At least two restaurant chains in the Washington region are eliminating trans fats from their menus — just one month after New York City health officials announced all restaurants in that city must phase out the substance known to increase the risk of heart disease.
Capitol City Brewing Co., a locally owned restaurant chain with locations in Shirlington, the District and Baltimore, will phase out trans fats from itsmenu by March. B. Smith’s, a New York-based chain with a Union Station restaurant, went trans fat-free this month, a process that involved revamping about 40 percent of its existing menu. The two restaurants appear to be some of the first in the region to voluntarily make the switch.
“I’ve tried to eliminate [trans fats] from my eating habits and the only time I can’t do that is when I go out to eat because I don’t know what’s in the food,” said David von Storch, owner of Capitol City Brewing. “What we’re looking at is not taking something off the menu, but redesigning that item to meet our new menu standards.”
But that process can be a long and costly one. For example, von Storch’s costs for frying oil will go from about $18 per box to about $34. That increase will come from his bottom line and not be passed on to consumers, he says. He expects to take a 5 percent hit to his profits. At B. Smith’s, the switch will cost the company about 2 percent in operating costs, said Vice President Tom Townsend.
The increase in costs is a key reason many restaurants across the country — and in the Washington region — oppose mandated bans on trans fat. As cities such as Chicago and Boston look at possible bans, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington has come out against the issue.
“We’re opposed to further mandates,” said Lynne Breaux, president of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. “It’s all about choice. Any restaurants that choose to go trans fat-free we applaud that … but [a ban] just gives us one more hoop to jump through.”
