How to make a QR code menu
Summary
Appropriately titled “quick response,” QR codes became a common user-friendly feature of eateries early on in 2020. Now that they’re here to stay, QR code menus are evolving to become a symbol of the new era of dining and going out. Use the guide below to learn how to make your own scannable QR code menu, expand the digital ability of your business, and stay flexible in how you reach your customer base safely and efficiently through these changing times.
What is a QR code menu?
QR code menus are — in their simplest form — digital versions of the physical menus you would normally receive at any restaurant, bar, or café. These QR codes are scanned by customers, who can then peruse the full menu on their own smartphones. Popularized by necessity during the early days of the COVID-19 quarantine, this touchless menu option cut down on assumed possible Coronavirus spread through hand exchange, which is why so many businesses starting using QR code menus for their client base.
Due to their increased ubiquity, QR code menus are becoming the default menu for many new businesses. Interested in making your own unique QR code menus for your business? Try the free custom QR code generator tool in Adobe Express today.
Generate QR code in Adobe Express
Why should you make a QR code menu for your business?
Though it’s true that QR code menus assist with customer well-being like cutting down on cross-contamination from physical menu handling, they have other benefits for your business as well. Here are the benefits that you’ll see reflected in your business almost immediately:
Save money
The costs for printing and binding paper menus have skyrocketed in recent years thanks to inflation and supply chain issues.
Update menu instantly
Making necessary edits to your menu is much easier and cheaper if all you have to do is attach a new file link to your QR code, rather than printing up an entirely new batch of menus.
Online menus are well-designed
Digital menus have the advantage of user testing and informed user interface design. In fact, the Adobe Express design team has created hundreds of menu templates that can be uploaded to your website as PDFs, PNGs, or whichever format you prefer.
Show off food with images
Online review sites like Yelp are popular because they feature images of a business’s products. Restaurant customers check out the images of food items on the menu to see if they look good. You can mimic this tactic by uploading images of your cuisine and dishes to your online menu.
Save employee time
Are you short-staffed? QR code menus help your customers decide on and place their orders independently before they even need to flag down an employee.
Reduce contact with customers
Have you been concerned with keeping your remaining team safe? Well now you can have more control over how much time your staff spends with dine-in customers by providing the QR code menus as the first point of contact.
Reduce customer contact with surfaces
When your menu is online, your customers only need to interact with and touch their own phones, instead of handling and passing around a paper menu. COVID-19 continues to spread, so any social distancing is a win for your business to keep staff and customers safe.
Increase order value and frequency
Recent service industry studies have shown that customers spend more when ordering online. Increase the profit value of your orders by giving your customers the ability to order more whenever they want via your QR code menus.
Increase table turnover
When customers can sit down and immediately access a menu, it cuts the overall time that they will need to occupy the table. Plus, this saves your front-of-house staff the hassle of running back and forth from a table while the customers deliberate over their orders.
How do you make a QR code for a menu?
Making your own unique QR code menu is easy with Adobe Express. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be well on your way to updating your business with these QR code menu options:
Free QR code menu templates
Get inspired by these free Adobe Express QR code menu poster templates. Upload the QR code you generated with the free Adobe Express tool and customize the poster for your business.
How do you order from a QR code menu?
You should take your own code for a test drive once you have it made. Turn on your smartphone’s camera mode and hover your phone over the QR code. The menu link that is connected to your code should pop up; tap the link and it will lead you to your new menu!
Many restaurants have added a marketplace option where you can order online directly from their menu. Enable easy ordering for your customers by linking a POS system that works for you — like Toast, Square, or Clover — to your menu so contactless ordering is built into the process.
Quickly create a QR code poster for your menu
As a menu creator, you’re in luck: Adobe Express is home to thousands of free templates, which you can use to develop your set of menus as you evolve your business aesthetic and expand your offerings. If you’re still thinking through the look for your bar, café, restaurant, or pop-up, browse through these templates as inspiration for your own line of menus.
