Are QR Code Menus Still Relevant In 2023?

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Even though QR codes have been around for decades, the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in 2020 catapulted these digital tools into ubiquity. QR codes provided a much needed touchless solution and embraced the convenience and safety that QR codes provided for several in person interactions.

This trend was most rapidly adopted in restaurants: scan for menus, scan to order, and scan to pay all modernized the restaurant industry with a solution that kept customers and staff safe from contamination.

When the COVID epidemic hit, eateries abandoned printed menus in favor of the contactless menus. Even the physical menu had to disappear, so the contactless restaurant menu became popular. With COVID-19 cases and the fear of transmission via surfaces fading, are QR codes still relevant today?
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Why are QR code menus beneficial?

Although COVID-19 was a huge push in the adoption of QR code menus, there are several other benefits to QR-enabled digital menus aside from health and safety considerations. Here are a few factors influencing the consistent popularity of QR code menus:

Update menus with ease

Physical menus are susceptible to the normal wear and tear of any physical object. Similarly, for restaurants with seasonal or constantly rotating menus, the need to reprint menus again and again creates a huge hassle. Digital menus overcome the cost and effort of updating menus, reducing a huge pain for restaurant owners.

Enhances customer experience

QR code menus offer a self-service experience that many consumers prefer, particularly in today's tech-savvy society. QR code menus are easy to use on any device and allow customers to engage with something that’s more than a menu, but can connect them with an ordering platform, photo galleries, social media, and reviews. Crafting a creative landing page from a QR code is an opportunity to create an unforgettable experience.

Environmentally friendly

QR code menus are fully digital, reducing the amount of resources restaurants consume. Especially for restaurants who consistently engage in offering changes or price adjustments, restaurants can reduce the waste they produce.

Faster table turnover

Restaurants with fewer employees struggle to service patrons on time. QR code menus help restaurants run more smoothly by reducing interactions between servers and guests. Guests can easily scan for menus once seated, cutting down wait time and reducing the burden to staff.

Increased efficiency

All in all, QR code menus have increased efficiency in most restaurants. From precise ordering, shorter wait times, ordering through a mobile device rather than a server, and automatic payment, restaurants have seen increased revenue and better customer satisfaction with using QR code menus.

Create a free custom code

How Can QR Codes Be Used For More Than Just A Menu?

Beyond facilitating touchless service, restaurants can use the digital experience from QR codes to drive revenue and improve the dining experience at their establishment. Here are a few other functions possible when you link custom mobile landing pages to QR codes:

Enhance the Dining Experience
QR code menus are more interactive than physical menus because they allow customers to view images, nutritional information, and even videos about the dishes available. They make the menu more dynamic and provide diners with a more rich experience.

Make transactions swift
Touchless payments are becoming more frequent in today’s society so why not incorporate them into your restaurant? Touchless payments are fast and efficient, helping tables close out faster.

Take reservations
Once a customer has had a great dining experience, allow them to scan directly to your reservation platform to book again on the spot. Display a QR code on your window for any passerby to make a reservation or join the waitlist in real time.

Increase brand awareness
QR code menus are an excellent way to showcase a restaurant's branding while also creating an immersive and smooth customer experience. Connect to your social media platforms to grow your following and keep customers coming back.

Expand your mailing list and loyalty program
QR codes encourage customers to sign up for your mailing list or loyalty program while they wait for their food. Through this, the sales for the restaurant will gradually increase.

Collect customer feedback and website reviews
Restaurants can leverage QR codes to direct customers to forms and other feedback platforms. Learn about your customers' experience with service, dish preferences, and more in order to make data-driven decisions to improve your restaurant. Alternatively, have customers share reviews publicly on Google, Yelp, or others in order to improve your ranking and help attract new customers.

Collect customer data
Especially for restaurants using a mobile ordering platform, restaurants can understand customer preferences by analyzing data on ordering patterns, clicks, and pageviews. This can help inform decisions about menu options and pricing – this unlocks brand new insights directly from the customer.
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Which QR code provider is best for restaurants?

Flowcode is an all-in-one offline to online platform that makes it easy for businesses like restaurants to create a unique and seamless digital experience. We enable fully custom QR code creation in just seconds, and also offer a platform to build an editable mobile landing page for any needs. Create a landing page with your menu, link to your social, and more. We even allow you to view customer data and actions based on scans and clicks in real time.

Flowcode enables you to get the most out of using QR codes in restaurants: from QR codes, to mobile landing pages, to organized data.

QR code menus are by no means on their way out. If anything, as technology continues to advance, QR code menus will only continue to become more user-friendly, functional, and versatile. Digitizing part of the dining experience allows for robust personalization and enables businesses to drive revenue through improving efficiency and learning from customer behavior.

Unlock new possibilities for your restaurant when you adopt QR codes for your menus and several other endless digital enhancements outlined above.