Food-Allergy Intelligence at the Point of Sale.

STRAIN is an allergy-management technology designed to bring menu, allergen, and modification guidance into the restaurant ordering workflow.

Request a Demo Explore STRAIN
STRAIN prototype menu screen. Milk is tagged for the seat. In Soup and salads, Surfside chop, Seafood chowder and Havana Cobb are dimmed and struck through, and Prasini is outlined with the guidance: Ask for no feta cheese.
Kitchen ticket from the STRAIN prototype with an Allergy on this ticket banner, Allergy: Milk flag, and Prasini with the note Ask for no feta cheese.
Working prototype
Actual screens from the STRAIN prototype environment. Shown for demonstration; not connected to a commercial POS.
The problem

Allergy information shouldn't be separated from the moment an order is taken.

When a guest reports a food allergy, employees often have to step outside the ordering workflow to find answers. Today that can mean relying on:

  • Memorized allergen information
  • Printed allergen guides and binders
  • Leaving the POS to ask a chef or manager
  • Manually interpreting ingredient lists
  • Unclear modification options
  • Inconsistent communication between front-of-house and back-of-house

STRAIN is designed to bring relevant allergy information closer to the ordering decision.

How STRAIN works

One allergy, followed from the ordering screen to the kitchen.

A guest reports a milk allergy. These are the actual screens from the STRAIN prototype, step by step.

  1. Step 1

    Select the guest's allergen

    The employee identifies the guest's reported allergen during the ordering workflow.

    Allergen selection row with Milk selected, alongside Egg, Fish, Shellfish, Tree Nut, Peanut, Gluten Free, Soy, Sesame, Celiac and Alliums.

    Milk tagged for the seat in the prototype.

  2. Step 2

    STRAIN evaluates the menu

    STRAIN evaluates operator-defined menu information against the selected allergen: menu items, ingredients, allergens, modifiers and preparation information.

  3. Step 3

    The menu responds

    Each item shows one of three states, based only on the operator-provided item data.

    Contains selected allergen. Dimmed, struck through, and cannot be added.
    Modification possible. Shows operator-defined guidance, such as "Ask for no feta cheese."
    Potentially suitable. No selected allergen is listed in the operator-provided item data.
    Menu cards: Surfside chop, Seafood chowder and Havana Cobb dimmed and struck through; Prasini outlined with a dashed border showing Ask for no feta cheese and an Add to order button.

    Soup & salads with Milk selected.

  4. Step 4

    Guidance follows the order

    Operator-defined modification guidance can remain connected to the item during ordering. In the prototype, the note is added to the item automatically and stays editable by the employee.

    Table 4 ticket, Seat 1, with a Milk allergy tag and Prasini, 23 dollars, carrying the editable note Ask for no feta cheese.
  5. Step 5

    Allergy context reaches the kitchen workflow

    STRAIN is designed to help maintain allergy context as the order moves from front-of-house toward kitchen operations.

    Kitchen ticket with a red Allergy on this ticket banner, Table 4 Seat 1, Allergy: Milk flag, and Prasini with Ask for no feta cheese.

STRAIN supports employee decision-making and communication. Restaurant and kitchen verification remains required. STRAIN does not independently guarantee that a menu item is safe for a guest with a food allergy.

Prototype demonstration

See STRAIN in Action

A recreation of the prototype's milk-allergy example. Follow the six steps below; each one lights up as you complete it.

  1. 1Select an allergen
  2. 2STRAIN evaluates menu information
  3. 3Menu items respond
  4. 4Modification guidance appears
  5. 5Allergy context follows the order
  6. 6Kitchen-facing allergy communication

Interactive STRAIN PrototypeDemonstration environment — not connected to a commercial POS.
Tag an allergy for this seat

Soup and salads

Recreated from the STRAIN prototype using its sample menu data. The prototype supports other allergens; this demonstration is limited to the milk example. All allergen and modification data is operator-defined. Restaurant and kitchen verification remains required.

For restaurants

A More Consistent Allergy Workflow

Allergy handling shouldn't depend on which employee is on shift. STRAIN is designed to give every employee the same starting point.

