QR codes on restaurant menus and tables
A code on the table lets guests open your menu on their own phone. Before you print, decide what the code should hold, because that decides whether you can change the menu later without reprinting.
Static link or hosted menu
A static code holds a link to a menu you already have online, on your website or as a PDF. It’s free and never expires. The catch: if that address ever changes, every printed code still points to the old one. Updating a page at the same address is fine; uploading a new PDF with a new name is not.
A hosted menu lives on QR Hippo behind a dynamic code. You edit dishes, prices and notes whenever you like, and the codes on the tables keep working. It needs a paid plan.
Size: 3 to 4 cm on a table tent
Guests hold their phone about 30 cm from the table, so a code 3 to 4 cm wide is enough on a table tent or printed menu. A sign in the window, read from a metre away, needs about 10 cm. Put a short line under the code, such as “Scan for our menu”, so people know what they’ll get.
Test under your own lighting
Restaurants are often dim in the evening, and glossy laminate, candles and spotlights cause glare. Print one copy, put it on a table during evening service, and scan it with a few different phones, including an older one. A matt finish and plain dark squares on a white background scan most reliably.
Allergens are your responsibility
Whatever the code opens, the restaurant is responsible for the allergen information being accurate. If you list allergens on a digital menu, update them whenever a recipe or supplier changes. Keep a few printed menus too, and make sure staff can answer questions for guests who can’t or would rather not use a phone.