What is a QR code?
A QR code is a two-dimensional code that can store different kinds of information. For a restaurant, bar or other establishment’s menu, it is generally used to provide a web address.
So the QR code is not necessarily the menu itself. It may simply contain the link that gives access to it.
How do you access a menu with a QR code?
The process is very simple:
1. The customer scans the QR code
They open their smartphone camera and point it at the QR code.
2. The phone detects the code
The smartphone recognises the information contained in the QR code.
3. A link appears
When the QR code contains a web address, the phone offers to open it.
4. The customer opens the link
They simply tap the notification or the link displayed.
5. The menu is displayed
The customer reaches the content associated with the QR code and can view the menu.
On iPhone, this can be done directly with the camera or the built-in code scanner.
What is behind a QR code?
A QR code can open different types of content. For a menu, it may for example lead to a document such as a PDF, or to a web page designed to be viewed on a smartphone.
A digital menu can then offer navigation by category and present the establishment’s information in an interactive way.
The QR code therefore acts as an access point, while the digital menu is the content the customer views.
The QR code therefore acts as an access point, while the digital menu is the content the customer views.
Can you change a menu without changing the QR code?
Yes, if the QR code points to an address that stays the same while the menu content is edited from a management platform.
The same QR code can then stay in place while the menu evolves.
Do you need to install an app to view a QR code menu?
No. When a QR code points to a web page, the menu can be opened directly in the smartphone’s browser.
On recent smartphones, QR code scanning is usually built into the device. The customer therefore does not need to install a specific app to view the menu.