Employees

Quick access to relevant allergen information during ordering.

  • Less reliance on memorizing the menu
  • A more structured way to handle allergy orders
  • Support for training new employees

Operators

A more standardized workflow based on operator-defined menu and allergen information.

  • Clearer front-of-house to back-of-house communication
  • More consistent processes across shifts
  • Allergen and modification data stays under operator control

Guest experience

A clearer and more consistent process for communicating food-allergy information.

  • Clearer allergen conversations at the table
  • Better visibility into potential menu options
  • More informed ordering conversations
For POS partners

Designed to Complement the POS — Not Replace It.

STRAIN is designed to complement existing restaurant POS platforms — not replace them. It is being developed as a specialized food-allergy intelligence layer for restaurant technology ecosystems.

The POS stays the POS.

The POS remains responsible for its existing ordering, payment, routing, and kitchen workflows.

STRAIN adds a focused layer.

STRAIN's intended role is to provide focused allergy-management intelligence using relevant menu, modifier, ingredient, allergen, and operator-defined information.

Integration is defined together.

Data access, integration points, and where guidance appears would be determined with each platform's product and integration teams.

  1. Existing POSCore POS environment, unchanged
    POS
  2. Menu + modifier dataAccess method determined in discovery
    POS
  3. STRAIN allergy intelligenceEvaluates items against the guest's selected allergens
    STRAIN
  4. Employee guidanceItem status and operator-defined modification guidance
    STRAIN
  5. Existing order / kitchen workflowHow allergy context reaches the kitchen is determined with the POS
    POS
Conceptual integration architecture. The proposed architecture is subject to technical discovery with each POS partner, and the final architecture depends on that platform's capabilities. No API, SDK, or kitchen display access is assumed.

What technical discovery would determine

STRAIN is seeking technical discovery with POS companies. STRAIN does not currently have access to any POS company's API, SDK, KDS, or internal systems. Each of these would be established together with the partner.

Discuss a POS Integration
  • Available API capabilities
  • Menu and modifier data access
  • Order-level or item-level metadata capabilities
  • Potential UI integration options
  • Kitchen and KDS communication possibilities
  • Authentication and security requirements
  • Partner certification requirements
  • Sandbox and developer environment availability
Partnerships

Building the Allergy Layer for Restaurant Technology

We're exploring partnerships with restaurant technology platforms and operators interested in improving how food-allergy information is handled during the ordering workflow.

Discuss a POS IntegrationRequest a Demo

We welcome technical discovery conversations regarding APIs, menu and modifier data, order workflows, and potential pilot programs.

  1. 01, start hereTechnical discovery
  2. 02API and data feasibility
  3. 03Prototype integration
  4. 04Pilot location
  5. 05Operator feedback
  6. 06Broader deployment

Steps 02 through 06 are contingent on technical and commercial feasibility.

Current status

Built Beyond the Idea Stage.

Here is exactly what exists today, and what would require partnership and API development.

Working prototype Exists today

  • Working: Allergen selection
  • Working: Menu-level allergen response
  • Working: Modification guidance
  • Working: Order-level allergy context
  • Working: Kitchen-facing allergy communication

Commercial integrations Requires partnership

Technical discovery required with POS partners.

The current POS-style interface is a prototype environment used to demonstrate the STRAIN workflow. The commercial vision is for STRAIN's allergy-management capabilities to integrate with established restaurant technology platforms.

About

Why STRAIN

STRAIN was created around a simple operational problem: restaurant employees should not have to rely entirely on memory, printed guides, or disconnected information when helping communicate a guest's food allergy.

The ordering screen is where that conversation turns into an order. STRAIN's approach is to bring operator-defined allergen and modification information to that moment, and to keep the allergy context attached as the order moves toward the kitchen.

Robert LongFounder, STRAIN
Contact

Let's Talk Restaurant Technology.

Choose what you'd like to discuss, and we'll follow up directly.

Inquiry details

We use your details only to respond to your inquiry. See our Privacy Policy.

