Everybody has to tighten their belts these days and the ARF entertainment section was no different. Owen is according to his friends making out quite well without our Faire. I love him so am happy that what was bad for us was good for him. Maybe the universe knew how tough it was here and that tips (which is more than supplement for Faire performers) would be poor here this year, maybe its just time for new people to get to have the joy of his music. I don't know the why's of most things but there is a time to stop searching for gravity at our own belt buckle. Its not just about us, we are the pixels and the big picture is just that, much bigger and not clear. The world cannot and should not change to accommodate us. Our energy is better spent seeing how we can change ourselves to be at peace with reality. Sweating the small stuff feeds ego not love and perfection

That being said I am very, very sad Owen will not be at our Faire this year. I measure my survival from final "Health to the Company" to initial "Health to the Company". I also have spent all ten years at our faire with health related diet restrictions requiring me to make the effort to find the foods there that work for me, I have a life threatening allergy to ant bites so carry an epi-pen, I have significant lung etc. The worlds smallest maze is composed of trying the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Maybe its time as a group to find plan B, as an individual I already have. Come on Raven, please move on a bit.

I do love you but make love not war, please. You will feel the better for it.
 

Perhaps Henry S. Haskins, American writer, teacher 1875-1957:  imparted time proven wisdom, with an appropriate response to your position. Good behavior is the last refuge of mediocrity.

 

There are occasions when my blogging awakens emotions in the reader; sometimes for positive energy. And, less frequently, are opposing views fraught with strong emotion. This blog has accomplished both. I regret the loss of several friends today, after commenting or messaging, each withdrew befriending me.

Sometimes, the smallest, simplest and most basic of human needs prove to become the greatest challenges.

From the inception of this profile; I have, and continue to welcome supporting and opposing opinions. The very purpose of networking is an exchange of dialogue.

Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”  ~Mahatma Gandhi

 

I prefer his quote "You must be the change you prefer to see in the world". Personal responsibility is the core of his Biography as is non-confrontation, and silent protest. and Haskin's quote was about what was happening to him and fellow blacks in Alabama in 1969. My point exactly. To compare making our gluten free lifestyle the faires responsibility or bringing in a particularly favorite musician to Ghandi's struggle for India's freedom or black men's rights to be treated as human is at best awkward, at worst very arrogant and egotistical and kind of offensive to me.

Honest disagreement as a good sign of progress applies when voices are silenced and choices are forbidden. I would be surprised if any "unfriended" you only because they disagree. Freedom of speech is still pretty much a given here. As I said before, no one is shutting you up, just changing the station.
 

In both these cases you are not a victim, but a volunteer.
 

I just received suggestions(s). Thanks to J. and F.

The introduction of Gluten Free/Friendly food at the ARF and other events isn’t free.
To avoid any confusion and for clarification:  this is a currently unavailable service, that like other food commodities currently offered, Gluten friendly food is purchased a-la-carte. People not currently purchasing food: could now enjoy the convenience of a hot meal at site. This is a win for everyone.

 

 

Gluten free is a *huge* pain in the butt for a mobile food vendor, and it frankly isn't a viable business model for events like a ren faire. (in part because of cross contamination issues, in part due to liability.) ... i know we keep a frying pan just for veggie burgers, and in theory could toast gluten free buns in the same pan, but in 5 years of vending, not one person has asked, so it doesn't make sense to stock for it. (most people with dietary issues would be very very foolish to trust someone who makes $10/hr with their healt) anyway.) -stone
 

Cross Contamination (aka CC) real or imagined, often becomes a debilitating fear for an individual and can adversely effect family/friends. Aside from hand washing 101, food service orientation should mandate allergen awareness and prevention.  I agree that conscionable and competitive wages are necessary to attract and keep talented individuals.

 

umm. no offense, but any retard with a food allergy can figure out that they can have most of that list. that's not "gluten free" that's "never had gluten in it to begin with".

for the most part, smart people with major allergies pack their own, so they aren't at someone else's mercy. kinda goes with the territory.

anyway, regardless, comparing the arizona ren faire to universal studios is ludicrous.

have you actually ever run a restaurant?
-stone


 

Contrasting the philosophy of two entertainment businesses, attracting large crowds; both with permanent onsite kitchens: offering similar, if not like products is a reasonable comparison. One business is promoting Gluten Friendly service.  And, the other isn’t.

But, most important and relevant; is an example of a successful business/food service(s) providing product(s) in contradiction to your statement that: “not one person has asked, so it doesn't make sense to stock for it.” Perhaps, the food served by your establishment is the cause?

 

>Contrasting the philosophy of two entertainment businesses,

>attracting large crowds; both with permanent onsite kitchens:

>offering similar, if not like products is a reasonable comparison.

