QR Code Restaurant Menus

QR code menus that replaced paper menus during the pandemic were initially a hygiene measure. Format has persisted because it reduces printing costs for restaurants and allows real-time updates when items sell out or prices change. Scanning a code, waiting for a page to load, and scrolling a mobile website while sitting at a table is objectively worse than holding a physical menu. Screen is small, the font is often too small, and you can't see the whole menu at once the way you can with a folded card. Restaurants that do QR menus well link to a clean, fast-loading page with clear categories and readable typography. Most link to a PDF of the paper menu that requires zooming and scrolling and is barely usable on a phone. The playful exception is the restaurants that built custom ordering systems where the QR code links to an interactive menu that lets you add items to a cart, customize orders. Pay from the table, which eliminates the wait for a server and speeds up the entire dining process. Mixed feelings here because the efficiency gain comes at the cost of the human interaction that makes dining out different from eating at home. The best compromise I've seen is restaurants that offer both a physical menu and a QR code, letting the customer choose the experience they prefer rather than forcing 1 format.