Transcript Slide 1

Service Inspired Restaurant
Corporation and the Trans Fat
Challenge
SIR Corp. made the commitment back
in Feb 2005 to the CRFA to have
nutritional information available for
the menu items being served in the
Jack Astor’s restaurants by year end.
The uncertainties
- How much did the average consumer know
about Saturated and Trans fats?
- How difficult would it be to maintain current
flavour profiles and reduce fats?
- Would we scare our guests out of our
restaurants by making them aware of them?
….leading
-SIRCorp’s focus had been on the trans fats in our
menu ingredients already
*We were the first restaurant chain in Ontario to
introduce trans fat free frying oil to our
restaurants.
-decision was made to publish a complete list of the
current allergens and nutritionals including trans
fats
-it was very important to ensure the release of all
information was accurate
Our Mutual Promise with our
Supplier Partners…
Performance, Support and
Innovation. Doing what you agreed
to do, helping us, and improving
our business. It is having a
business partner that we can count
on.
Nutritional Analysis
• Determine parameters of required
information
• Utilize Foodtrak System program for
analysis
• Completed for all menu items
• Where was Lab analysis required
• Financial Implications
The Misconception
• Is it clear that the Trans Fats listed for a
retail purchased item is based on a 100gm
ptn?
• Does the average consumer understand
this statement?
• Do they realize how portion size effects
the consumption of allowable trans fats?
Implications
• How would the removal of Trans Fats effect our
culinary creativity
• Could flavours be enhanced without the addition
of Trans Fats
• Could we properly communicate nutritional
information to our guests
• How would we deal with changes to ingredients
on the part of our vendors
ECC Net
Is this the answer to maintaining
accuracy on menu ingredients?
…only the beginning
• Just as the removal of carbs with South
Beach and the Atkins diet was a fad, is the
focus on Trans Fats another fad that will
fade from the forefront?
• What is the next Retail and Food Service
focus?
Sodium
• The SIR Corp. concepts have recently
introduced a Sodium reduced salt for use
in the BOH and on tabletop in our key
concepts, Jacks Astor's and Alice
Fazooli’s
• We believe this is the next push on the
Foodservice Industry
Cost of Business
• Is it the responsibility as Food Service operator to ensure
our guests have all the tools to make decisions about
where and what they eat?
– Yes
• Is Trans fats just the beginning?
– Yes
• Is there a cost to this consumer awareness?
– Yes
• Are consumers willing to pay to have all the information
to make an educated choice?
– We believe so