QR code menus are becoming increasingly common. Restaurants use these contactless menus to facilitate digital ordering and payments for customers, helping to reduce wait times and increase order accuracy.
In this article, we'll look more in-depth at how QR code menus benefit restaurants by streamlining operations and enhancing customer engagement.
What is a QR code menu?
A QR code is a type of barcode that customers can scan with their smartphone cameras in order to access specific information. Once the camera registers the code, a link pops up on the screen that takes the user to the desired website.
In restaurant settings, QR codes are typically used to direct guests to a digital menu, where they can then use their phones to browse, select, order, and pay for items. This gives customers much more control over their ordering experience. Some QR code platforms can also integrate with existing restaurant POS systems for better kitchen management.
Benefits of QR code menus for restaurants
Consumers are already comfortable ordering food without physical menus — research shows that more than 70% of consumers surveyed in March 2024 reported ordering delivery online in the previous month. By incorporating QR code menus, restaurants stand to benefit in a number of ways:
Increase order accuracy
When customers digitally place their orders using their own devices, there's a lower chance of human error by avoiding the need for servers to write down or relay any information. Customer orders go straight to the kitchen, helping to ensure the right meal gets to the right customer.
Upgrade the guest experience
Among the most important benefits of QR code menus is the positive impact on the overall customer ordering experience. Rather than having to flag down and wait for a server, customers can simply use their mobile devices whenever they're ready to order their meal.
Simplify payments
By choosing a digital menu platform that also accepts payments, restaurants can provide even more convenience to customers. The ease of contactless ordering and paying, with receipts provided by text message or email, can also potentially boost sales by making it easier for customers to add items and splurge more during their dining experience.
Streamline operations
Making it easy for customers to order and pay using QR codes means wait staff spend less time taking orders and dealing with payments. As a result, servers can focus on delivering orders and turning over tables.
Enable data-driven decisions
QR code menus with digital ordering functionality can be used to gather real-time data on customer preferences and behavior. This can help restaurants tailor their offerings more effectively by using order data to make decisions around pricing and menu engineering. QR code menus also make it easy for customers to quickly click to download any featured apps or access loyalty programs, discounts, and promotions.
Easily update your menu
Another important benefit of QR code menus is that they give restaurant owners more flexibility in how they structure their menu. Compared to printed menus, QR code menus allow you to easily remove out of stock items, add new offerings and seasonal dishes, or change descriptions on the fly. And since customers are particularly influenced by images, a digital menu also allows you to showcase enticing photos of your dishes.
Boost cost-effectiveness and sustainability
QR code menus not only create efficiencies, they also replace costly physical menus. Adopting a digital menu reduces your restaurant's environmental footprint by no longer requiring a large amount of paper, ink, and other materials.
How a Pittsburgh brewery used QR code menus to boost business
For Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh, adding a QR code menu helped them make the most of their large outdoor space. The brewery and restaurant was having trouble with hiring, which meant they only had enough staff to cover their indoor dining room.
By adding the efficiency of Bbot, a QR code menu platform with ordering capabilities powered by DoorDash, Hofbräuhaus was able to reopen their outdoor garden space, where guests could seat themselves and order from a limited menu. That allowed the restaurant to serve more than 300 customers with only two bartenders and one server, generating significant additional sales each weekend.
"You just flip Tableside Order & Pay on and allow people to scan the codes. The beer starts flowing and the food gets run. The first month that we used Tableside Order & Pay full-time, we had $65,000 in additional revenue that we wouldn't have had."
Opportunities for growth with QR code menus
A QR code menu — especially one that's equipped with easy ordering and payment options — can be a powerful digital tool for any restaurant. Incorporating QR code menus can ultimately help streamline operations, enable revenue growth, and satisfy customers. The technology also has the potential to help make restaurants more resilient to bigger challenges in the industry, including staffing issues.
