QR codes for restaurant menus and table tents

Many diners are used to scanning a code to open a menu. A printed code on a table tent is cheaper to make and quicker to change than reprinting a full menu every time a price moves.

Pay $3 for one code, point it at a menu page you control, and update that page whenever the menu changes. The code itself never needs to be reprinted.

Table tents beat stickers on the table

A code printed flat on the table gets covered by plates, glasses, and phones. A table tent stands up and angles toward the seat, so the code stays in view for the whole meal.

Tents are also easy to swap. Wipe them down, move them to the next table, or replace one that gets stained, without touching the rest of the room.

Placement that gets scanned

Put the tent near the front edge of the table, facing the seat, not behind the napkin holder or the candle.

• Print the code on both sides so it's visible from either seat.
• Keep the tent away from the salt, pepper, and drinks, so spills don't cover the code.
• Use a simple headline such as 'Scan for menu' so guests know what the code does before they lift their phone.

Make the menu load fast on a phone

A PDF menu makes people pinch and zoom. Build the menu page as plain text: prices, dish names, and allergen notes, with large type and a short list of today's specials at the top.

Keep a paper menu at the host stand for guests who would rather not scan. A code should add an option, not replace the menu for everyone.

Staff can make it work

A server who says 'the menu is on the table, scan the code' once per table gets far more scans than a tent nobody mentions. Train the team to point at it when they take the drink order.

Example signs

Each example code opens threedollarqrcode.com. Your code can open any page you choose.

Questions

Other uses

• Realtor signs
• Contractor vans
• Product packaging
• Wedding invitations
• Shop windows