Background: A wide range of food allergies is now more or less commonplace in many people. The number of people with these food restrictions has increased several over recent decades. When making purchases, these consumers ask and require non-standard and specific types of food. There are some limitations and risks associated with eating food while travelling. The specific food allergy, in this case, is gluten intolerance, which is used to show the behaviour of consumers in restaurants.

Aim: The study aimed to identify the factors influencing the purchases of gluten-free foods, and to propose ways to tailor services in restaurants to the target group of consumers. There is a gap in the research in this area, and consumer behaviour and their preferences in public food establishments have not been determined.

Method: Consumer behaviour by people with gluten intolerance and the availability of food following the principles of a gluten-free diet in the foodservice sector was studied using comprehensive comparative research combined with quantitative and qualitative research using individual interviews. The data was collected from October 2016 until June 2017. A total of 1,611 patients with coeliac disease were addressed. The availability of gluten-free meals (the availability of dining) in the public food service network was examined through a field survey from February to April 2017 in three types of foodservice units. A total of 370 food operations were visited.

Results: The survey revealed very urgent demand from consumers (those suffering coeliac disease) to expand the range of meals in the foodservice units. In spite of the growing number of consumers who need a gluten-free diet, this situation is not sufficiently addressed by most restaurants.