Inside Three of TC's Allergen-Conscious Restaurant Kitchens

What does it take to make safe food?

By Kierstin Gunsberg | July 20, 2024

One look at Third Coast Bakery's menu is enough to get any foodie heart pounding: Girl Scout Cookie-inspired donuts, lemon lavender scones, and gooey peanut butter brownies alongside lattes flavored with housemade syrups. Yet somehow, “We are and have always been a 100 percent gluten free, dairy free, soy free bakery from the beginning, and 99 percent of our menu is also egg free and vegan,” says owner Heather Burson.

Burson opened the bakery and cafe near East Bay Beach in 2013 and has been dreaming up allergen-safe recipes for her customers ever since. “It’s my favorite thing. Don’t tell me I can't make that gluten free,” she says with a laugh. “I absolutely love it. It’s chemistry—it’s a challenge.”

When Third Coast first opened, few northern Michigans restaurants offered safe options for those with food allergies or intolerances, and Burson felt compelled to act. Her motivation came from a time when a family member faced a health crisis that limited the ingredients he could safely consume.

“We were left out,” says Burson of not being able to find quick treats or dine-out options. “And that’s a really lonely, isolating experience.” So, Burson “got in my kitchen and I just started experimenting, and it [Third Coast Bakery] really grew out of that time.”

Creating a Safe Kitchen

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 6 percent of the U.S. population is affected by a food allergy, a percentage that Burson says is largely overlooked and underserved by the food service industry, partially because the process of preparing allergen-safe dishes is stringent and not always well understood by those behind the scenes.

While procedures for safe food handling practices are established in most restaurants, the steps required to create an allergen-safe kitchen are less familiar. “You have to follow extremely careful preparation standards,” stresses Burson.

These standards include creating separate food prep areas and using dedicated utensils, surfaces, gloves, and even aprons to prevent cross-contact with allergens. The staff at Third Coast Bakery are also required to undergo allergen-safety training to help them understand the nuances, like how wiping whole wheat flour from a surface doesn’t make it a safe place for kneading gluten-free bread dough, since the allergen can persist even after sanitizing.

Adrienne Brunette, owner of The Burrow, The Flying Noodle, and Mama Lu’s echoes Burson’s call for better industry education around allergen-safety. Brunette notes that even where and how ingredients are sourced can be detrimental.

“I think something surprising to those without allergies, is just how many allergens are hidden in food,” she says. Allergens like nuts and triggers like gluten can be super sneaky, especially when it comes to cross-contact at the supplier. “A chocolate chip may be innocent and someone may think it’s completely safe for someone with a nut allergy, but the chocolate could be produced in a facility that contains nuts and therefore would not be considered safe to eat.”

Brunette says that “We make sure our team has all of that information that we can then share with the guest and they can make an informed decision on what they feel comfortable to eat.”

When an allergy ticket comes into one of Brunette’s kitchens, everything from mixing to frying stops in order to make sure that the production of the allergen-safe dish isn’t compromised by cross-contact.

“We then get new pans, new gloves, new tongs, new everything,” to cook the dish, says Brunette, who even keeps separate condiment containers for those dishes. Once it’s plated, the dish is handed straight off to the diner, even for items traditionally served family-style, like tacos, “just to be safe.”

Not Just a Fad

While some food service professionals have grown weary of catering to special requests driven by fad diets, others understand that for diners who have life-threatening allergies or debilitating intolerances, the concern is serious.

Miranda Decker, culinary director at MiddleCoast Brewing Co., is keenly aware of how careful those diners have to be.

She has celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack itself if even trace amounts of gluten are ingested. With that first-hand knowledge of how difficult it is for some people to enjoy a meal out without fear of a reaction, she and MiddleCoast Brewing owner Joel Mulder set out to create a menu and dining experience that could be safely enjoyed by everyone—without any additional charges.

“When we began our gluten free initiative, one of the chief complaints we heard from the gluten free community was being up-charged for ordering a gluten free option,” says the pair. “From the beginning, our team made the decision that we would never charge extra to serve safe food to our guests who need it most.”

And, what’s a brewpub visit without filling up on a heaping basket of deep-fried goodness? MiddleCoast Brewing Co.’s menu includes gluten-free versions of their chicken tenders, wings, and fried pickles, all prepared in a dedicated gluten-free space. That area of their kitchen includes a separate fryer, oven, counter, color coded cutting boards, utensils, knives, thermometers, cooler, and freezer. When a diner has a question or concern about if a menu item is safe, Decker and Mulder say their staff is trained and at the ready with detailed ingredient lists.

Despite the extra time and effort that goes into creating an allergy-safe kitchen, Third Coast’s Burson has observed more and more Up North establishments leading the charge recently.

“I would say that in the 11 years that I’ve been in the industry, I’ve seen tremendous growth in the Traverse City region [when it comes to] awareness of food allergies, dietary restrictions, and alternative menu options.” She’s hopeful that as more restaurants pop onto the scene, that growth continues.

As Brunette puts it: “We are in the hospitality industry, and it’s all about being hospitable. If you were hosting a dinner party and your friend had celiac disease, would you not ensure they were able to eat safely? Of course you would, because that’s what being hospitable is all about.”