Restaurant QR codes: what belongs on the table and what doesn't

QR codes stayed on restaurant tables after the pandemic, but plenty of them never get scanned. It is usually one of three mistakes: the code is too small, it opens the wrong page, or nobody can tell what it opens.

Menus: a web page beats a PDF

A PDF menu is the quickest fix, but it reads badly on a phone. Guests have to pinch and zoom, and on slow mobile data they wait for a big file. If your menu lives on your website or an ordering platform, point the code there.

More important, though: use a dynamic code. Prices change, the lunch special changes daily and the seasonal menu four times a year. With a dynamic code you change the link in your account and the table stands stay where they are. With a static code you reprint every time.

How big should the code be?

This is the most common mistake of all. A table-stand code gets scanned from about half a metre, a window sticker from two metres or more. Rule of thumb: the code should be at least a tenth of the scanning distance wide. The more text it carries, the denser it gets and the bigger it needs to be. That is why short dynamic links help in print too.

Google reviews: timing is everything

A review code at the entrance doesn't work. The guest hasn't experienced anything yet. The best place is where the visit ends: with the bill, on the receipt or at the till. The experience is fresh and they are waiting for their card or a coffee to go anyway.

You'll find your review link in Google Business Profile under "Get more reviews". Paste it into the generator. The code opens the star rating form directly, so guests don't have to search for you.

• Put a human sentence under the code, like "Enjoyed it? We'd love a few words." It works better than "Rate us".
• Don't offer discounts for reviews. Google doesn't allow it and may remove them.
• Reply to criticism too. Future guests mostly read the replies.

WiFi without spelling out the password

A WiFi QR code contains the network name and password. The phone joins as soon as it scans, so nobody has to type "Cafe2024!". The code is created in your browser and the password is never sent to us. When you change the password you need a new code, because WiFi codes can't be dynamic.

Quick checklist

• Label every code clearly with what it opens: Menu, WiFi, Review.
• Laminate it or use a stand. A wet glass destroys paper fast.
• Scan your own code once a month. You'll find out whether the menu still exists and loads quickly.
• With a dynamic code, check the stats. You'll see how many people really open the menu, and on which days.