There are some libertarians who aren't happy about this, but count me as one who goes against the grain. Most restaurants will already provide diners with nutrition information upon request. Not all will.
This bill does not force people to make certain menu choices, and the inconveniences to restaurants are minimal. We are talking about maybe a few days of analyzing the ingredients in your meals, and then printing some new menus. Consumers are not inconvenienced at all; they will simply be given information up front that usually takes some digging (think about Google vs going to a library).
This is actually a bit of libertarian paternalism, which you can read more about in Nudge.
The bottom line is this: if consumers are shown that their favorite pasta dish at Macaroni Grille contains 2,500 calories (this is just a guess, not picking on Macaroni Grille) and the customer sees this when ordering, there is probably a good chance that most consumers will opt for a lower calorie dish, or at least split this with another person. The truth is, that restaurant dishes contain a HUGE amount of calories, sometimes orders of magnitude higher than a home cooked meal. Look at the "Plain Jane Potato" at supposed "healthy" eatery Jason's Deli.
It contains a whopping 2300 calories, 147 grams of fat, and 2500 mg of sodium. In other words, it contains all of the calories and sodium you require in a DAY, and enough fat to last you for 2.5 days. I think if people saw this on the menu when ordering, they would probably opt for something healthier. Or maybe not. In any case, having this information easily available to the consumer will likely lead to healthier choices, fewer deaths, and possibly lower calorie options on the menu.
In summary, nutrition labels have done a lot to help you buy food at the grocery store, and now will serve a similar purpose when you dine out.
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