How to make a QR code for a restaurant menu

To make a QR code for a restaurant menu, put your menu online as a web page or PDF, paste its link into a QR code generator, download the code in a print-ready format, and print it on table tents or menus at about 5 cm (2 in) wide or larger. If your menu changes, use a dynamic code so you can update the link without reprinting. Always keep printed menus for guests who prefer them.

How to make a menu QR code, step by step

1. Put the menu online. A page on your website or ordering system works best. A PDF is fine, but host it somewhere you control and keep the file name stable.
2. Decide static or dynamic. A static code is free and points at one fixed link. A dynamic code lets you change that link later and see when tables scan. More on this below.
3. Create the code. Paste your menu link into the URL QR code generator. Add your logo, set your brand colours and choose a frame with a short call to action like "Scan for menu".
4. Download a print file. Send your printer an SVG or PDF. For printing in house, use a high resolution PNG.
5. Test before you print in bulk. Print one table tent, put it on a table and scan it from a seat with a few different phones.
6. Place and maintain. Put codes where guests sit, and check them every few weeks for damage, stains and peeling.

If you choose a static code, link to a page whose address will never change, such as a /menu page on your own website, and update the content on that page instead of changing the link. This gives you some of the flexibility of a dynamic code, as long as the page stays in place.

Should a menu QR code be static or dynamic?

If your menu changes, use a dynamic code. Menus are one of the clearest cases for one. Prices move, dishes rotate with the seasons, and many places run separate lunch, dinner and brunch menus. With a static code, every change of address means new table tents. A common trap is uploading a new PDF with a new file name, which quietly breaks every static code pointing at the old one.

With a dynamic code you print once and change the destination whenever you like. You could point it at brunch on Sunday morning and dinner in the evening. Scan analytics show the time of day guests scan and which devices they use, which helps when you decide how much effort to put into the mobile menu. If you close for the season, you can pause the code so guests see a friendly page instead of an outdated menu.

EndureQR dynamic codes cost $29 a year or $3.99 a month on Pro, or $79 once on Lifetime, and they keep working even if you cancel. See pricing, or read more about QR codes for restaurants.

How big should a menu QR code be, and where should it go?

Print it at least 5 cm wide on a table tent facing the guest's seat, with a short label that says what it does.

What to print on the table tent

• Size for the table. Guests scan from roughly 30 to 50 cm away, so a code 5 cm wide or larger is a safe choice.
• Say what the code does. A frame with "Scan for menu" or "Scan to order" removes doubt. A bare code gets fewer scans because people are not sure what it is.
• Print a short link as text. Put a short web address under the code for guests whose camera will not cooperate.
• One code per surface. If a tent also carries a WiFi code, label both clearly so guests scan the right one.

Where and how to place it

• Fight glare. Overhead lights reflect off glossy laminate. A matte finish or a slightly angled tent keeps the code readable.
• Keep it wipeable. Codes on tables get splashed and cleaned constantly. Lamination or a hard acrylic holder protects the print.
• Mind the light. Candlelit and dim rooms make scanning harder. Go larger, and use very dark modules on a white background.
• Use the front window. A code in the window lets passers-by read the menu before they come in. Size it for the distance from the pavement, roughly one tenth of how far away people stand.

How do you make a menu page easy to read on a phone?

Keep the page light, the text large and the menu free of app downloads or sign-ups. The code only gets guests to the page. The page decides whether they enjoy using it.

• Make it load quickly on mobile data. Large photos and heavy PDFs slow everything down.
• Use large, readable text. A PDF designed for an A4 page often needs pinching and zooming on a phone.
• Show prices and allergen information clearly.
• Do not ask guests to download an app or sign up to see the menu.
• Offer other languages if many of your guests need them.
• Keep the menu current. An online menu that lists sold-out dishes frustrates guests more than a paper one.

Test the page on an older phone over mobile data, not only on your own WiFi. That is how many guests will see it.

Accessibility: keep printed menus available

A QR menu should be an option, not the only way to order. Some guests do not carry a smartphone, have a flat battery or no mobile data, or find small screens hard to read. Others simply prefer paper. Keep a stock of printed menus, including a large print version if you can, and make sure staff offer one without making anyone feel awkward. Staff should also be ready to read out the specials and answer questions about ingredients, just as they would with a printed menu.

Guest WiFi helps too. A WiFi QR code lets guests without mobile data join your network and then open the menu. Keep it on a guest network, separate from your till and back office.