Mayor Menna Backs Down From Calorie Count on Menu Initiative

In light of his wellness campaign, Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna recently pushed for a ban on smoking in the borough, starting with parks. The same wellness initiative in mind, he and the governing body grappled with the possibility of having Red Bank restaurants put calorie counts on menus.

The mayor, however, recanted that idea in a released statement, citing that Red Bank restaurants are too unique to hold to such a uniform, generic standard usually employed by chain restaurants.

In his statement, the mayor also said that, as is standard procedure, once the idea was broached, it was reviewed more by council and Red Bank RiverCenter and restaurants. All entities decided that the idea was "problematic" and potentially place a prohibitive cost on businesses.

See the attached statement in its entirety.