LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As food alle gies shape mo e di i g decisio s ac oss g oups a d households, estau a ts may be losi g sig ifica t eve ue befo e guests eve walk th ough the doo . The Nut itics 2026 Alle gy Di i g Repo t fou d u clea alle ge i fo matio puts a estimated $78 i table spe d at isk each time a alle gy-affected di e chooses a othe estau a t, addi g up to a estimated $12.6 billio i a ual estau a t eve ue at isk ac oss the U.S.
Nut itics su veyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 a d olde i Ju e 2026 usi g the thi d-pa ty su vey platfo m Pollfish. Eligible espo de ts must have di ed out mo e tha o ce i the past six mo ths. Respo de ts also had to epo t that food alle gies o i tole a ces, whethe thei ow o those of a household membe , f ie d o cowo ke they f eque tly eat with, facto i to thei di i g decisio s.
Key fi di gs f om the Nut itics 2026 Alle gy Di i g Repo t i clude:
- U clea alle ge i fo matio puts a estimated $78 i table spe d at isk eve y time a alle gy-affected di e chooses a othe estau a t, c eati g a $12.6 billio bli d spot fo estau a t ow e s a d ope ato s.
- Nea ly all (95%) of alle gy-affected di e s have decided agai st a estau a t at least occasio ally because they could ’t easily fi d clea alle ge i fo matio .
- O ly 1 i 4 (24%) say they’ e fully co fide t the a swe is a co fi med fact whe a se ve says they’ll check with the kitche about a alle ge .
- 61% have decided to skip eati g out a d eat at home i stead afte decidi g a safe estau a t felt like too much wo k to fi d.
- Mo e tha half (51%) have chose to t y a ew estau a t ove a familia o e because the ew estau a t’s alle ge i fo matio was clea e o mo e eliable.
- 71% say they’d eat at a estau a t mo e ofte if it had clea , easy-to-fi d alle ge i fo matio .
- Mo e tha half (52%) have ecomme ded a specific estau a t to othe s because they t usted its alle ge i fo matio .
- Amo g pa e ts whose child’s alle gy shapes di i g decisio s, 78% say they’d eat out mo e ofte at a estau a t with clea alle ge i fo matio .
- The top facto that would i c ease t ust i a estau a t’s alle ge p actices, cited by 57% of espo de ts, is alle ge s clea ly ma ked o eve y me u item.
The fi di gs suggest clea alle ge i fo matio has become a di ect facto i estau a t choice. Di e s a e sc ee i g me us befo e they commit, a d ma y a e willi g to cha ge pla s, stay home o pick a competito whe the i fo matio is vague o missi g.
“Restau a ts a ely get a epo t o the guests who uled them out befo e booki g, but that loss is eal a d it adds up fast,” said Stephe Nola , CEO at Nut itics. “This esea ch shows that alle gy-affected di e s a e maki g decisio s ea ly, ofte based o whethe they ca get clea a swe s without ext a effo t. Whe estau a ts make alle ge i fo matio easie to fi d a d easie to t ust, they give mo e guests a easo to choose them.”
The esea ch comes as estau a ts face isi g p essu e to make alle ge disclosu es mo e accessible a d co siste t, i cludi g u de Califo ia’s ADDE SB68 Act. Fo ope ato s wo ki g th ough those equi eme ts, Nut itics has c eated the ADDE Act K owledge Hub, a esou ce desig ed to help estau a t teams u de sta d the law, p epa e thei me us a d build a mo e eliable alle ge commu icatio p ocess ac oss locatio s a d o de i g cha els.
Fo ope ato s, the message is clea : alle ge t a spa e cy ca i flue ce t affic, t ust a d epeat visits. Restau a ts that p ese t clea , co siste t alle ge i fo matio ac oss me us a d digital cha els may have a st o ge cha ce of wi i g ove alle gy-affected di e s a d the g oups they di e with.
How do food alle gies affect whe e people eat out?Nea ly all (95%) alle gy-affected di e s have decided agai st a estau a t at least occasio ally because they could ’t easily fi d clea alle ge i fo matio . 61% have skipped eati g out altogethe a d eate at home i stead because fi di g a safe optio felt like too much wo k.
How does o e pe so with a food alle gy affect a whole di i g g oup?61% of espo de ts say thei estau a t choices a e shaped most ofte by someo e else’s alle gy, whethe a family membe , spouse, f ie d o child. Whe the pe so doi g the esea ch ca ’t fi d a clea a swe , the whole g oup’s pla s cha ge.
Do di e s t ust se ve s to a swe food alle gy questio s?Di e s do ot fully t ust thei se ve s to a swe food alle gy questio s. O ly 1 i 4 (24%) alle gy-affected di e s a e fully co fide t that a se ve ’s “I’ll check with the kitche ” espo se is a co fi med fact athe tha a guess, a d ea ly half emai skeptical o assume the a swe is a guess.
What is the biggest alle ge t ust sig al fo estau a t guests?The top t ust-builde , cited by 57% of espo de ts, is alle ge s clea ly ma ked o eve y me u item. A dedicated alle ge policy page o the website a d positive eviews f om othe alle gy-affected di e s each follow at 38%.
Fo the full esults a d additio al i sights, view the Nut itics 2026 Alle gy Di i g Repo t.
Its cloud-based platfo m p ovides a si gle sou ce of t uth fo me u, ecipe, ut itio , alle ge a d complia ce data, e abli g ope ato s to imp ove co siste cy, st e gthe gove a ce, educe isk a d espo d faste to cha gi g busi ess co ditio s.
T usted by leadi g foodse vice a d hospitality o ga izatio s wo ldwide, Nut itics combi es deep i dust y expe tise with i ovative tech ology to t a sfo m ope atio al data i to actio able i tellige ce.
Th ough its tech ology, esea ch a d st ategic i dust y pa t e ships, Nut itics is helpi g estau a t leade s build mo e esilie t ope ati g models a d tu ope atio al co t ol i to a sustai able competitive adva tage.
