QR code menus are standard now. But most venues make one mistake at setup and only discover it when prices change: every table label has to be reprinted.
Choose the right type first
There are two kinds of QR code, and this is where the decision is made.
A static code holds the data inside the pattern. Your menu address is written into the code and cannot be changed. If the address changes, the code is waste.
A dynamic code points at a short link. You change the destination from your dashboard whenever you like, and the label on the table stays as it is.
For a restaurant the answer is clear: dynamic. Prices get updated, seasonal menus come and go, the PDF is replaced — none of it needs a reprint.
Where should the menu live?
A PDF is the quickest route. Upload your existing menu design and point the code at it. The downside is pinching and zooming on a phone.
A web page reads far better on mobile and can be found in search results. It takes a bit longer to set up.
A link-in-bio page sits between the two. It lists menu sections as separate buttons and lets you add reservations and contact details alongside. No design skills needed.
Table labels: size and design
Size. On a table label the code should be at least 2.5×2.5 cm. For walls or windows, 5 cm and up.
Format. Download SVG or PDF for print, not PNG. They are vector formats and stay sharp when scaled.
Contrast. Dark pattern, light background. The reverse fails on many phones.
Quiet zone. Leave a margin around the code of at least a tenth of its width.
A line of instruction. Print «Scan for the menu» underneath. A small detail that measurably raises scan rates.
Test before printing
Before it goes to the printer, scan it with at least three phones: an iPhone, an Android and an older handset. Try it in low light too — restaurant lighting is usually dim.
If you added a logo, raise the error correction level and keep the logo under about 20% of the code.
What the scan data tells you
Dynamic codes record every scan, which surfaces things restaurants rarely get to measure:
- What time of day people look at the menu
- How weekdays compare with weekends
- Whether the window poster works — are people scanning before coming in?
- Whether scans rose after a promotion
In short
Choose dynamic, print in a vector format, test on several phones and tell people what to do. Those four steps prevent every reprint bill that follows from getting it wrong.
