A QR menu is a restaurant menu that guests open on their own phone by scanning a QR code at the table, counter or door. The code holds a web address; the phone's camera reads it and opens the menu in the browser, with no app to install. Some QR menus only show dishes and prices; others also let guests order, call a waiter or pay from the same page.
How a QR menu works for the guest
- The guest points the phone camera at the code printed on the table card, sticker or stand.
- The phone shows the address the code contains; one tap opens it in the browser.
- The menu loads as a normal web page: sections, dishes, prices and, where the restaurant adds them, photos and allergen information.
- Depending on the restaurant, the guest either orders from a server as usual or places the order from the same page.
Two kinds of QR menu
View-only and ordering QR menus
| View-only QR menu | Ordering QR menu | |
|---|---|---|
| What the guest can do | Read the menu | Read the menu and send an order |
| How the order reaches the kitchen | A server takes it | It arrives on a screen or printer in the kitchen, with the table number |
| Codes needed | One code for the whole room is enough | One code per table, so orders carry the right table |
| Staff change | None | Someone watches incoming orders during service |
Many restaurants start with a view-only menu and turn ordering on later. A QR menu can also be a PDF file rather than a web page; the difference, and why it matters on a phone, is covered separately.
Read QR code menu vs PDF menu for the comparison.
What a QR menu does well
- Changes are immediate: a new price or a sold-out dish is visible to the next guest without reprinting.
- Guests can read it in their own language when the menu offers more than one.
- Allergen and dietary information can sit next to each dish, and guests can filter by it.
- Photos help guests understand unfamiliar dishes.
- A busy room keeps moving: guests can browse while they wait for a server.
Where it falls short
- Not every guest has a phone with them, a working camera or a data connection — keep a printed menu available.
- Some guests simply prefer paper; a QR menu works best as an option, not a requirement.
- A code that is damaged, badly placed or printed too small will not scan in a dim room.
- Codes can be tampered with: check table cards and stickers when you reset tables.
What to get right before switching
- A menu address that will not change for as long as the codes are printed.
- Complete allergen information. In the European Union, allergen information must be made available for non-prepacked food, which includes dishes served in restaurants.
- Readable on a small screen without zooming, and quick to load on mobile data.
- A short web address printed next to the code for anyone whose camera cannot read it.
- Someone responsible for keeping prices and availability current.
For the practical steps, see how to create a QR code menu.
A QR menu with Thmenu
Thmenu gives each table its own QR code. The menu opens in the language of the guest's phone — the interface is available in 31 languages — and guests can filter dishes by allergen and diet. A dish can be marked unavailable during service so it cannot be ordered. Ordering from the table is a separate switch: it starts off for a new restaurant, and the restaurant turns it on in Settings when it is ready.
See how the Thmenu QR menu works.
Sources
Originally published at thmenu.com/en/blog/what-is-a-qr-menu.
