Restaurants make it easier for consumers to count calories

Due to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruling, chain restaurants are revamping menus to include all the numbers.

SPONSOREDUpdated 1:13PM • 03/06/15

Calories, as we know, are counted. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is making it easier for consumers to know how many they’re consuming when dining out. Based on these new rules, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations are required to label calorie counts on all menu items before December 2015.

Calculating calories for food items and redesigning menu boards will cost operators and restaurants almost $1.5 billion, according to Michael Seid of MSA Worldwide.

“The biggest issue for restaurants is that they will have to get it done by reputable companies, and every time they want to add a new product, they will have to get it done again,” Seid said.

Brands like Back Yard Burgers have started this process, which will be completed by October 2015. CEO David McDouggall recognizes the system-wide challenges that are attached to such an undertaking.

“The challenge will be creating a menu that is visually appealing with so much information on it and meets all the legal requirements,” McDougall said.

Calorie data must be displayed on all menus, interior and exterior, and are likely to cost restaurants on average $1,500 per unit to make the conversion.