Free QR Code Generator for Restaurant Menu

By Sheraz Khan

Put your restaurant menu behind a QR code and let guests read it on their own phones. Our free QR code generator for restaurant menu makes a code that links to your online menu, your PDF menu or your order page. No app, no sign-up and no cost. Print the code on a table card, and guests scan it the moment they sit down.

How to make a QR code for your restaurant menu

Making a menu QR code is simple. You need a link to your menu first, then the code takes two minutes.

1. Put your menu online. It can be a page on your website, a PDF file on your site, or a menu on a delivery or ordering service. Copy the full link, including https:// at the start.
2. Paste the menu link into the URL tool above. Check that the link opens the right menu on your phone.
3. Download the code as a PNG for a table card, or as an SVG for a large print. Test it with your own phone and with a guest phone if you can.
4. Print the code on a table card, a stand, or a sticker. Add a short line, such as Scan to see our menu, so guests know what to do.
5. Put a code on every table, at the door and at the counter. One code per table is best, so guests do not have to lean over or share a card.

Why restaurants use QR code menus

A paper menu is touched by every guest, it gets dirty, and it costs money to reprint every time a price or a dish changes. A QR menu is always clean, because guests use their own phone. It is cheap to update, because you only change the online menu, not the printed code. The code stays the same, so you do not need to reprint the table cards when you change a price.

Guests like QR menus because they can read the menu in large text, zoom in, and take their time. They can share a link with a friend at the table. They can see photos of dishes if your online menu has them. Staff save time, because they do not have to hand out menus, collect them and clean them between guests.

Menu on a page, a PDF or an order page

A menu page on your website is the best choice for most restaurants. It loads fast, it looks good on a phone, and search engines can find it. A PDF menu is simple, but it can be hard to read on a small screen if the text is small. If you take orders online, link the code to your order page so guests can order and pay from their table.

Make sure the menu page works well on a phone. Use large text, clear sections, and a short menu that loads fast on mobile data. A menu that is only a large image will be hard to read. A menu as a web page, with headings for starters, mains, desserts and drinks, is best.

Table cards, stands and wall signs

A table card should be small, sturdy and easy to clean. A code of about 5 cm works well, with the restaurant name and a short line. A stand with a code on both sides works for tables where guests sit on both sides. A wall sign at the door lets people read the menu before they sit down. For a cafe counter, a small stand with the code and a line such as Scan to order works well.

Use matt card or a matt laminate, not shiny glass, because glare blocks scans. Print the code dark on white, with a white border. Do not put the code where a plate or a glass will cover it. If a table is in a dark corner, add a little light, because a code in the dark is hard to scan.

Updating your menu without reprinting

When your menu changes, change the page the code links to, not the code itself. This is the biggest benefit of a QR menu. You can change a price in the morning and the tables already show the new price. You can add a special for the weekend and take it off on Monday. You can remove a dish that has sold out. The printed table cards stay the same, so you save print costs and time.

If you change your website or your menu service, make a new code and reprint the cards once. Keep the old link live for a while if you can, so old codes still work until guests have the new ones.

QR menus for cafes, bars and food trucks

Cafes use QR menus on tables and on the counter, linking to the drinks list and to the cake list. Bars use them to link to the cocktail list, with photos and prices, so guests can order without waiting at the bar. Food trucks use them on the truck and on a board, because the menu changes with the season and with what is in stock. A food truck menu code can link to a page that says Sold out for a dish, which saves a queue of people asking.

Takeaway and delivery shops use QR menu codes on flyers and on bags, so a customer can order again next time without searching for the number. The code links to the same menu every time, so repeat orders are fast.

Hygiene and accessibility

Guests touch their own phone, not a shared menu, which is cleaner. That is why many restaurants kept QR menus after the pandemic. A digital menu is also easier for people who need large text. A guest can zoom in on their phone, use a screen reader, or translate the menu into their own language with their browser. A paper menu cannot do that.

Keep a few paper menus for guests who do not have a phone, who have an old phone, or who prefer paper. A QR menu should be the main way, not the only way. Offer a paper menu on request, and train staff to offer help with the scan.

FAQs

How do I make a QR code for my restaurant menu?

Put your menu online, paste the menu link into the generator above, and download the code. Print it on a table card and guests scan it to read the menu.

Does a QR menu work if the menu changes?

Yes. The code links to your online menu, so you change the menu page and the code stays the same. You do not need to reprint the table cards.

Do guests need an app to read a QR menu?

No. Most phones open the menu in the camera app. Guests point the camera at the code and tap the link. Older phones may need a scanner app.

What should the menu link to?

A menu page on your website is best. A PDF menu or an order page also works. Make sure the page loads fast and is easy to read on a phone.

Is a restaurant menu QR code free?

Yes. It is free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many codes you make.

Does a menu QR code expire?

No. It is a static code, so it works for as long as your menu link stays live. It never expires and there is no fee.