How to Accommodate Dietary Restrictions
When you host a weekly event like Friday Night Pizza, you want everyone to feel included—regardless of their dietary restrictions. Over the years, we’ve had plenty of experience accommodating different needs, whether it’s allergies, intolerances, preferences, or ethical diets.
Here’s how we make sure everyone can enjoy the night while keeping things simple and stress-free.
Why It Matters
For us, this isn’t just about being considerate—it’s personal. At different points in our family’s life, we’ve dealt with food allergies ourselves. Three of our four children were allergic to dairy and eggs (with one being severely allergic), and my husband, Regan, has a serious allergy to shrimp. Even though our kids thankfully outgrew their allergies, we know what it’s like to navigate food restrictions.
Because of that, we’ve always made it a priority to be mindful of what our guests can and can’t eat. Dietary restrictions shouldn’t mean missing out on pizza night.
How We Find Out About Dietary Needs
Most of the time, guests tell us themselves. If they have a food allergy or restriction, they’ll usually bring it up before they even RSVP. We don’t send out a survey or anything formal—it’s more of an open conversation.
If someone has a severe allergy, they’ll let us know in advance, and we just take that ingredient off the menu entirely. It won’t be in the kitchen or anywhere nearby.
Gluten-Free Guests
Gluten restrictions vary a lot, so we take a flexible approach. Some guests with celiac disease bring their own food, which we completely understand—there’s a lot of gluten flying around on pizza night, and they know best how to manage their needs. Others bring their own gluten-free base and use the toppings we have available. Some just eat a salad or another dish they’ve brought along.
Over the years, we’ve also had plenty of guests who avoid gluten but have decided to try our pizza. Many have come back the next day saying they felt completely fine afterward. We think this comes down to two things: the long fermentation process, which makes the dough easier to digest, and the fact that we use Italian Caputo flour, which seems to be tolerated better by some gluten-sensitive people. We always let guests know this in advance, but there’s absolutely no pressure—it’s just something we’ve observed.
For last-minute RSVPs, it depends on what they need. If someone avoids gluten, they’ll usually bring something themselves or decide on the spot whether they want to try the pizza. If they have a severe allergy, they’ll let us know, and we’ll make sure that ingredient is completely off the menu. We don’t remake the whole dinner plan for last-minute dietary needs, but we always do our best to accommodate.
Vegetarian and Vegan Guests
Vegetarians are easy to cater to since many of our favorite pizzas are meat-free. A simple margherita is always a hit, and our four-cheese pizza is another great option. If we know we have a few vegetarians coming, we’ll often plan extra veggie-heavy pizzas like our balsamic onion, pear, and rocket pizza.
Vegan guests usually bring their own cheese and sometimes a separate pizza base. They’re welcome to use the toppings we have, or they’ll put together something with ingredients they’ve brought along. Since so many of our pizzas rely on good cheese, it’s a little trickier, but we’ve had plenty of vegan guests who love coming and are happy to make it work.
For both vegetarians and vegans, we’re mindful of cross-contamination. We always wipe down the pizza cutter before slicing their pizzas, just to be safe.
Severe Allergies
If someone has a life-threatening allergy, that ingredient simply won’t be on the menu at all. We don’t take risks with things like nuts or shellfish. Since Regan is severely allergic to shrimp, we never have it at pizza night, and we make sure guests don’t bring it either.
For less severe allergies, we just adjust as needed. If someone can’t have dairy, they’ll avoid those pizzas, and we make sure the pizza cutter is wiped down between slices. Over the years, we’ve had guests with all sorts of dietary needs, and most are proactive—they’ll bring what they need or let us know how we can help.
The Accidental Meat Pizza
One of the funniest moments we’ve had was when a vegetarian guest was happily eating and chatting, trying different pizzas. She commented, “Wow, this one is incredible—my favorite so far!”
My husband and I exchanged a look because the pizza she was raving about was our Kālua Pulled Pork Pizza. The pulled pork had been buried under mango, red onion, and bell peppers, so it wasn’t immediately obvious.
When we gently (and nervously…) pointed it out, she was completely shocked—but thankfully, she just laughed about it. She had grabbed the slice herself, after all!
What We’ve Learned
At the end of the day, most guests with dietary restrictions don’t expect anyone to bend over backward for them. They just want to be included. Some bring their own ingredients, some adapt to what’s available, and some are happy to just enjoy the night without eating the pizza.
Hosting Without the Stress
If you’re hosting a pizza night and want to accommodate different diets without making it overwhelming, the best approach is to keep it simple. If a guest has a specific need, they’ll usually tell you upfront, and more often than not, they’ll bring what they need. Having a few extra options on hand—whether it’s a good gluten-free base or an easy vegetarian pizza—goes a long way.
And most importantly, remember that people aren’t expecting perfection. They just want to enjoy good company and a fun night.
