The Impact of Restaurant Menu Calorie Labels on Food Choice: Results of a Randomized Field Experiment

The impact of information on consumer behavior is a classic topic in economics, and there has recently been particular interest in whether providing nutritional information leads consumers to choose healthier diets. For example, a nationwide requirement of calorie counts on the menus of chain restaurants is scheduled to take effect in the U.S. in early 2018, and the results of such information disclosure are not well known.

To test their impact, we conduct a randomized controlled field experiment in a full-service restaurant, in which the control group received the usual menus but the treatment group received the same menus but with calorie counts. We find no detectable impact of the calorie information on total calories ordered, but it does decrease the probability of ordering an appetizer and the number of calories from appetizers. The calorie information also decreases the total amount of carbohydrates and fiber that is ordered. There is no impact of providing calorie information on restaurant revenue, and exposure to the information increases consumers’ support for requiring such information disclosure. There is some evidence that exemption of daily specials from the labeling requirement may lead to more consumers ordering special desserts. These results are informative about the impact of the upcoming national menu label requirement, and contribute to the literature on the impact of information disclosure on consumer decisions.