COLUMBIA — A young girl inspired The Rome restaurant in downtown Columbia to introduce a gluten-free menu. Because of a gluten allergy, the 9-year-old was bringing her own gluten-free pasta to the restaurant when her family went there for meals.
Seeing her struck a chord with Cory Hodapp, one of the restaurant’s owners.
“I started feeling bad," Hodapp said. "It was ridiculous that a loyal customer had to bring her own pasta.”
He sat down with the girl’s family and researched gluten-free food to come up with a gluten-free menu.
The Rome is just one of several restaurants in Columbia that have responded to an increasing demand for gluten-free food with special menu items. The demand has also resulted in gluten-free sections in Columbia grocery stores, including Schnucks, Hy-Vee and Gerbes.
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