Burgerville rolls out personalized nutrition data on receiptsBurgerville rolls out personalized nutrition data on receipts

Alan J. Liddle

Burgerville now offers guests something extra with their orders: the nutrition data for their meal on a printed receipt.

This week, the Vancouver, Wash.-based chain rolled out to all of its 39 Oregon and Washington quick-service restaurants a system that calculates nutritional information for each meal and then prints it on the guest’s receipt, along with coupons and health tips. Burgerville began testing the technology, which works in conjunction with its point-of-sale system, at a single Portland, Ore., restaurant last summer.

“We want our guests to know exactly what they are getting when they order from us," said Jeff Harvey, Burgerville's president and chief executive. “That way guests can take control of their food choices and make sure that they feel satisfied and empowered when they eat at Burgerville.”

Burgerville said the system takes into account changes to standard recipes, such as a guest request to leave off cheese, when calculating nutrition information. The data disclosed on receipts include calorie, fiber, fat and carbohydrate counts by item and meal.

To educate consumers about how they can modify the chain’s foods to meet personal eating goals, tips printed on the receipts might suggest something along the lines of, “If you are trying to eat healthier, try 'holding the chipotle mayo' on your sandwich and save 180 calories and 18grams of fat."

The on-receipt coupons are “bounce back” incentives designed to drive future sales at restaurants within the chain, which is owned by The Holland Inc.

Because the technology used by Burgerville presents nutrition information after foods are purchased, it is not seen as a way to meet regulations requiring chains to disclose nutrition metrics on menus and menu boards where consumers can see them before ordering.

Contact Alan J. Liddle at [email protected].