Two ways to build the menu
The generator above gives you a choice the moment you pick the Menu type:
- Custom menu — build it here, section by section. Each dish gets a name, an optional translation, a description, a price with its own currency, a photo, and allergen tags. The result is a hosted mobile page with search, category filters, and a tap-to-collect list diners can show the waiter.
- PDF upload — you already have a designed menu. Upload the file and the scan opens it directly.
- PDF link — the menu already lives on your website or a file host. Paste the URL.
Custom takes longer to set up and pays you back every day: it is searchable, translatable, and readable on a small screen. A PDF is faster to publish but forces pinch-zoom, which is the single most common complaint diners have about scan-to-menu.
What a built menu gives you that a PDF cannot
- Search — "gluten" or "salmon" typed once instead of scrolling four pages
- Category rail — Starters, Mains, Desserts as one-tap filters
- Allergen badges — per dish, in a fixed place, in a colour the eye finds
- Translations — a second line under each dish name, for tourist-heavy rooms
- Per-dish currency — useful for border towns and duty-free rooms
- Photos — the single strongest upsell lever on a digital menu
Set it up once, edit forever
The code you print encodes a link, not the menu itself. That means:
- Price changes go live instantly — no reprint, no sticker over the old number
- Sold out? Remove the dish for the evening and put it back tomorrow
- Seasonal menus swap in place, on the same table tents
- Scan data tells you which sections get opened and at what hour
Printing the table code
- Table tents beat stickers — they survive cleaning and sit at eye level
- Minimum 2.5–3 cm for a table-distance scan; bigger for wall-mounted codes
- Dark code on light background — inverted codes fail on many older cameras
- Add a one-line instruction — "Scan for menu" converts noticeably better than a bare square
- Test on a greasy table under warm restaurant lighting, not on your monitor
Related tools
If you want the business case rather than the builder, read the restaurant menu QR guide. If your menu is a finished design you never edit, the PDF QR code generator is the shorter path.
How to make a menu QR code in 4 steps
Choose Custom menu or PDF
In the generator above, pick the Menu type, then choose whether to build the menu here or point the code at a PDF you upload or link.
Add sections and dishes
Create sections (Starters, Mains, Drinks) and fill each with dish name, description, price, currency, photo, and allergen tags.
Style and download
Add your restaurant's colours and logo to the code, then export SVG for print or PNG for screens.
Print, place, and test
Put it on table tents or the window, then scan it with an iPhone and an Android under the actual room lighting.
Frequently asked
Can I use my existing menu PDF instead of building one?
Yes. Pick PDF Upload to host the file with us, or PDF Link to point at a copy you already host. The scan opens the document directly.
Can I change prices after the codes are printed?
Yes — that is the whole point. The printed code links to your menu page; edit the page and every table tent updates at once.
Does the diner need an app?
No. Every modern iPhone and Android opens QR codes from the built-in camera, and the menu opens in the browser.
Can I show the menu in two languages?
Yes. Each section and dish has an optional translation line that renders under the original name, so one menu serves both audiences.
How do I mark allergens?
Each dish has an allergen field with the standard European list — gluten, dairy, nuts, shellfish and more, plus vegan and vegetarian flags — shown as coloured badges on the dish card.
Read next
Need a different QR type? Browse all 48 QR types on the home page.