QR code for a restaurant menu
Put the menu on the table and stop reprinting it every time a price changes. Free, no account, no subscription behind the code.
Link to a web page, not a PDF
A PDF menu on a phone is a bad experience: it opens in a viewer, the text is too small, and the customer spends the first thirty seconds pinching and dragging instead of reading. Some phones download it rather than opening it.
A plain web page — even a very simple one — reflows to the screen, loads faster, and can be edited in seconds. If a PDF is all you have today, it will work, but a page is the upgrade worth making.
Point the code at a URL you control
The code contains your link permanently. If that link belongs to a delivery platform or a menu service you might leave, every printed card becomes waste the day you switch.
Point it at your own domain — even a page that redirects onwards. Then changing platform is a redirect, not a reprint.
Size it for the distance it is read from
A code on a table is read from arm’s length, so around 1 inch (25 mm) is plenty. A code on a window for people on the pavement is read from two or three metres and needs to be far bigger — roughly one tenth of the reading distance.
Print the SVG or PDF for anything large; both stay sharp at any size. Table tents and counter cards are exactly what the 3D table stand was built for — it stands at a readable angle and does not blow off an outdoor table.
Changing the menu later
Because the code points at your page, you update prices by editing the page. The printed cards never change. That is the whole reason to use a code rather than printing the menu itself.
Frequently asked questions
Should I link to a PDF or a web page?
A web page. PDFs are hard to read on phones, often open in a separate viewer, and sometimes download instead of displaying. A simple mobile-friendly page beats a beautiful PDF.
How big should the QR code be on a table?
About 1 inch (25 mm) is comfortable at arm’s length. For a window or a board read from further away, use roughly one tenth of the viewing distance.
What happens when I change my menu?
Nothing on the printed card. It points at your page, so you edit the page and every existing code shows the new menu.
Do customers need an app?
No. The camera app on any current iPhone or Android reads it directly.