You’re going to see it on tickets all the time.
“Gluten free.”
“No dairy.”
“Nut allergy.”
“Vegan.”
“Low sodium.”
“No substitutions, extra sauce, sauce on the side.”
Some of it feels routine. Some of it feels excessive. Some of it slows you down when you’re already buried.
But here’s the part that matters:
We don’t get to decide which ones are serious.
Know What You’re Looking At
Not every special instruction on a ticket carries the same weight of consequence, but every one of them deserves the same attention and level of professionalism during execution.
Period.
We’re going to deal with a mix of:
- Special instructions
- Add-ons
- Preferences
- Requests
- Dietary choices
- Dietary restrictions
- Allergies
- Religious or ethical diets
- Medical diets, etc.
On the surface, they all come in the same format. Same printer. Same paper. Same line.
Behind that ticket, though, the reason could change everything.
Some Requests Are About Preference
Extra sauce. Sub onions. Add pickles.
That’s quality of experience. We still care. We still execute it right.
We read it, we respect it, and we send it out the way it was asked. These details are part of consistency. When they’re handled right, the guest notices. When they’re missed, it shows.
We treat it like everything else on the ticket. Read it fully. Follow the process. We handle it the same way every time.
Read it. Respect it. Execute it.
Consistency here keeps the whole line sharp. This is where habits are built, and those habits carry over when the stakes are higher.
Some Requests Are About Lifestyle
Vegetarian. Vegan. Pescatarian. Paleo. Low carb.
These matter more than preference. You’re respecting how someone chooses to eat, whether it’s for ethics, religion, or personal health.
That includes diets tied to belief systems:
- Kosher
- Halal
- Hindu dietary practices
- Buddhist or Sikh preferences
- Lent observances
- Mormon dietary guidelines
You don’t debate it. You don’t “fix” it. You execute it clean.
Some Requests Are About Safety
This is where things stop being flexible.
Milk allergy.
Nut allergy.
Shellfish allergy.
Soy. Wheat. Eggs.
These aren’t trends. These are reactions.
Cross-contact matters here. Not just ingredients. Surfaces. Utensils. Equipment. Oil. Gloves. Hands.
A trace is enough to potentially send someone to the hospital.
We have to treat these like isolated events because they need to be.
Check in with your establishment/place of work on exactly how it’s being done, but the rules of safety are universal.
Some Requests Are Medical
Now you’re stepping into something deeper.
You’ll see things like:
- Low sodium
- Low potassium
- Renal diets
- Diabetic or carb-controlled
- Mechanical soft
- Pureed
- Liquid diets
These are usually part of medical nutrition therapy. Someone didn’t wake up and decide to try it for a week.
A doctor or dietitian put that in place.
Our job is to execute within that structure, even if it feels unfamiliar.
And communication is essential. If you feel unfamiliar and need to ask some questions, it is absolutely vital that you get all of the information that you need before sending anything out.
Understanding the Line We Do Not Cross
Now here’s the kicker.
The reason doesn’t change the execution, because nobody should be required to explain their medical information.
There are laws protecting people’s medical information and how it’s shared.
This includes dietary instructions.
So in a professional setting, this gets sensitive.
We are not just handling food that can tie directly to someone’s health.
We are also handling the information.
We need to be professional about it.
And if you want to be a professional, that means:
- We don’t need to joke about it
- We don’t need to question the reason out loud
- We don’t share details with people who don’t need to know
In regulated environments especially, this connects to privacy laws and information protection. That includes how information is shared. Whether it’s spoken, written, texted, emailed…any way that it’s passed along.
We keep information private by referring to the ticket, the table number, the food, the plate, room number, and disassociating it from a name, a person, a specific individual, unless it is in private conversation with an appropriate person.
We keep it professional. We keep it tight to the chest, follow procedure, and reference our leads as needed.
Speed vs Accuracy
This is where a lot of people get tripped up.
We’re in the middle of a push. Tickets are stacking. Someone calls for hands.
And then we get:
“Table 12 — shellfish allergy.”
That ticket just changed priority.
Not because it’s more important than the rest of the board.
Because the margin for error is gone.
You slow down just enough to get it right.
Clean pan. Clean surface. Fresh utensils. Clear communication.
Then you move.
Communication Is Everything
You are not handling this alone.
Call it out early:
“Allergy on 12.”
“Gluten free working.”
“Vegan pickup.”
Make sure the whole line knows.
Expo needs to know. The person next to you needs to know. Anyone touching that plate needs to know.
Silence is where mistakes happen.
Don’t Guess
If you don’t know:
- Ask
- Check the ingredients
- Clarify directions and details with whoever you need to. The Expo. The Chef. The Lead Cook.
- Verify before it leaves the pass
Guessing is how small problems turn into big ones.
Final Thought
You’re not cooking for a concept.
You’re not cooking for a menu.
You’re cooking for a person you’ll probably never meet.
And sometimes, that ticket you’re holding is the difference between:
- Someone eating safely
- Someone getting sick
- Or someone trusting your kitchen again
We handle it like it matters.
Because it does.
Jonathan
Founder, LinecookGear
Built on the Line, Tested in Service
To stay informed about HIPAA laws and regulations, updates and recent changes, click here: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/index.html
Looking for more of the Sauce On the Side? Check out The Sharp Edge