Legal Seafoods and Safety

Patient / Customer Safety and Satisfaction

I am not a restaurant reviewer but thought this trip was worth commenting on. I met a colleague for lunch at Legal Seafoods in Garden City, Long Island. It was not crowded and the waiter was nice enough, thorough, but not warm and fuzzy, which was just fine with me.

After taking our order, the waiter said “Oh, and by the way do you have any allergies we should know about?” My guest and I both said “no” but were both equally surprised at the question.

When the waiter returned, I asked him what the history was of that question. I pictured patrons passing out on their floor at some point struggling to breathe after eating shellfish.

He wasn’t sure, but assured me they have been asking that question for years. I wanted to know more. Asking for the manager, a very well dressed young man came by and introduced himself as the Assistant General Manager. I asked what the policy was if I were to say I was allergic to a food that I didn’t order. What if I was allergic something completely unrelated to seafood?

He explained that when a customer says that they are allergic, the waiter / waitress takes the order to the manager. The manager then goes to the manual and the chef, where it is checked for any cross contamination and the order is actually delivered by the manager to the customer for “assurance” that it was handled appropriately.

What a great idea that “patient’s safety” is now taken out of the health setting and reaching more people.

We tell people to keep lists on them of their allergies and medications and this is an obvious way it can come in handy outside the hospital or health setting.

Reading hospital material encouraging patients to write lists is often too late. This is a perfect reminder that people with health conditions, any kind, need to keep that information available - always. I still wonder the history of this policy and if other restaurants are doing this.