Allergy Stop Tickets: A Simple System that Protects Members

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

Food allergies and dietary restrictions have become a central concern in modern hospitality. At the DAC, the response has been to treat allergies not as an inconvenience but as a critical safety and service issue. The Allergy Stop Ticket program adds a tangible, repeatable safeguard to every a la carte dining experience.

Enhancing Club Operations

The Allergy Stop Ticket program formalizes what used to rely heavily on verbal communication and memory. It creates a clear, auditable workflow that spans reservations, front-of-house and back-of-house operations. The visual “STOP” cue reduces the risk of human error during busy service, clarifies accountability, and provides documentation if a concern arises. It also supports service customization by capturing food aversions (e.g., “no cilantro”) alongside life-threatening allergies—allowing the Club to deliver a better dining experience while managing risk more effectively.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

Implementation

Introduced in January 2025, the DAC’s Allergy Stop Tickets feature a bright red stop sign at the top and are used in all the Club’s dining outlets. The process begins with the reservation: hosts and managers ask about allergies and dietary restrictions and record them in OpenTable and the member profile in Northstar Nexus. When guests are seated, servers ask an open-ended question to capture additional allergies or aversions from members and their guests.

After taking the order, the server:

• Enters the order and allergies into Northstar (which prints on the kitchen chit).
• Fills out an Allergy Stop Ticket with table number, member/guest name, seat position and all allergies/aversions.
• Hands the ticket to the chef on the expo line. The Stop Ticket is clipped to the corresponding kitchen chit, stays with it through preparation, and is saved for 30 days to allow retrospective review if needed.

Member Reactions

Members and guests rarely see the Allergy Stop Tickets themselves; the process is intentionally behind the scenes. What they experience is confidence that their needs are taken seriously and that the Club can accommodate increasingly complex allergy and preference profiles. Staff, both culinary and service, have embraced the program because it takes “what everyone cares about” and turns it into a clear, simple process that takes seconds but offers significant peace of mind.

Summary Statement

By implementing Allergy Stop Tickets across its a la carte outlets, the DAC has strengthened both safety and service – quietly building an additional layer of protection into every meal while reinforcing its commitment to anticipatory, member-focused hospitality.