QR Code Restaurant Menus
If you’ve dined out in the past several months, you’ve likely noticed the takeover of QR code restaurant menus at your favorite eateries. A QR code menu is one that offers contactless interaction in which a customer can simply scan the code with their smartphone and view the entire menu digitally. The reason for this shift is because the CDC has recommended restaurants “use disposable or digital menus.”
Disposable menus, due to the sheer printing cost, may not be in the financial cards for you. That’s why we’re all ears when it comes to creating a digital menu option, one that can be updated regularly—and also saves the environment. Today we’ll cover just how to get started with a QR code menu, plus helpful tips and tricks to make it a smashing success.
Scanning a QR code doesn’t even require an app download anymore! When scanned, the QR code will open a link to your restaurant’s menu. There are also tons of options out there to help you generate your QR code menu. There’s qr-code-generator.com, Must Have Menus, and QR Tiger, to name a few. A lot of these resources offer free 2-week trials and loads of design templates from which to choose. The step-by-step instructions offered by each make it simple to quickly create your menu.
Just because your menu is being turned into a code doesn’t mean you should skimp on the design. Use this opportunity to bring your brand to life digitally; think of it as a scaled-down website showcasing your delicious dining options. If you’re displaying your QR code menu on a table tent, design the tent such that is matches your décor. And as seasons and dishes change, update your digital menu to reflect that.
Beaconstac, another platform that generates QR codes, outlines 4 features you should look for in a QR code generator:
- Customization capabilities, such as logos and colors
- Offering unlimited scans of the code
- Dynamic code capabilities that allow you to change/update your menu at any time (such as swapping out a sold-out dish for a replacement)
- Analytics, so you can read the data and learn how your new menu is really performing
And since older generations are not as tech savvy as your younger patrons, make sure you include instructions on how to scan the QR code (it’s as simple as pointing your phone’s camera at the code and tapping the notification that appears). You should also have some backup disposable menus on-hand for those who don’t carry a phone.
Where should you put your QR code restaurant menu?
Display your shiny new QR code anywhere you want to draw attention to your offerings—in your window-front, on table tents, at the bar, in the restroom, you name it. You can even have them printed on cards for your staff to carry around when taking orders.
We predict QR code menus will outlast this pandemic, not only for their cost and environmental savings but for their convenience and engagement-increasing abilities. What new trends in dining do you see hanging on once we’re on the other side of the coronavirus?