Safe Plate
Initiative
The Problem
A meal outside can come with questions about ingredients, cross-contact, staff awareness, and whether allergy concerns will be understood. Our Safe Plate Recognition Program exists to help close that gap.
How Do We Approach This?
Our Mission
Educate
Recognize
Empower
We create custom, practical resources that help restaurants and communities better understand food allergies.
We recognize organizations demonstrating meaningful allergy-aware practices. Allergy-inclusive organizations are proven to attract more customers.
We give people with food allergies a voice in creating more inclusive communities. Individuals, either anonymously or publicly, can take part in our Recognition Program.
Our Recognition Program works with restaurants to identify, encourage, and recognize meaningful food-allergy practices. These include communication, ingredient awareness, staff training, cross-contact precaution and many more.
Allergy Aware
- Staff know the top allergens
- Ingredients and labels are easy to find
- Families can ask questions without feeling like a burden
The Safe Plate Recognition Program
Allergy Prepared
- Clear cross-contact prevention steps
- Dedicated tools or surfaces when needed
- Staff know what to do if a reaction occurs
Allergy Dedicated
- Manager oversight of allergy protocols
- Dedicated prep areas or menus for allergy-friendly options
- Certified training and ongoing review
About us
It started with two friends who understood a common problem firsthand.
"Living with food allergies ourselves, we know the uncertainty that can come with something as ordinary as eating out. We started the Safe Plate Initiative with one simple idea: What if we could make that experience better?" - Co-founders Casey Cheng & Henry Yoon
Co-founder
Casey Cheng
Living with egg and dairy allergies, Casey knows firsthand how much uncertainty can come with something as simple as eating out. His experiences navigating ingredients, cross-contact, and restaurant communication inspired him to co-found Safe Plate and work toward making dining more incklusive for other with food allergies.
Co-founder
Henry Yoon
With allergies to nuts and seafood, Henry Y. shares a personal understanding of the challenges that people with food allergies face when dining out. After reconnecting with Casey and realizing how similar their experiences had been, he helped turn their shared experiences into the ideabehind the Safe Plate Initiative.
Director of Outreach
Owen Morrison
Owen joined the Safe Plate Initiative with a desire to make a genuine difference in the community around him. Through his close connection to the school community as the high school's Student Representative and former Vice President, he has witnessed the difficulties of public dining for those with allergies. He now leads the team's outreach and helps build relations with the community.
Director of Digital Media
Henry Ahn-Cooper
Living with allergies to nuts, Henry A.C. also personally understands the struggle and mission behind Safe Plate. He brings that perspective to the initiative's creative side, shaping Safe plate's visual identity, graphics, and social media to make food-allergy awareness engaging and accessible to a wider audience.
Meet Our Team
Free Resources & Education
Start making your space safer today with free, ready-to-use tools.
Event Checklists for PTAs
Plan school events that include every child at the table.
Printable Allergen Signage
Clearly label foods so families can make safe choices.
Custom Menu Allergen Charts
Help guests quickly see what’s safe for them to enjoy.
Get Recognized or Learn More
Whether you're an organization interested in our program or an individual with valuable suggestions, we encourage you to be part of our Recognition Program.
Prefer email? Reach us at the address below.