An article from WIVB 4 in Buffalo highlights the upcoming federal requirements to post calorie counts on drink and food menus. The federal requirements only target restaurants and bars with more than 20 locations.
The restaurant/bar owners quoted in the article don’t feel that it will affect their business negatively. They feel that most people realize that they will be consuming more calories when they go out to eat and look at it as more of a treat. I think there can be a negative affect in that average check per person will go down and that deserts will be the first to get ignored more often than they already do now. Depending on the type of restaurant that can significantly hurt profitability.
The hope from the government is that this will help with the obesity problem in the US. I don’t see it having much of an impact. There’s a lot more education that needs to go into eating healthy than just looking at calorie counts. Plus all this info is usually available now online and people that care about it look it up prior to going out to eat. But most of us just go out to eat and order what we want then deal with the consequences.
What are your thoughts? Do you see this having a negative affect on your business? Do you think it will make a positive impact on obesity in the US?
I have posted the full article below:
UFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — New federal guidelines will soon require many restaurants nationwide to post calorie counts for food and drinks on their menus. The menu labeling rule is part of the Affordable Care Act.
The FDA wants to make you more aware of the calories that you are not only eating, but drinking.
At Gramma Mora’s- a Mexican restaurant on Hertel Avenue, the message is: “It’s fun to go out to eat- and it’s even more fun to have a margarita with your meal,” says Owner, Liz Giovino.
Come December, many restaurants nationwide will be required to post calorie counts on their drink lists. It’s something some restaurant go-ers say they plan to ignore.
Irinia Arias from Buffalo says, “I think they put it there for a reason, but i don’t think anybody is really going to pay attention to it.”
The regulations will apply to all chain restaurants and bars with at least 20 locations. But Giovino doesn’t believe it will impact Buffalo’s restaurant industry.
“There are going to be people who are watching calories, but when most people go out to eat they are going to realize there are going to be calories they are going to have. You just have to be smart to decide what choices you’re going to have,” she said.
Health experts say these new requirements will help combat the country’s obesity epidemic by showing just how many calories lurk in your favorite food and drinks.
Owner Charlie Giovino says the impact should be minor, since people who eat out already know they’re indulging.
“If people are going to go out to dinner and they are going to come to our restaurant, I don’t know if they’re really going to be interested in that,” he says.
New York City began requiring chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus in 2006, and now the rest of the country will soon follow suit.
Whether menu labeling has any effect on health is still an open question; some studies have shown it has no impact. But a 2008 study at Starbucks showed a drop in average calories purchased after calorie content was posted.
