How a QR code menu for restaurants works
Guests scan the code on the table and your menu opens on their phone. The code holds a link; the menu itself lives online, either as a page on your website or as a PDF you have shared. That is the whole system, and it does not need a subscription.
Paid QR menu makers bundle the hosting with the code. That can be handy, but if the subscription ends, printed codes can stop working. With a free QR code for your restaurant menu from this menu QR code generator, the code points straight at a menu you own.
Where to host your menu
Whatever you choose, list allergens clearly or link to an allergen sheet from the menu. If you serve many tourists, a menu page can offer a language switch that a single PDF cannot.
- Your website: a menu page is best. It loads fast, reads well on a phone and helps people find you in search.
- A PDF on your website or Google Drive, set to anyone with the link. Easy if a designer already made one.
- Your booking or ordering platform's menu page, if you use one.
- Keep the file small and readable on a phone: large text, one column, prices clear.
How to use the menu QR code generator
- Put the menu online and copy its link.
- Paste the link into the Link field above.
- Add your logo and colours, and a frame reading "Scan for menu".
- Check the live scan result, then test on a phone using mobile data.
- Download SVG or PDF for table cards and stickers, or use the bulk generator for a code per table (add ?table=12 to each link) with its own file name.
Updating your menu without reprinting
Prices and specials change; the table cards should not have to. The trick is to keep the link the same and change what sits behind it:
- Website menu page: edit the page. The code keeps working.
- PDF on your site: upload the new menu with the same file name so it replaces the old one at the same address.
- PDF on Google Drive: upload the new file as a new version of the old one rather than a separate file.
Table cards that get scanned
Put the code at eye level on a table tent or stand, at least 3 cm wide, dark on a light background. Add a short line such as "Menu and allergens" so guests know what they will get. Keep a few printed menus for guests without a phone or with a flat battery; some people simply prefer paper. For editable codes whose destination you can change after printing, NeoReader Pro is coming soon.
Many cafés pair the menu code with a Wi-Fi code on the same card, so guests can get online and order in one go. The same design with your logo on a takeaway bag or leaflet brings people back to the menu when they order again.
