If your restaurant still hands out a laminated menu with prices scratched out and corrected in pen, you're not alone — and you're also leaving money and time on the table. A QR menu replaces that printed card with a link customers open by scanning a code at the table. No app to download, no waiting for a fresh reprint every time a price changes.
Here's exactly how to set one up, from a blank menu to a QR code stuck on your tables.
1. Choose a QR menu platform
You could technically encode a link to a PDF into a QR code, but a PDF doesn't update itself, isn't mobile-friendly, and won't let you mark a dish as sold out at 8pm on a Saturday. A proper QR menu platform — like DigiMenu — gives you a dashboard to manage items and generates the QR code for you automatically.
Look for a few basics: mobile-first design (most scans happen on a phone), the ability to edit prices instantly, and support for multiple branches if you run more than one location.
2. Build your menu
Start with your categories — Starters, Main Course, Beverages, Desserts, whatever matches how your restaurant is actually organized. Then add items under each one with:
- Name and price
- A short description (optional, but helps customers decide faster)
- A photo — dishes with photos get ordered more often than plain text listings
- Tags like veg, non-veg, spicy, or bestseller
If you already have your menu in a spreadsheet, most platforms let you bulk-import it instead of typing every item by hand.
3. Generate your QR code
Once your menu has at least a few items, your QR code is usually generated automatically — one per branch if you run more than one location. This code doesn't need to change again: it always points to your live menu, so any future edit shows up instantly for anyone who scans it.
4. Print and place it on your tables
Download the QR code and print it — a simple table tent, a sticker, or a small acrylic stand all work. A few placement tips:
- Keep it away from glare — glossy lamination under bright lights can make codes hard to scan
- Add a short line under it like "Scan to view our menu" so first-time visitors know what it's for
- If you take table-side orders, consider printing a table number into the code so orders can be tied back to the right table
5. Test it yourself before customers do
Scan your own QR code with a regular phone camera — not a scanner app — since that's what most customers will use. Check that the menu loads quickly, photos look right, and prices are accurate. Try it on both Android and iPhone if you can; rendering can occasionally differ between browsers.
6. Turn on ordering, if you want it
A QR menu doesn't have to stop at "view only." Some platforms let customers add items to a cart and send the order straight to your WhatsApp number — no separate ordering app, and no commission cut to a delivery aggregator. If you're just getting started, it's fine to launch view-only first and add ordering once you're comfortable with the menu itself.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving old prices in place — the whole point of a QR menu is that updates are free and instant, so there's no excuse for a stale price.
- Skipping photos entirely — even a handful of photos on your bestsellers makes a real difference.
- Making the QR code too small to scan — print it at least 3–4 cm across so phone cameras can focus on it easily in low restaurant lighting.
- Forgetting to mark items unavailable — if something runs out mid-service, toggle it off rather than letting customers order it and get disappointed.
Getting started
Setting up a QR menu for a small restaurant usually takes under an hour once your dishes, prices, and a few photos are ready. If you want to try it without committing to anything, DigiMenu offers a 10-day free trial with no card required — enough time to build your full menu and print a QR code before deciding.