System for enhancing the restaurant experience for persons with food sensitivities/preferences

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an individualized menu to a patron of a restaurant. The method includes providing, from a computing device, a set of food sensitivity and preference queries to the patron, receiving a set of food sensitivity and preference query responses from the patron, determining a patron specific menu for the restaurant based on a current menu for the restaurant, acceptable alterations to the current menu as determined by personnel associated with the restaurant, and the set of food sensitivity and preference query responses from the patron, and providing the patron specific menu for the restaurant to the patron. Determining the patron specific menu includes removing at least one food item from the current menu of the restaurant, and wherein possible alterations to the current menu include changes to the current menu approved by personnel associated with the restaurant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing an individualized menu to a patron of a restaurant, comprising:
 providing, from a computing device, a set of food sensitivity and preference queries to the patron;   receiving at the computing device a set of food sensitivity and preference query responses from the patron;   employing the computing device to determine a patron specific menu for the restaurant based on a current menu for the restaurant, acceptable alterations to the current menu as determined by personnel associated with the restaurant, and the set of food sensitivity and preference query responses from the patron; and   providing the patron specific menu for the restaurant to the patron;   wherein determining the patron specific menu comprises removing at least one food item from the current menu of the restaurant, and wherein possible alterations to the current menu comprise changes to the current menu approved by personnel associated with the restaurant.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising advising the patron of physically proximate participating restaurants to a patron specified geographic location. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising printing the patron specific menu prior to providing the patron specific menu to the patron. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of food sensitivity and preference queries include a food allergy query. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a set of restaurant dish preferences at the computing device, wherein employing the computing device to evaluate the current menu of the restaurant and determine the patron specific menu for the restaurant comprise evaluating the current menu of the restaurant and determining the patron specific menu based on the set of restaurant dish preferences. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device receives and maintains the set of food preference query responses from the patron with a plurality of other patron food preference query responses. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for facilitating providing an individualized menu to a patron of a restaurant, comprising:
 a computing device comprising:
 a patron database configured to receive and maintain at least one set of patron food sensitivity and preference query responses representing food preferences indicated by a restaurant patron; 
 a current menu from a restaurant; 
 a foods database configured to maintain a series of foods compatible with patron sensitivities and preferences and a series of foods incompatible with patron sensitivities and preferences; and 
 a decision engine configured to determine a patron specific menu for the restaurant based on the current menu for the restaurant, possible alterations to the current menu, at least one set of patron food sensitivity and preference query responses, and the series of foods compatible with patron sensitivities and preferences and the series of foods incompatible with patron sensitivities and preferences; 
   wherein the decision engine is configured to determine the patron specific menu by removing at least one food item from the current menu of the restaurant, and wherein possible alterations to the current menu comprise changes to the current menu approved by personnel associated with the restaurant.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a printing apparatus configured to print the patron specific menu for presentation to the patron. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the decision engine is configured to determine a plurality of patron specific menus each specifically determined for one of a plurality of patrons. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the decision engine is configured to determine a single patron specific menu specifically determined for a plurality of patrons. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the computing device comprises a plurality of hardware components. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the decision engine is configured to:
 match patron food query responses with dishes offered by the restaurant;   rule out dishes offered by the restaurant wherein the patron has expressed an undesirable attribute to a dish component or a sensitivity to the dish component based on information in the foods database;   wherein the foods database includes alternative dish preparation possibilities.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the restaurant database comprises a plurality of entries corresponding to dishes offered by restaurants and components of the dishes offered. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus enables the patron to make a reservation at a restaurant, and once the reservation is made, the decision engine receives information from the patron database, restaurant database, and foods database and determines the patron specific menu. 
     
     
         15 . A method for providing an individualized menu to a patron of a restaurant, comprising:
 receiving a set of food sensitivity and preference query responses from the patron;   employing a computing device to:
 evaluate a proposed restaurant set of dish offerings in view of the set of food sensitivity and preference query responses; and 
 determine a patron specific menu for the proposed restaurant based on the proposed restaurant set of dish offerings, possible alterations to the proposed restaurant set of dish offerings, and the set of food sensitivity and preference query responses; and 
   providing the patron specific menu for the proposed restaurant to the patron based on the evaluation and determination;   wherein the computing device determines the patron specific menu for the proposed restaurant by removing at least one food item from the proposed restaurant set of dish offerings, wherein possible alterations to the proposed restaurant set of dish offerings comprise changes to the proposed restaurant set of dish offerings approved by personnel associated with the proposed restaurant.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising advising the patron of physically proximate participating restaurants to a patron specified geographic location. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the food sensitivity and preference queries comprise a taste preference query, an ingredients preference query, a place of origin preference query, a method of production preference query, a method of preparation preference query, a carbon-footprint query, and a food allergy query. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising receiving a set of restaurant dish preferences at the computing device, wherein employing the computing device to evaluate and determine are further based on the set of restaurant dish preferences. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the computing device receives and maintains the set of food sensitivity and preference query responses from the patron with a plurality of other patron food preference query responses. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the food is provided to the patron at a participating restaurant that serves food to patrons.