An outside influence, the FDA, has stepped in to make a franchisee follow their leadership now more than ever. Menu labeling legislation will have many different effects on the restaurant industry, especially as the end of the year and the deadline approach. It seemed to take forever to finalize the legislation, and now that it’s here with a launch date of December 1, 2015*, it seems right around the corner.
No one is feeling the push anywhere near as much as franchisors in today’s market. They have much to prepare for, and some challenges have sprung up that are drawing the line clearly between what is allowed in their brand and what is not. However, this is proving a challenge for some. I have always heard that if you won’t respect my authority, then there will be another you will have to respect. That is completely true for the FDA and menu labeling.
Groups of restaurants that may do business under a franchisor’s name but tend to do things their own way when it comes to the menu are in for a wakeup call, as menu labeling is mandatory due to the franchise size. The brand as a whole will be held to a standard to judge calorie counts and nutritional information on the menu. The FDA is requiring each menu to be labeled according to the new FDA regulations and then the restaurants and the parent corporations must certify those numbers as well as the methods used to derive them.
Problems arise when the menu items at all locations do not follow the same recipes or use different ingredients. Fines will be leveled against the owners of the location and also against the corporate headquarters if the numbers don’t add up. I completely understand the daily challenges of running a restaurant, but it is important to keep tabs on all of the locations within a brand to take the extra time to make sure everything menu-related is consistent.
Corporations, franchisors and parent companies have at times simply looked the other way when it comes to menu options. Now, that must get reigned in for the sake of one uniform understanding. It is not necessarily the franchisors’ desire to make this transition, but not doing so can cost much more than ever before, both in fines, brand reputation and understanding.
An equally important point is that the dining public will be expecting the same menu items, quality, food and nutritionals nationally no matter if the restaurant is in New York or New Mexico. Not ensuring consistency seems counter-productive and very reckless, from a nutritional standpoint.
Solutions to the menu problem can include having a corporate headquarters limit any “off core menu items” the locations offer and making sure the franchise agreement dictates clearer rules for the franchisees.
Keep in mind when having your nutritionals analyzed: Using two different companies to provide nutritionals for the same leads to massive confusion. The FDA will ask you to certify the method used to achieve the numbers, so accuracy will become even more important on December 1st and there after.
Finally, although we love new clients and business, getting that business at the displeasure of the franchise parent is unsavory no matter how delicious the dish! Make sure all parts of the franchise are on board before you decide who you get to evaluate your nutritionals! Then, get our nutritional seal of approval by giving us a call at 888-767-6368!
*This blog was published prior to the change in deadline for menu labeling. The deadline is now December 1, 2016.
