How to Make a QR Code for a Restaurant Menu in 4 Steps

In the wake of the pandemic, a restaurant is much more than just delicacies. And safe dining is at the top of the list. Let’s face it, diners are not willing to touch any surface that might be exposed to the virus due to multiple hand exchanges. This is why restaurants are picking QR Codes for restaurant menus over physical ones.

QR Codes promote hygiene and safety by eliminating the need for physical menus. Additionally, customers can easily scan QR Codes using their mobile device to access digital menus, saving time and effort compared to browsing printed menus or waiting for a server to provide one.

Cooking up the perfect QR Code menu for your restaurant doesn’t require coding or design skills. In this article, I will walk you through a step-by-step guide to creating a restaurant menu powered by QR Codes.

How to make a QR Code for a restaurant menu in 4 steps –

1. Re-create your restaurant menu in a PDF format
2. Choose a restaurant-first QR Code menu generator
3. Upload your menu or menus on the QR Code platform
4. Customize your menu QR Code

Step 1. Recreate your restaurant menu in a PDF format

If you have a design already, you can use a PDF converter to convert your design into a usable PDF file.

But if you don’t, I promised you won’t need a designer for any of this! The easiest way to do it yourself is by using a tool like Canva. The tool has over 1,000 digital menu templates to get started with. Drag-and-drop your way to creating and exporting a digital PDF menu. To demonstrate how to create a PDF menu, here’s a quick preview –

Step 2. Choose a QR Code menu generator

If you looking to build a good experience for your diners, then it’s not the same. Here are things a restaurant-first QR Code menu generator, like Uniqode offers –

1. Age-based QR Codes – Offering alcohol in most countries is restricted by age. Uniqode’s QR Codes display the alcohol menu only after ensuring the age of the user.
2. Restricts auto-download of PDF menu – Google Chrome’s default behavior is downloading a PDF and not open it. With a specialized menu generator, this shortcoming is taken care of.
3. One QR Code, multiple menus – Uniqode offers the flexibility to add the breakfast, lunch, or dinner menus to the same QR Code. It also provides a mobile-friendly landing page to navigate between menus.
4. Dynamic, not static – A dynamic QR Code ensures that you can change the menu whenever you want, which means, the weekend menu can be different from the weekday menu. With a menu maker, creating and adjusting your restaurant’s menu is effortless. Design menus that captivate, include flavorful dish descriptions, and make timely updates to ensure a smooth dining experience.
5. Multi-lingual QR Code menu – These QR Codes are capable of displaying the menu in the diner’s default language. Let’s say a diner has her language set as Spanish. When she scans the QR Code, the menu is displayed in Spanish.
6. Easy to scale – If you have a franchise, lookout for a platform that supports scale. Uniqode’s solution helps you manage users and accounts. This helps isolate one location from the other.

Step 3: Upload your menu or menus on the QR Code platform

Upload the PDF menus you created on Canva or already had on a QR Code platform like Uniqode.

That’s all that’s required. Your menu QR Code is ready!

Further, if you want to use an intermediate mobile landing page to switch between multiple menus, you can customize it using our templates. Here’s what you can do –

1. Add your restaurant logo, name, and tagline. Or, add any other welcome message that you want
2. Add a background image that represents your restaurant vibe or a mouth-watering dish
3. Add/modify details on every tab, such as time and icon for breakfast, or dinner.

Step 4: Customize your menu QR Code

Restaurants can customize QR Code menus with branding elements, such as logos, colors, taglines or design themes, to create a cohesive brand identity and enhance the overall dining experience.

To help you do that, Uniqode offers a host of customizations –

1. Add a logo
2. Change the colors – solid or gradient
3. Modify the shape of the QR Code – the dots and dashes
4. Add a background or solid color to stand out on the table or wall
5. Envelope the QR Code in a frame that has a call-to-action, such as, Scan to view menu, or Scan to order.

Make sure your QR Code always reflects the most recent menu, and revise your menu in case you change the delicacies, introduce a new chef’s special, or need to share any other update. And lastly, brace yourself for house fulls, as diners are going to love the safety measures you’ve taken. Table for two, please!

• Author Details

Author Details

Shashank D

Content Marketer , Uniqode

Shashank is a content marketer at Uniqode who turned to writing to pursue his natural calling after 2+ years of working in the product team. He aims to educate folks on the brilliant yet underrated technology of QR Codes. With more than a dozen Tofu and Mofu pieces under his belt, he explores how QR Codes can be used to solve challenges for businesses across all verticals. While he’s not educating users on the benefits of QR Codes, he’s also a student of the evolving marketing landscape.

shashank.d@uniqode.com