To make a QR code for a menu, put your menu on a page of your own website, make a static QR code that links to that page, and print it on table cards with a short caption such as “Scan for the menu”. When the menu changes, update the page, not the code. The JFDI QR code maker makes static codes free, with no sign-up and no expiry.
Step 1: give the menu a permanent address
The most common mistake is pointing the code at something that will move:
- A PDF file, which often gets a new address when you upload a new version.
- A QR company’s short link, which can stop working when a free trial ends. See why free QR codes stop working.
- A delivery app’s listing, which you don’t control.
Instead, use an address you own and will keep, such as yourcafe.co.uk/menu. If you change the menu, change that page, or redirect it to the new PDF. The printed codes keep working.
No website? Most website builders, and many booking and social platforms, give you a page you can update. Use the shortest address you can: short links make simpler codes that scan more easily.
Step 2: make the code
- Open the QR code maker and choose Link.
- Paste your menu page’s address.
- Choose colours that match your brand, keeping the code dark and the background light. The notes under the preview warn you if the contrast is too low.
- Add your logo if you like, using Add a logo. Error correction switches to its highest level automatically so the code still scans with the logo covering part of it.
- Add a caption: “Scan for the menu”, “Menu and allergens” or “Order from your table”.
- Download an SVG or PDF for your printer, or a 2,048-pixel PNG for printing at home.
Step 3: design the table card
- Size: at least 3 cm wide for a code read from across a table; 4 cm is comfortable.
- Say what it does in words next to the code, and add the web address underneath for people who prefer to type it.
- Offer a printed menu on request. Not everyone has a phone, a signal or good eyesight, and a menu should be accessible to all your customers.
- Use matt card. Glossy lamination reflects overhead lights and makes codes hard to scan.
- Put the code where a phone can see it flat, not on a curved surface.
Step 4: test it
Scan the printed card with two or three different phones, at the table, in your restaurant’s actual lighting. Check the page loads quickly on mobile data, not just your Wi-Fi: a large PDF menu can take a long time to open on a weak signal, so a web page is better.
Can I see how many people scan it?
Not from the code itself: a static code just contains your link, so scans can’t be tracked by us or anyone else. If you want numbers, look at the visits to your menu page in your website’s statistics. That counts real visits without involving a QR company.
Bonus: Wi-Fi codes for the same table card
Many cafés put a second code on the card for guest Wi-Fi. See how to make a Wi-Fi QR code, and use a guest network, never your main one.