With just a couple of clicks through its website, customers of Esquires Coffee, a Canadian coffeehouse franchisor, can find a breakdown of menu ingredients, allergens, and nutritional information in an easy-to-read format.

The benefit of providing such data? Very simply, “It’s good for business,” says Aiden Keegan, the company’s national operations manager. “Eighty-seven percent of our customers noted that having our allergen nutrition information [online] would positively influence their decision to choose us over a nearby competitor.”

In the United States, a federal rule requiring foodservice operations to supply nutritional information to the public has been pushed back a year, to May 7, 2018. But many types of foodservice operations are moving forward, providing a plethora of nutritional information thanks to improved recipe menu technologies and cloud-based data software.

"The more advanced systems now provide the consumer with ample information about the food products they select," says Jill Carte, categor manager of food safety at DayMark Safety Systems.

Carte adds that for foodservice operators, the challenge today in meeting the pending legislation is determining the right software program to select. And operators with multiple locations need platforms that communicate seamlessly between stores, synchronizing information, and that are accessible from multiple devices, all at the same time.

To help ensure foodservice operators and restaurants select such state-of-the-art technology, Carte has outlined some of the key equipment and system characteristics to look for:

1. A comprehensive recipe database
2. A wide-ranging ingredients database
3. Ability to upload additional supplier-specific databases to enhance existing database
4. Ability to tailor menu items to address customer demands
5. Ease of use, with a short learning curve

When Esquires Coffee was looking for such a system to help them analyze allergens, nutrition, and costs, the software they selected was Nutritics Insight , now part of the DayMark Safety Systems family.

The technology includes a database of over 125,000 food ingredient items, which allows Esquires Coffee to analyze the contents of their recipes as well as create recipe cards and provide prep and plating instructions. This helps in staff training and helps ensure consistency in food quality and taste.

Carte adds that because Nutritics Insight is a cloud-based system, it can be used on virtually any computer or mobile system with an internet connection. “This allows users to collaborate on recipes and share with other users, within—and outside of— an organization," says Carte. "These features improve kitchen efficiency, reduce waste, and standardize recipe sizes among chefs at multiple locations.”

Finally, customer support was another reason our friends at Esquires Coffee selected Nutritics Insight. "Their support team was willing to go the extra mile to assist us," says Keegan. "They had a clear understanding of our needs, walked us through the system, and we were up and running fast."

For more information on the Nutritics Insight Menu Management and Analysis System , contact a DayMark representative at 866-517-0490.