QR code menu for restaurants and cafes
A QR code for your restaurant menu is a printed link: guests scan it at the table and your menu opens on their phone, as a page on your website or a PDF. With linqr you can change that link any time, so a new seasonal menu, this week's specials or new prices never mean reprinting your table tents.
Your code will appear here
linqr doesn't host or build menus. The code opens a menu you already have online, so start with its link:
- A page on your website. The easiest to read on a phone, and the address stays the same when you edit prices.
- A PDF. Quick to export from your print file, but guests have to zoom, so use one column. On Google Drive, set “General access” to “Anyone with the link”, as Google's help describes, or guests hit a sign-in screen. More in QR code for a PDF.
- Your POS or online ordering page, if your system already publishes a menu.
Open the link in a private browser window where you're not signed in. You'll see exactly what a guest at the table sees.
Make your menu QR code in 4 steps
Copy your menu link
Open the menu the way a guest would and copy the address from the address bar. Links from a site editor usually need a login.
Paste it into The link to turn into a QR code
The creator is at the top of this page. Paste inserts the link from your clipboard and the preview appears right away.
Check the icon and frame
The Restaurant icon and a “MENU” frame are already set. Upload your own logo on the Logo tab with Replace file, or change the label on the Frame tab, for example to “MENU & DRINKS”.
Click Download QR code
Wait for Scans correctly first, then save the code to a free account (Google, or email and password) so you can change its link later. The first PNG downloads on its own; for the print shop, pick SVG.
Seasonal menus, same table cards
Print your QR code for restaurant menus once. It holds a short link, onsonara.com/q/…, and you decide where that link goes. Change it as often as you like, on the Free plan too; the change is live immediately.
- Seasonal menus. Swap summer for fall by changing the link. Every table tent follows.
- Specials. Keep them on one page you update, or change the link every morning.
- Holiday menus. Point the code to your Thanksgiving menu for the week, then switch back.
- Closed for the season. Link to a page that says when you reopen, or use Pause: guests see a note that the code is temporarily switched off.
To change it, open My codes, choose Change link, paste the new address into New destination link and confirm. Nothing to download or reprint. Your three most recent earlier links wait under Previous links in the same window, so Use again brings back last summer's menu in one click.
Where to put it
- Table tents and stickers. Guests see the code before they have to ask for a menu.
- Front window and door. People check prices before they walk in. Behind glass, go bigger.
- Patio. Use laminated cards or waterproof stickers. Leave error correction on Auto: with an icon or logo in the middle, the creator already picks the highest level, so the code copes with wear. If you remove the logo, go to the More tab and set Error correction to Q or H.
- To-go bags and receipts. A code that goes home with the guest invites the next order. For promos, see QR codes on flyers.
Keep a few printed menus. Some guests prefer paper, and not every phone has battery left by dinner.
Size for table tents and stickers
Rule of thumb: make the code about one tenth as wide as the distance it's scanned from. Guests hold the phone 12-20 in (30-50 cm) from a table tent, so the code needs about 1.2-2 in (3-5 cm). The QR code size guide has the details.
| Placement | Scanning distance | Code width |
|---|---|---|
| Table tent | 12-20 in (30-50 cm) | 1.2-2 in (3-5 cm) |
| Table sticker, receipt | 8-12 in (20-30 cm) | 1-1.2 in (2.5-3 cm) |
| Window or door | 3-6 ft (1-2 m) | 4-8 in (10-20 cm) |
Leave an empty margin around the code, the quiet zone (4 modules by default), and send the printer an SVG: it stays sharp at any size.
When guests scan
Every linqr code counts scans, leaving out bots and link previews. Free shows total and unique scans, a 30-day chart, top 3 countries and devices. Pro adds the When people scan heatmap by day and hour: if Friday 7-9 pm is your peak, you know when to add a server. Separate codes for tables and the window show which spot works harder (Free includes 3 active codes). See QR code tracking for the full picture.
Next to the menu: a review code
Ask for reviews at the end of the meal. A second code on the check presenter can open your Google review form: here's how to make a QR code for Google reviews. Keep the two codes apart and label them, “MENU” on the table and “REVIEW US” with the check.
linqr takes no orders or payments. The code opens whatever you point it to: a PDF, a menu page or your ordering system's page.
Questions
How do I make a QR code for my menu?
Copy the link to your menu page or PDF and paste it into the creator on this page. The restaurant icon and a “MENU” frame are already set. When you see Scans correctly, click Download QR code, save the code to a free account and download an SVG for printing.
Can I update the menu without reprinting?
Yes. A linqr code goes through a short link, and you change where it points in My codes with Change link. The change is live right away and your printed table tents stay the same. Link changes are unlimited on every plan, so switch menus as often as you need.
Does linqr host my menu?
No. linqr doesn't store files, build menus or take orders. The code opens a menu you already have online: a page on your website, a PDF on Google Drive or your own server, or your ordering system's menu page. If the menu moves, you change the link.
What size should the code be on a table tent?
As a rule of thumb, 1.2-2 in (3-5 cm) wide on a table tent and 1-1.2 in (2.5-3 cm) on a table sticker. Keep an empty margin of 4 modules around it, and scan a test print at the table, in your usual light, before you order the full run.
Can I see when guests scan?
Yes. On the Free plan every code shows total and unique scans, a 30-day chart, top countries and devices. Pro adds the When people scan heatmap by day of the week and hour, cities, a full year of history and CSV export. Bots and link previews aren't counted.
Is a QR code menu free to make with linqr?
Yes. The Free plan gives you 3 active codes with unlimited link changes and scans, the full design with logo and frames, and SVG or PNG downloads, with no trial and no card. Pro costs $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year and adds unlimited codes, PDF and EPS files and full stats.
Where can I host my menu if I don't have a website?
Anywhere that gives you a public link: a PDF on Google Drive or Dropbox shared with anyone who has the link, a free page from a website builder, or your online ordering platform. linqr doesn't host menus; it creates the code that opens the link. Test the link on a phone that isn't logged in.
Can I use one QR code for lunch and a different menu for dinner?
Yes, in two ways. Print one code and switch it with Change link in My codes when service changes; it's manual, with no scheduler. Or point one code at a page that lists both menus. Separate codes for lunch and dinner also work, and the Free plan includes 3.
Should my QR menu be a PDF or a web page?
A web page is easier to read on a phone: text reflows, loads fast and guests don't need to zoom. A PDF is fine if it's small and laid out in portrait. linqr works with both, and you can switch from a PDF to a web page later without reprinting the table cards.
Can one menu QR code serve several languages?
Yes. Point the code at a menu page with a language switch, and guests pick their language after scanning. Or make separate codes with frame text such as “MENU EN” and “MENU ES”, each linking to its own version. linqr opens exactly the link you set; it doesn't translate.
Can guests order and pay through the menu QR code?
Only if the page you link to supports it. linqr opens the link you choose, so if your POS or ordering service gives each table an ordering link, you can put that link behind the code. linqr doesn't process orders or payments itself.
Sources
Keep reading
- QR code for a PDFLink a QR code to a PDF on Google Drive, Dropbox or your website. Upload a new version, change the link, and every printed code opens the new file.
- QR code for Google reviewsTurn your Google review link into a QR code for counters, receipts and table cards. Track scans per location and switch the link any time.
- QR codes for flyers and postersAdd a QR code to flyers, posters and brochures. Measure scans per print run, fix a wrong link after printing, get print-ready SVG, PDF or EPS files.