How to make a QR menu for your restaurant
A QR menu is a web page that guests open by pointing their phone camera at a code on the table. There is no app to install. Here is how to set one up in an afternoon, and how to keep it useful after the first week.
Why restaurants switch to QR menus
Prices and dishes change. A printed menu has to be reprinted every time; a QR menu changes as soon as you publish.
It also does what paper can’t: a photo of every dish, the menu in your guests’ languages, allergens, and dishes marked as sold out.
Step 1: add your dishes
Start with the sections you already have, such as starters, mains and drinks, and add each dish with its name, price and a short description. If your menu is already in a spreadsheet, import it instead of typing.
Mark allergens and vegetarian or vegan dishes. Guests can filter by them, and your staff hear the same questions less often.
Step 2: take good photos
Photos sell dishes, and you don’t need a studio. Daylight from a window, a plain table and the plate photographed from the side at about 45° are enough. Take the photo as soon as the dish is served.
- One dish per photo, with the whole plate in the picture
- No flash: it makes food look flat
- The same background for the whole menu looks tidy
Step 3: choose your languages
Write the menu in your main language first, then add the languages your guests speak. Visitors read the menu in their language, and your staff still see orders in yours.
Step 4: publish and print the QR codes
Publish the menu, then download its QR code. One code for the whole menu suits most places. A code for each table also lets guests call a waiter, ask for the bill or send their order from that table.
- Print the code at least 3 cm wide
- Test it with an iPhone and an Android phone before printing many
- Add a short line under it, such as “Scan for the menu”
- Keep a few printed menus for guests without a phone
Step 5: keep it up to date
Mark a dish as sold out when the kitchen runs out, change prices when they change, and add seasonal dishes when they start. Guests trust a menu that is right.
Put the menu link on your Google Business Profile, your Instagram and your website as well: many people look at the menu before they decide where to eat.