How to Make a QR Code Menu: Step-by-Step Guide

To learn how to make a QR code menu, you need three things: a menu page that reads well on a phone, a dynamic QR code that points to it, and a printed card placed where guests sit. Build the page, link the code, print it at the right size, and you can change prices or sold-out dishes later without reprinting. This guide walks through each step, then shows how to do it in a few minutes with a QR code menu on QRelix.

What a QR code menu for restaurants actually is

A QR code menu is a printed code on a table, counter, or window that opens your menu on the guest's own phone. The code itself only holds a short link. Everything guests read lives on the page that link opens.

That split matters. If the code is static, the menu address is baked into the printed pattern, and a new menu means new table cards. If the code is dynamic, the printed pattern points to a short link you control, so you can change what opens behind it at any time. For a menu that changes with the seasons, the specials board, or the price of eggs, dynamic is the only practical choice. Our guide on editing a QR code after printing covers the difference in more detail.

Built menu page vs PDF menu

There are two common ways to put a digital menu QR code in front of guests, and QRelix offers both as hosted page tiles: Menu and PDF.

• A built menu page is made of real text: sections, dish names, descriptions, prices, and tags. It loads fast, reflows to fit any screen, and lets guests scroll instead of pinching and zooming. Changing one price takes seconds.
• A PDF menu is your existing designed file, opened right on the phone with a download button. It keeps your print layout exactly, which is useful when the design is part of the experience or when you already have a finished file from a designer.

As a rule of thumb, pick the built menu if the menu changes often or is long, and pick the PDF if you have a polished one-page menu that rarely changes. If you go the PDF route, our guide to a QR code for PDF explains file size and update tips, or start directly with the PDF tile.

What to put on your digital menu

A good phone menu is shorter and more scannable than a paper one. Guests are holding a small screen in one hand, often in low light. Plan for these parts:

• Sections. Starters, mains, sides, desserts, drinks. Keep the order you use on paper so staff and guests are on the same page.
• Dish names and one-line descriptions. Lead with the ingredients people decide on, not the story behind the dish.
• Prices. Show every price, including add-ons, so nobody has to ask a server.
• Dietary tags. Short tags like vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, or spicy let guests filter by eye. A "house favorite" tag nudges first-time visitors.
• Opening hours. Guests scan from the window or a takeout bag too. Put your hours on the page so the menu doubles as your mini website.
• A way to reach you. A location block with directions, or a button to call or book, turns a curious scan into a visit.

How to make a QR code menu, step by step

Here is the general process with QRelix. You can follow along in the menu wizard.

1. Open the wizard and pick Menu. In the QR code generator, choose the Menu tile under Hosted pages.
2. Name the page. Give it a title (your restaurant name) and a one-line intro, such as which service the menu covers.
3. Add sections and dishes. Create each section, then add items with a name, description, price, and tags.
4. Preview on a phone. Click Preview to see the menu as a guest will. Fix anything that wraps awkwardly or reads too long.
5. Style the QR code. Add your colors and logo to the code itself, then download a print-ready SVG.
6. Add more blocks later. After the code is created, open Pages in the dashboard to add opening hours, a location with directions, social icons, or a Wi-Fi block.

Everything you add can be reordered or removed block by block. The hosted pages docs list every block type.

Table tent placement and print size

The menu page can be perfect and still fail if the printed code is too small or in the wrong spot. A few practical rules:

• Size for the distance. Guests scan menus and table tents from about 20 to 50 cm away, so print the code at least 3 by 3 cm (1.2 by 1.2 inches). A code on a window sign that people scan from the sidewalk needs to be far larger. The print size guide has a full table.
• Keep a clear margin. Leave empty space around the code on every side so phone cameras can find its edges. Do not let text or borders touch it.
• Put it where the eye lands. The center of the table, facing the seat, beats the edge of a napkin holder. At a counter, place it at eye level near where people queue.
• Add a short label. "Scan for the menu" under the code removes any doubt about what it does.
• Test before you print a stack. Print one card at the final size and scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone from a real seat.

