Restaurant Menu QR Code: How to Do It Right

QR codes on restaurant tables became almost universal after 2020, but a lot of them are done badly. This guide covers how to set yours up properly, who controls the menu PDF, and how to avoid the trap of relying on a third-party service that might disappear.

The core rule: link to a file you host yourself

This is the single most important thing. When you generate a menu QR code, point it at a PDF hosted on your own website or a storage service you directly control (Google Drive with a shareable link, Dropbox, your own server). Do not use a third-party menu app's hosted URL as the QR destination.

Why does this matter? Because if you use a menu app's URL, your QR code only works as long as that app is running and your account is active. I've seen restaurants reprint table tents three times in a year because their menu app changed pricing tiers, renamed their URL structure, or, in a couple of cases, simply shut down. The code on the table still exists. It just points to a 404 page now.

Your own PDF URL doesn't change unless you change it. Update the PDF file at the same address when your menu changes and every existing code keeps working. No reprinting required.

How to host your menu PDF

You don't need a web developer for this. Here are three practical options:

Option 1: Your existing website

If you already have a site, upload the menu PDF to it and use that URL. Something like yourrestaurant.co.uk/menu.pdf is clean and permanent. When the menu changes, just replace the file at the same address.

Option 2: Google Drive

Upload the PDF to Google Drive, right-click, and select "Share" with "Anyone with the link" set to Viewer. The direct link Google gives you is fine as the QR destination. One caveat: Google occasionally tweaks its sharing URL format, so test the link on a device that isn't logged into your Google account before printing anything.

Option 3: Dropbox or similar

Same approach as Drive. Dropbox's shared links are stable and work well. Make sure the link opens the PDF directly rather than a Dropbox preview page — append ?dl=0 to force the web preview rather than a download prompt on mobile.

Why not use a dynamic QR code for menus?

Dynamic codes are sometimes pitched as ideal for menus because "you can update the destination without reprinting". But as above, if you're pointing at your own self-hosted PDF, you can update the content at the same URL anyway. The redirect a dynamic code adds is just an extra layer of dependency on a third-party service.

The honest answer: dynamic codes make sense for printed marketing campaigns where you genuinely want to track scans or change the destination URL. For a table tent in your own venue, they're unnecessary complexity. The dynamic vs static guide goes through the trade-offs in full if you want the detail.

Sizing for table tents and table cards

The standard for QR codes on restaurant tables is to make them scannable from a comfortable seated position. That means about 30-40cm from the code. At that distance, a code that's at least 4cm x 4cm works reliably. I'd suggest 5cm x 5cm as the sensible default for table tents.

A few specifics to keep in mind:

• Always keep the white quiet zone (the border of clear space) around the code. At 5cm code size, that's roughly 5mm of white space on all four sides.
• If your table tent has a dark or patterned background, put the QR code in a white box. The code must have strong contrast to scan reliably.
• For laminated cards, check that the laminate doesn't create glare at the angle customers will hold the card. Matte laminate is safer than gloss.
• Include a short label beneath the code: "Scan for our menu" or "View our menu". Some guests (particularly older ones) won't recognise a bare QR code as something to scan without the prompt.

Best practices for the PDF itself

The QR code is only as useful as the file it points to. A few things that improve the experience:

Keep the file size under 2 MB. Mobile internet connections in dining rooms aren't always fast, and a 12 MB PDF with high-resolution photos will frustrate people. Compress images in the PDF before uploading.

Design for portrait orientation on a phone screen. This sounds basic, but a lot of restaurant menu PDFs are designed for A4 print and are nearly unreadable on a 6-inch phone screen without zooming. If you're creating a PDF specifically for QR code use, design it at something like 800px wide with large text.

Consider a mobile-optimised web page rather than a PDF. A simple webpage with your menu items is faster to load, easier to read on mobile, and can be updated instantly. If your website platform supports it, a dedicated menu page is often better than a PDF. The QR code just points to a URL either way.

Allergen and dietary information

UK food businesses are legally required to provide allergen information for every dish. If your menu QR code links to a PDF, make sure that PDF includes the full allergen information. Don't assume guests will ask staff. Many people with allergies specifically prefer to check independently.

What about ordering apps?

Apps like Mr Yum, Flipdish, and others offer QR-code-based ordering systems where guests order directly from their phones. These are legitimate products with real value for busy venues. But they're separate services with their own pricing, and the QR codes they provide only work while your account is active.

If you're just trying to replace a physical menu, you don't need an ordering system. A QR code pointing to your PDF is free, permanent, and doesn't require monthly fees.

For anyone also thinking about putting QR codes on promotional materials, seasonal menus, or event flyers, the guide on QR codes for events covers similar ground on the dependency problem. And if you want a printable SVG at any scale, QRcrisp's SVG output gives you a losslessly scalable file.