Digital Menus & Technology
SB 68 allows both digital and printed allergen menus — but the requirements for each are specific and easy to get wrong. Here's what compliant looks like in both formats.
By Dylan McDonnell, Founder & CEO, Foodini | May 2026 | 7 min read
SB 68 requires chain restaurants (20+ locations under the same brand) to provide allergen information to customers before they order. This can be done either digitally or on printed menus—but the requirements differ significantly between the two formats.
What you can do with digital: Digital menus allow you to provide more detailed allergen information without visual clutter. You can display multiple layers of information, include ingredient specifics, cross-contamination warnings, and update information in real-time if suppliers change.
SB 68 digital requirements: Your digital menu must clearly identify the major food allergens present in each item. Major allergens include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and sesame. The menu must be accessible to customers before ordering—which typically means QR codes, tablets at the table, or website access.
The catch: The digital menu must be accurate and kept current. If you have out-of-date information on your website or QR code, you're not compliant. Digital allergen menus require an operational system to ensure updates happen quickly across all locations.
What you can do with printed: Printed menus don't require technology. They're always available, never have server downtime, and feel tangible to guests.
SB 68 printed requirements: Your printed allergen menu must list all major allergens for each menu item. It must be available to customers before they order. It must be clearly marked as an allergen menu so customers know to reference it.
The challenge: Printed menus create inventory management problems. Every time an ingredient changes or a menu item is modified, you need new printed menus. Restaurants with multiple locations need to manage supply chains to ensure every location has current printed allergen information.
The honest answer: it depends on your operational maturity. If your restaurant can maintain accurate, updated ingredient specifications and push those updates to digital systems reliably, digital is superior. You get better visibility, faster updates, and a better customer experience.
If your restaurant struggles to keep ingredient information current or you change menus frequently, printed menus with a clear process for reprinting might be more reliable. The worst scenario is having incorrect allergen information (digital or printed) available to guests.
The most compliant restaurants use both. They maintain a digital allergen menu that's current and accessible via QR code or website. They also have printed backup menus for customers who don't have phones or prefer paper. This redundancy ensures no guest ever lacks allergen information, and it protects you from single-point failures (server down, QR code printer broken, etc.).