QR code type
Menu QR codes — how they work
A menu QR code points at a web page or PDF of your menu. The choice between them matters more than the code: a mobile-friendly HTML page loads in under a second on a weak connection, while a PDF forces pinch-zooming and often fails on cellular in a busy room.
Point at HTML, not a PDF
The single biggest determinant of whether a menu QR code works is what sits at the other end.
| Mobile web page | ||
|---|---|---|
| Load on weak 4G | fast | slow, often 2–10 MB |
| Reading | reflows to the screen | pinch and pan |
| Screen readers | works | usually not |
| Updating a price | edit and save | re-export, re-upload |
| Search engines | indexable | poorly |
A PDF menu is the most common implementation and the worst one. If a PDF is unavoidable, keep it under 1 MB and typeset it in portrait at phone proportions.
Accessibility is not optional
A menu that only exists behind a QR code excludes anyone without a smartphone, with low vision, or with a flat battery. In several jurisdictions an inaccessible menu is a discrimination risk, not merely bad service.
The fix costs nothing: keep printed menus available and offer them without the customer having to ask. Make the web menu real HTML with proper headings and text contrast, not an image of a menu. Allergen information in particular must be reachable by a screen reader.
Sizing for a table
A code on a table tent is read from roughly 30–40 cm:
- Minimum 3 cm × 3 cm of code, not counting the frame.
- Error correction M; Q if you are putting a logo in the middle.
- Matt stock. Gloss under downlights is the most common real-world failure in restaurants, and no amount of error correction fixes a specular reflection.
- Keep it vertical on a tent card, not flat on the table — flat codes get glare from ceiling lights and are scanned at a steep angle.
What actually goes wrong
- Guest WiFi is captive-portal gated. The code opens the portal, not the menu. Either whitelist the menu domain or tell people to use cellular.
- The menu URL changes when you update it. Use a stable path
(
example.com/menu) that you update in place, never a dated file name. - Glare. See above.
- Codes printed too small to look tidy on the tent card.
Beyond the menu
The same code can carry ordering and payment, which is where QR menus actually earn
their keep — table number in the URL (example.com/menu?table=7), order placed and
paid without waiting for staff. That requires a real ordering platform; the QR code is
the cheapest part.
FAQ
Should my menu QR code link to a PDF?
Prefer a mobile web page. PDFs are large, slow on a busy restaurant's cellular signal, need pinch-zooming and are generally inaccessible to screen readers.
How big should a table menu QR code be?
At least 3 cm square for a 30–40 cm reading distance, printed on matt stock and standing vertically. Gloss laminate under downlights is the most common cause of failure.
Do I still need printed menus?
Yes. A QR-only menu excludes people without a smartphone, with low vision or with a flat battery, and in some jurisdictions that is a legal risk as well as poor service.
Why does the menu not load for guests on my WiFi?
A captive portal is intercepting the request. Either whitelist your menu domain on the guest network or advise customers to use mobile data.