answer, and left a voice mail. It is unreasonable to assume any customer understands pricing changes for items not clearly marked on your menu. Nowhere on the current menu does it say that if you ask for something to be gluten free you will now be paying a-la-cart pricing for every item on your plate. The fact that they refused to make the adjustment to my bill based on their assumptions about what I “ought” to have known feels wrong. Upfront pricing and clear communication with customers ordering any modification is a better practice than assuming they know the pricing that exists only on a menu that is no longer in use. This was a super disappointing experience. ***EDITED TO ADD*** I just got off of the phone with the owner who offered to refund the cost of the bacon and said she’d speak with her staff about the situation. I appreciate the follow up and willingness to hear why this was such a frustrating experience for me. I was also told that corporate determines what is printed on menus, not local franchise owners, so hopefully something will be done to be more upfront about price changes to menu items/substitutions. Transparency is a big deal.

Christine Melvin

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