Abstract:

Purpose: Factors such as the products offered in the restaurant, service quality, location, and visual appeal all play a role in people's restaurant preferences. In addition, many personal factors such as people's health status, beliefs, and cultures become increasingly important in restaurant selection. In this direction, businesses can offer their customers special nutritional options such as gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian. The aim of this study is to reveal the current state of restaurants in terms of gluten-free nutrition, one of the special nutritional options. Method: With the qualitative research approach, a total of 85 restaurants in five different cities “Athens, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Seoul, and Venice” that are included in the Michelin Guide and have a gluten-free diet option on the Tripadvisor site were examined. In the research, the information and menus of the restaurants in these cities on Tripadvisor and their websites were examined, and the data were analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques. Findings: As a result of the research, it was determined that a significant part of the restaurants included in the study offered gluten-free options and that gluten-free products were found in a variety of cuisines. However, there were serious deficiencies in the menus, such as the lack of labeling for gluten-free products and allergen warnings. Discussion: The fact that the research results do not show significant differences between cities reveals that the problems regarding gluten-free options in restaurant menus are generalizable.

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