Jenks Family Says They Were Asked To Leave Business Due To Food Allergy Situation

A Jenks family wants to raise awareness about food allergies after they said their four-year-old son had to leave a birthday party at Golf Suites, so he could eat the food his parents brought for him.

Finn Fitzgerald has a life-threatening egg and peanut allergies.

"Here he has two EPIPENs. Sometimes with an anaphylactic reaction, one isn't enough when you're waiting for an ambulance,” Finn’s mom, Amanda, said as she held her son’s medical bag.

A few days before a recent birthday party, Amanda said she called Golf Suites and talked to the chef.

Amanda said she was told Golf Suites could not guarantee a safe pizza for her son, Finn, because of possible cross contamination, so she and her husband Ryan brought Finn his own pizza, from somewhere else.

But Golf Suites said it does not allow outside food or drink, and the couple said a manager approached them at the party.

"He ended up asking us to leave if we didn't take the pizza outside,” Ryan, Finn’s dad, said.

The couple said they left and came back so Finn could eat.

"What was interesting to us is that the party actually brought in a birthday cake, as an outside source food, and so it was contradictory to us that the birthday cake was allowed, and our son's pizza, personal sized pizza that was safe for him to eat, was not allowed,” Ryan said.

Golf Suites said if a guest reaches out to the events department and outside food has a nutritional facts label with an ingredients list, there can be an exception.

In a statement, the company says, "We have made several attempts, without luck, to reach out to the guest so that we could apologize in person...."

Since the party, the Fitzgeralds said they have reached out to Golf Suites multiple times online and by phone, but have not heard back. They still want to talk with someone from the company, but also want to raise awareness and advocate for people with food allergies.

"Especially when it comes to kids with food allergies, who can't speak for themselves, who don't have a full understanding of what's going on,” Ryan said. "Have a little bit of understanding, little bit of compassion. There are a lot of people with food allergies."

"I think they need to rethink their policy about outside food, for people like this,” Amanda said. “And be accommodating to them. Let them eat their food in a public place without asking them to leave."

Golf Suites’ full statement is below:

“It is GolfSuites policy not to allow outside food or beverages except when arranged through our events department. In those situations, any outside food (e.g., a cake from a bakery, etc.) must include a nutritional facts label with an ingredients list. We apologize for the miscommunications that occurred between our team and the guest. We have made several attempts, without luck, to reach out to the guest so that we could apologize in person. It is still our intent to make this up to the family, if possible.”