How to set up a QR menu for your restaurant
A good QR menu is an HTML page on your own domain that opens in two seconds, not a PDF. This guide walks through the whole thing: how to structure it, which QR code to pick, what size to print it and how to get it read by Google and AI.
In short: skip the PDF (Google can't read it), build a real HTML menu with categories, prices and photos, use a dynamic QR you can change without reprinting, print it at least 2x2 cm with high contrast on the tables, add Menu schema and allergen tags, offer Albanian and English, and keep it on your own domain so you don't pay every year.
1. Skip the PDF: HTML vs PDF vs image vs SaaS template
The right answer is an HTML menu on your own domain. A PDF or image loads slowly, forces customers to pinch and zoom, and Google can't read a word of it, while a SaaS template locks you into a yearly fee and often puts ads over your menu. The table below shows why HTML on your own domain wins on every row.
| HTML (your domain) | Image | SaaS template | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load speed | Opens instantly | Slow | Slow | Medium |
| Mobile readability | Excellent | Poor, needs zoom | Poor | Good |
| Google can read it | Yes | No | No | Partly |
| Easy to edit | Yes | Reprint only | Reprint only | Yes |
| Who owns the URL | You | You | You | Their subdomain |
| Recurring cost | Domain only, yearly | None | None | Every year |
2. Static vs dynamic QR codes, and which you need
Most restaurants want a dynamic QR code. A static QR hard-codes the address into the code itself: if the address ever changes, you have to reprint every code on every table. A dynamic QR points to a destination you can change whenever you like, and it gives you scan analytics on top. The menu content can still be updatable with a static QR as long as the address stays put: the value of dynamic is flexibility and the data.
| Static QR | Dynamic QR | |
|---|---|---|
| Destination | Fixed in the code | Editable any time |
| Change without reprinting | No | Yes |
| Scan analytics | No | Yes |
| Cost | Usually free | Small cost |
| Best for | One-off events | Restaurants and cafés |
3. Structure the menu so it sells
Split the menu into clear categories (drinks, food, desserts) with prices people can actually see and photos on your signature dishes. Guests order what they can picture, so good photos lift the average check. Keep dish names short so the menu stays easy to scan on a small screen, add allergen and dietary tags, and aim for the page to load in about two seconds on 4G by compressing your images.
4. Generate, design and place the QR code
The QR code should point to your menu's address on your own domain, not to a third-party platform that wraps it in ads. Print it at least 2x2 cm (3-4 cm on tables), with high contrast, a clear quiet-zone margin around it, and on material that survives spills and wear. A logo in the centre makes it clearly yours. The strongest spot is the table itself, which accounts for around 60% of restaurant scans, but add one at the entrance and in the window with a 'Scan for the menu' line. An NFC tag to tap works the same way for guests who'd rather not open the camera.
5. Test before you print
Scan the QR on both an iPhone and an Android before you print a single batch. Try it in different lighting, confirm the page loads fast and that every link inside the menu works. One typo in the address means reprinting every table, so run the checklist: the code scans instantly, the menu loads in under two seconds, prices are correct and language switching works cleanly.
6. Get found on Google and in AI answers
Add structured data (JSON-LD) on the menu page so your dishes can appear in Google and be picked up by AI assistants. The exact chain is Restaurant to hasMenu to Menu to hasMenuSection to MenuSection to hasMenuItem to MenuItem to offers with priceCurrency, all on one menu page. JSON-LD is Google's preferred format, and an HTML menu with schema gets cited in AI Overviews and ChatGPT where a PDF never shows up. This works best as part of a full restaurant website or café website.
7. Languages, accessibility and allergens
Offer the menu in at least Albanian and English if you serve tourists or diaspora, and add more languages based on your location. Use readable font sizes and good contrast so older guests can read it easily, and keep a plain-page view for anyone who struggles with the QR. Show allergens and dietary tags clearly: a digital menu carries the same legal obligation as a printed one, and incomplete allergen disclosure is a liability you can avoid with a little upfront work.
8. Keep it updated and own it
The real advantage of a digital menu is that it changes in seconds: new prices, seasonal dishes and daily specials update for everyone at once with nothing to reprint, and a dynamic QR shows you how often it's scanned and which dishes are most popular. Watch the recurring-SaaS-fee trap: a menu on your own domain, built once, stays yours. What sets the build cost is the number of dishes, the languages, photos, whether you add ordering or payment, and SEO. See the QR digital menu as a service, or start from web design. After a short conversation you get a clear, fixed quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a QR menu cost and do I pay every year?
It depends on the number of dishes and languages, but you shouldn't have to pay every year. SaaS services are yearly subscriptions you keep paying forever. A menu on your own domain is built once and stays yours, leaving only the small yearly domain. You get the exact price after a short conversation.
Static or dynamic QR, which do I need?
For a restaurant or café, dynamic. A static QR hard-codes the address, so any address change means reprinting every table. A dynamic QR lets you change the destination whenever you like and gives you scan analytics. Static is only fine for a one-off event.
Do QR codes expire?
A static QR never expires, because the address lives inside the code. A dynamic QR works for as long as the service managing its destination is active, which is why it's safer to keep your menu on your own domain rather than depend on a third-party platform.
What size should the QR be printed and where do I place it?
At least 2x2 cm, and 3-4 cm on tables, with high contrast and a quiet-zone margin around it. The best spot is the table itself, which accounts for around 60% of scans, but add one at the entrance and in the window with a 'Scan for the menu' line.
Can guests order or pay from the QR menu?
Yes, if you build the menu with online ordering and payment. Many restaurants keep the QR menu view-only and take the order from a waiter, but table ordering or online payment can be added as a later step.
Does the guest need an app?
No. The guest scans the QR with their phone camera and the menu opens instantly in the browser, nothing to download. That's exactly why a fast HTML menu is best: it works for everyone with no friction.
How do I show allergens, and is it required?
Show them with clear tags next to each dish. A digital menu carries the same legal obligation as a printed one, so allergen information has to be complete. Leaving it out is a liability you can easily avoid.
Why won't my QR scan or why is it slow?
Usually it's low contrast, too small a size, or the wrong address. If it scans but loads slowly, the culprit is often a heavy PDF or uncompressed photos. Use a lightweight HTML menu, compress your images and aim for under two seconds on 4G.
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