Calories on Restaurant Menus, Who Must Post Them and How

Chain restaurants with 20 or more locations must list calories next to each standard menu item, and the number has to be printed as prominently as the name or the price. That is the core of FDA's menu labeling rule. The details decide what you actually see on a menu board, so here is how the rule works as of October 2026.

1. Who is covered

FDA's menu labeling rule applies to restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain of 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name, and offering for sale substantially the same menu items. A separate rule covers vending machines: operators who own or operate 20 or more machines must disclose calories for food sold from them, with some exemptions.

FDA's consumer page says calories began appearing on May 7, 2018, and lists the kinds of places you may see them: chain restaurants, chain coffee shops, bakeries, ice cream shops, buffets and salad bars, movie theaters, amusement parks, and grocery or convenience stores. Calories go next to the name or price, including on drive-thru menu boards.

2. Where you will not see calories

According to FDA's consumer page, calories are not required for:

• Foods at deli counters that are typically intended for further preparation
• Foods bought in bulk at grocery stores, such as a bakery loaf
• Bottles of liquor displayed behind a bar
• Food on food trucks, airplanes, and trains
• School menus in the National School Lunch Program
• Restaurants that are not part of a chain of 20 or more

The regulation also excludes items that are not standard menu items: daily specials, temporary menu items (on a menu fewer than 60 days a year), custom orders, and foods in a customary market test (on a menu under 90 consecutive days).

3. How the number must look

The rule sets the format in detail:

• The calorie count sits next to the item name or price, in type no smaller than the smaller of the two, in the same or a more conspicuous color and contrast.
• The word "Calories" or "Cal" appears as a heading above a column of numbers or next to each number.
• Counts are rounded to the nearest 5 calories up to and including 50, and to the nearest 10 calories above 50. Amounts under 5 calories may be shown as zero.

Rounding examples: an item at 237 calories is shown as 240; 48 becomes 50; 47 becomes 45; and 52 becomes 50.

4. Whole item or per slice

For items that serve several people, the calories must be for the whole item as usually prepared, for example "pizza pie: 1600 cal." Alternatively the menu can show a per-unit figure if it also states the serving unit and how many units the item has, for example "pizza pie: 200 cal/slice, 8 slices." Both versions describe the same pie, since 200 times 8 is 1,600.

5. Choices, combos, and toppings

When one menu listing has several versions, the format depends on how many options there are:

• Two choices: a slash between the numbers, such as 450/500 calories for a grilled cheese made with cheddar or Swiss.
• Three or more choices: a range from the lowest to the highest, such as 450-550 calories.
• Combination meals: the same slash or range logic applies to sides, such as a sandwich with chips or a side salad or fruit (350-500 calories).
• Toppings: the base item is listed with its calories, and each listed topping shows the calories it adds. If sizes differ, a topping may read "adds 150/250 cal" for two sizes.
• Buffets with no clear upper limit: a statement such as "See buffet for calorie declarations" can be used instead.

For drinks that are not self-service, calories are based on the full volume of the cup served without ice, unless the shop uses a standard beverage fill or a standard ice fill.

6. The 2,000-calorie statement and written details

Every menu and menu board must carry this sentence: "2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary." Menus aimed at children may use a version stating 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day for children aged 4 to 8, or add 1,400 to 2,000 for ages 9 to 13.

Menus must also say "Additional nutrition information available upon request." That written information must be available on the premises, in this order: total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, and protein.

7. How to use it

FDA's consumer page notes that Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home, and suggests using 2,000 calories a day as a guide while remembering needs vary by age, sex, and activity. It also points out that foods described as creamy, fried, breaded, battered, or buttered are typically higher in calories than those described as baked, roasted, steamed, grilled, or broiled.

8. Key takeaways

• The rule covers chains with 20 or more locations under the same name, plus operators with 20 or more vending machines.
• Calories sit beside the name or price in equally prominent type.
• Rounding is to the nearest 5 up to 50 and the nearest 10 above 50.
• Two options show a slash, three or more show a range.
• The full nutrient list (fat, sodium, fiber, sugars, protein and more) is available on request.
• Independent restaurants, food trucks, and specials are outside the rule.