>One business is promoting Gluten Friendly service.  And, the other isn’t.

different crowds, different culture, one of these events is 8 weeks,

the other is open year round. and only one place is actually serving

anything that is "gluten free" that normally is not, so the whole example

is flawed.

i do breakfast sandwiches (think big egg mc muffin) burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, gyro's, questionable poultry (you do realize that "turkey legs" sold by themselves are in fact emu, right?) espresso, sno cones, energy drinks, soda, and water.

of the above, i could provide gluten free pitas and buns, but they'll just go to waste because most people with gluten allergies bring their own food, or they just assume and order without it.

i deal with many more people on the low/no carb diets. *shrug* i can turn anything we supply into anything you want, just ask (sign even says so) ... i usually have a couple big bags of salad in the fridge so i can do all sorts of things.

... but your demand seems to be that we provide allergen free dietary choices.

so i'm supposed to buy *insert your dietary angst here*, then i'm supposed to advertise them as being *whatever* free, then i'm supposed to store them until someone orders them, or they expire and then i've wasted my money for your problem that you made my problem.

>But, most important and relevant; is an example of a successful business/food service(s) providing product(s)

>in contradiction to your statement that: “not one person has asked, so it doesn't make sense to stock for it.”

with the exception of  "our full-service restaurants serve gluten-free pasta," not a single thing served at universal studios is specifically a "gluten free" special stock item.

if you think there's such a demand for it, quit whining about it, and open up a gluten free food booth. if you do it right, and you're correct, it'll be a license to print money. i'm willing to bet that that if you asked the restaurateurs at universal studios about how much of it they sell, and do the math, you're going to find it's not a viable business model.

... and if you do it for one, you have to do it for all of 'em.

are you carrying special milk for the lactose intolerant?

not to mention the gazillion other food allergies out there.

>Perhaps, the food served by your establishment is the cause?

no, it's an effect. if there's money in it, you can bet that a food vendor will do it.

when you have 6.2 million people through your gates in a year, it makes some sense to advertise options (although it's a bit redundant, because if you have the allergy, you know the options) and it makes sense to stock a specialty item or two. at 200 thousand, not so much.

-stone

 

Having been an ardent fan of Mark Twain, I was particularly impressed by his observation that:  There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Presenting reliable statistics on ratios of gluten free, and other allergen friendly food sales compared to non-allergen specific meals is dicey.  Going business by business, you would also factor in management style.  However, I would strongly suggest that “retard with a food allergy” is going to skew favorable stats away from that business.

Owing to widely published and publicly available documentation, forecasting realistic demand is “not” impossible. And, there are an abundance of online organizations, willing to advise and promote on behalf of their membership. The challenge is partnering business and consumers to together. Technology is transcending previous barriers.

Imagine, Gluten, Dairy and Nut intolerant people actually purchasing allergen free specific food at Renaissance Festivals. What an absurd notion, expanding existing services to satisfy paying guests: the primary source of revenue.  

~ RaVen

 

>resenting reliable statistics on ratios of gluten free, and other allergen friendly food sales

>compared to non-allergen specific meals is dicey.

maybe to you, but then, you have no restaurant management or ownership experience whatsoever. (and truthfully i'm not sure you've run a business of any kind, or you would realize that for the most part online petitions don't work. a petition with a thousand names on it, collected over the internet, isn't going to sway people with a bottom line to meet in this economy. send "we want owain" in with your ticket purchase a thousand times and you'll be heard.

>Going business by business, you would also factor in management style.

any business, the bottom line is money, plain and simple.

>However, I would strongly suggest that “retard with a food allergy” is going to skew favorable

>stats away from that business.

*shrug* anyone who trusts their food allergies, if they are of the "epi pen and a trip to the emergency room" variety, to *anyone's* "it's -whatever- free claims, *IS* a retard. plain and simple. they will agree with me when they die at the hand of someone that makes minimum wage that made a mistake because they didn't care.

and before you get on your high horse, i'm allergic to almonds in a big bad scary way.

>Owing to widely published and publicly available documentation, forecasting realistic

>demand is “not” impossible. And, there are an abundance of online organizations,

>willing to advise and promote on behalf of their membership. The challenge is partnering

>business and consumers to together.

no, the problem is people not taking responsibility for their own actions, and their own health.

hell, part of the reason (beyond not much demand) is it's not worth the legal risk.

if i don't offer allergen free food, you can't sue me when you're stupid with it.

i.e. if you say your stuff doesn't have almonds in it, and you then serve me a danish that was made on the same assembly line as snickers bars, and i end up in the hospital, i'm going to sue your ass off.

... and for the most part, the same people that whine all the time about their particular obscure needs not being met, are the same ones that threaten to sue everybody because the world is so mean to them.

*shrug* not my problem.

(although for "Cassandra Cutlass Crowfae" i would be more than happy to whip up something she can eat... *because she's not being a pain in the ass about it*)

>Imagine, Gluten, Dairy and Nut intolerant people actually purchasing allergen free specific

>food at Renaissance Festivals. What an absurd notion, expanding existing services to satisfy

>paying guests: the primary source of revenue.  

sounds like you've got yourself a good business venture there. you better get hustling though, it takes a while to put together a decent restaurant from scratch.

p.s. you shouldn't be ashamed of being a rennie.

you might want to think about other peoples sides of things a bit more though.

-stone