Want Gluten-Free Food? You’ll Need a Doctor’s Note at this Restaurant

An Irish restaurant owner has gone nuclear on patrons who ask for gluten-free food.

Paul Stenson, owner of the White Moose Cafe in Dublin, Ireland, recently took to the cafe's Facebook page to enact a new rule.

From now on, if you want gluten-free pancakes, or any other gluten-free food at the White Moose, you're going to need a doctor's note. According to Stenson, the new policy came into effect after a customer asked for gluten-free pancakes but was not able to back up her request with a medical justification.

"When we responded by asking her if she was celiac, she didn't actually know what the word meant and ordered regular pancakes anyway," Stenson told MUNCHIES. "This inspired me to write my post about requiring doctor's notes."

Needless to say, this ignited a good ol' fashioned internet flamewar between angry Facebookers and Stenson, who then further taunted potential customers with a picture of tissues for people offended by his new gluten policy. "We are giving away free bandages for anyone whose feelings have been hurt over the past day or two," the post reads. "The bandages come in different sizes depending on how much of a fucking idiot you are." Zing!

But there is also a whiff of publicity stunt here, especially since Stenson seems to have a flair for offensive Facebook posts that get inflamed responses and plenty of media attention. He has also drawn the ire of Facebook users with posts about Jesus, Muhammad, vegans, lactating mothers, and students using his cafe for "six hours" but spending only "2.50 euros" on their Americanos.

Still, more than 73,000 Facebook users have liked the White Moose's page, and Stenson claims that the new gluten rule has only bolstered business.

"Business has never been better," Stenson told us. "And for the first time in many years, no one has asked us for gluten-free food since my post on Saturday. I reckon this is either because (a) the superficial fad followers have taken their business elsewhere or (b) they have learned that it's not cool to trivialise real medical conditions like celiac disease and they've copped the fuck on."