Updating prices and sold-out dishes

This is where a dynamic menu pays for itself. Open Pages in the dashboard, click your menu, change a price or remove a dish, and click Save. The next guest who scans sees the new version. The printed code never changes.

Some habits that keep the menu trustworthy:

• Remove sold-out dishes during service instead of letting servers explain them table by table.
• Add a daily special as its own section at the top, then delete it at close.

On Pro and Team, Smart Routing can send scans to different pages, for example a Spanish menu for Spanish-speaking phones.

Menu analytics by hour

Every hosted page has its own Analytics tab. It shows views over the last 30 days, how many came from QR scans, and what visitors tapped, and the code itself records full scan analytics you can export to CSV.

Looking at views by day and by hour tells you when the menu is actually being read. If views spike at 11:30 on weekdays, your lunch crowd is scanning before they sit down, which is a good reason to put the lunch specials first. If tap counts on your booking button are high on Thursdays, that is when to post a weekend offer. For a deeper look at tracking, see how to create a QR code with tracking.

Worked example: a neighborhood bistro

Picture a 12-table bistro with a printed menu that changes every few weeks. The owner builds a Menu page with four sections (Starters, Mains, Sides, Desserts), adds tags like vegan and gluten free, and adds an opening hours block and a location block. She styles the QR code in the bistro's green, downloads the SVG, and prints table tents with the code at about 4 cm wide and a "Scan for tonight's menu" line beneath.

On a busy Friday the kitchen runs out of the short rib at 8 PM. A server opens Pages on a phone, removes the dish, and saves. Every table now sees the updated menu on the next scan. The following week, analytics show most views land between 6 and 8 PM, so she moves the wine list higher on the page to catch guests while they are ordering drinks.

For more ideas across the whole dining room, from reviews to Wi-Fi, see QR codes for restaurants.

Limits and when not to use a QR code menu

A QR code menu works best alongside a few printed menus, not instead of all of them. Some guests prefer paper or have a phone with a cracked camera. Keep a handful of printed copies at the host stand.

Also be honest with yourself about volume. A restaurant menu gets scanned a lot, which matters on the free plan (see below). And because a hosted page is public to anyone with its link, never put anything private on it.

What it costs

QRelix is free to start, with no credit card. The free plan includes unlimited dynamic QR codes, full scan analytics with CSV export, editable destinations, custom colors and logo, a print-ready SVG, and 1 hosted page with 10 MB of files. Each free code works for its first 50 scans, then pauses until you upgrade, and free scans show a brief QRelix screen before the menu opens. Nothing is ever deleted.

For a working restaurant, 50 scans goes quickly, so most will want Pro at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year: unlimited scans, no QRelix screen, unlimited hosted pages with 1 GB of files, and a Brand Kit that puts your logo and color on the menu. Groups with several locations or staff who share editing can use Team at $19 a month with 3 seats. Compare plans on the pricing page.

FAQ

Do guests need an app to open a QR code menu?

No. Any modern phone camera reads the code, and the menu opens in the browser.

Can I use my existing PDF menu?

Yes. Choose the PDF tile instead of Menu and upload the file. It opens right on the phone with a download button, and you can replace the file later without changing the printed code.

How do I change a price after printing?

Open Pages in the dashboard, edit the dish, and click Save. The printed code stays the same and the next scan shows the new price.

How big should the QR code be on a table tent?

At least 3 by 3 cm (1.2 by 1.2 inches) for a table or menu scanned from 20 to 50 cm away. Bigger is safer, especially if the code has a logo.

Can I see when guests look at the menu?

Yes. The page's analytics show views, how many came from scans, and what people tapped, and the code's scan analytics can be exported to CSV.

Make your QR code menu today

You now know how to make a QR code menu that guests can read and you can update in seconds. Start with the QR code menu page to see a live example, or jump straight into the menu wizard and have table tents ready to print before your next service.