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how RL Innovation Group LLC, the company behind STRAIN ("STRAIN," "we," "us," or "our"), handles information collected through this website. STRAIN is an early-stage restaurant technology company, and this website is used to describe our product and to receive business inquiries.

Information we collect

Information you submit. When you use the contact form, we collect the information you provide: your name, work email address, company, role, reason for contacting us, and your message.

Technical information. Like most websites, our hosting provider may automatically record standard technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, the pages requested, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used to deliver, secure, and troubleshoot the website.

We do not ask you to submit payment information or personal health or allergy information through this website. Please do not include sensitive personal information in your message.

How we use information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

Website analytics

This website does not currently use analytics or advertising-tracking tools. If we add website analytics in the future, we will update this policy to describe what is collected and how it is used.

Cookies

This website does not set its own cookies. Web fonts are loaded from Google Fonts, which receives standard technical information, such as your IP address, when your browser requests them. Third-party services described below may use their own cookies or similar technologies under their own policies.

Third-party service providers

We rely on service providers to run this website and handle inquiries, including:

These providers process information to deliver their services and under their own privacy policies. We may also disclose information if required by law, or as part of a merger, acquisition, or similar business transaction.

Data security

We take reasonable steps to protect the information we receive and limit access to inquiry information to people who need it to respond. No method of transmitting or storing information online is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data retention

We keep contact-form submissions for as long as needed to respond to your inquiry and to maintain any resulting business relationship. After that, we delete them unless we need to keep them to meet a legal obligation. You can ask us to delete your inquiry at any time.

Your choices

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of the personal information you have submitted to us. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under applicable law.

Children

This website is intended for businesses and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted here with a revised "Last Updated" date.

Contact

Questions or requests about this Privacy Policy can be sent to us through the contact form on this website.

Terms of Use

Last Updated: September 2026

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of the STRAIN website, operated by RL Innovation Group LLC ("STRAIN," "we," "us," or "our"). By using this website, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the website.

Informational purpose

This website provides general information about STRAIN, a food-allergy management technology in development. Nothing on this website is an offer to sell, a commitment to deliver any feature, or a representation that any product is commercially available.

Prototype status

The product demonstrations on this website are recreated from a working prototype and use sample menu data. The prototype is a demonstration environment. It is not connected to a commercial POS system or to any live restaurant. STRAIN does not currently integrate with any third-party POS platform; any future integration would require technical discovery with, and agreement from, that platform. Features, design, and functionality may change.

Decision-support technology; no medical or food-safety guarantee

STRAIN is decision-support technology intended to help restaurant employees access and communicate operator-provided allergen information during the ordering workflow.

STRAIN does not provide medical advice, does not independently verify ingredient or preparation information, and does not determine or guarantee that any menu item is free of any allergen or suitable for any particular guest. Restaurant and kitchen verification remains required for every allergy-related order.

Guests with food allergies should rely on the restaurant and on their own healthcare providers when making food decisions.

Restaurant and operator responsibility

Restaurants and operators are solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and currency of their menu, ingredient, allergen, modifier, preparation, and cross-contact information, and for their own food-handling procedures, employee training, and communication with guests. STRAIN's guidance reflects the information an operator provides; STRAIN does not assess cross-contact risk on its own or infer it from ingredient information alone.

Intellectual property

The STRAIN name and logo, and the text, graphics, prototype screens, and demonstrations on this website, are owned by RL Innovation Group LLC or used with permission and are protected by intellectual property laws. You may view and share this website for the purpose of evaluating STRAIN. You may not copy, modify, distribute, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from its content or demonstrations without our written permission.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

Third-party services

This website relies on third-party services, such as website hosting, form processing, and font delivery, and may link to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of third parties.

Disclaimers and limitation of liability

This website and its demonstrations are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, STRAIN will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss arising from your use of, or reliance on, this website or its demonstrations. The demonstrations on this website are for illustration only and must not be relied on to make decisions about serving food to any guest.

Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes will be posted here with a revised "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the website after changes are posted means you accept the updated Terms.

Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to us through the contact form on this website.