A QR code and a tiny footer will not fix a covered menu board with missing calories. US federal menu labeling requirements put that information where customers choose their food.
The FDA rule generally covers chains with 20 or more locations under the same name offering substantially the same menu items. It does not cover every independent café. This is not legal advice; sources were checked on 5 November 2026.
Which restaurants the federal rule covers
Start with the chain, name and menu tests together. A single owner-operated café is not brought into this federal rule simply by installing a screen. An individual franchise location may belong to a qualifying chain even when its owner operates only one venue.
The rule also provides a voluntary registration route. State and local requirements need their own check; being outside this federal rule is not a general exemption from food information law.
The FDA overview states the central menu duty:
Covered establishments must disclose the number of calories contained in standard items on menus and menu boards.
Work from the definition of a standard menu item. Special rules and exclusions exist. Do not assume calling a recurring dish a special removes it from the rule.
Put calories beside the item customers choose
Under 21 CFR 101.11(b)(2)(i)(A), the calorie number belongs adjacent to the item name or price. Its type cannot be smaller than the smaller of the name or price, with specified color and background prominence. Use the rule’s Calories or Cal labeling requirements too.
Reserve a calorie column while there is still room on the board. Keep sizes and their values clearly associated. A tiny calorie footer underneath large dish names is not a safe design shortcut.
| Board element | What to review | Frequent design mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Standard item | Calorie number beside name or price | Values moved to another slide |
| Size or variation | Applicable values and format | One unexplained number for several sizes |
| Daily-intake statement | Required wording, position and prominence | Cropped or faint footer |
| Further-information statement | Required wording and placement | QR code used as the only notice |
| Recipe version | Values match the food sold | Old figures survive a recipe change |
Combination meals, toppings, shared items and self-service foods have separate provisions in the rule.
Leave room for both required statements
The rule specifies a daily-intake statement and a statement that additional written nutrition information is available. For ordinary adult menus, the daily-intake wording is:
2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary.
The second notice is: “Additional nutrition information available upon request.” That is the wording in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C). Check the bottom-of-board placement and minimum prominence rules for both notices. Children’s menus have specific alternative intake statements.
A separate website or QR destination can help customers find detail, but it does not replace information required on the ordering board. Review every menu version, including breakfast, lunch and promotional designs.
Keep records supporting each calorie value
Section 101.11(c) requires a reasonable basis for nutrient declarations. It allows methods including nutrient databases, laboratory analysis and other reasonable means. Use a method appropriate to your actual ingredients, preparation and portions, then keep the supporting records.
Neither an AI-generated calorie estimate nor a number copied from a vaguely similar sandwich substantiates your menu. Give the person responsible for the recipe a clear approval step before the design is exported.
Review affected values after changing a recipe, portion or supplier. Keep the approved version with the source menu.
Review every required value and notice on the screen
The menu board templates and free menu maker help arrange a draft. They do not approve calorie data or establish compliance. Review every required value and notice in the final design.
Check the font-size guide after adding required information. Reduce nonessential copy before reducing the required text. Then inspect the actual TV, including its edges, from the ordering position.
Keep the approved values in every service menu
Review each scheduled menu and keep the required written nutrition information available to staff. Allergen information is a separate duty.
Before exporting the next menu, check coverage, approved calorie values, adjacent placement and both required statements against 21 CFR 101.11.
Sources
Vendor prices and plans were checked against each linked page in November 2026. They change often, so open the page before you buy.
