BOSTON Uno Chicago Grill on Tuesday said they would speed up the national rollout of new gluten-free pizzas after strong consumer demand during market tests of the products.
Uno officials said the gluten-free option has received a particularly positive reaction from guests who suffer from celiac disease, which causes an intolerance to gluten, as well as others who have an allergy or need to avoid eating wheat. The new pizzas, available with cheese or pepperoni toppings, have been tested at locations in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
“Consumer reaction was so positive, and the chatter so strong on gluten-free blogs and websites, that our restaurants began receiving requests to carry the new pizza,” said Richard Hendrie, senior vice president of marketing for Boston-based Uno. “Because the demand was so strong, we decided to pull out all the stops to get the gluten-free pizza into our 200-plus stores as quickly as possible.”
The gluten-free pizza adds to Uno’s other wheat-free menu items, which include entrees, salads, sides and desserts. The chain also clearly labels menu items for ingredients that are linked to common allergies, including fish/shellfish, soy, tree nuts/peanuts, eggs, milk and wheat/gluten.
Boston-based Uno was also among the first national chains to eliminate the use of trans fats and to offer in-unit disclosure of nutrition information on menu items.