QR code menu or 3D menu for your restaurant: which to choose

The short answer

For most restaurants the best choice is a digital menu opened from a QR code, with clear text for every item, photos for regular dishes and 3D models for a few signature dishes. The QR code solves access and quick updates; 3D solves trust, because guests see exactly what they will get before ordering.

You do not have to choose between QR and 3D. A 3D menu is still opened from a QR code: 3D is an extra layer on top of the digital menu, not a replacement. The real question is how many dishes deserve a 3D presentation.

What each option means

There are four common options, from the simplest to the richest. They differ in what guests see and how easily you change the menu.

When a simple QR menu is enough

A text or photo QR menu is enough when the menu is short, the items are familiar and guests decide quickly. In those cases a 3D model does not change the decision.

• cafés with standard drinks and a few cakes;
• bars where the menu is mostly a drinks list;
• bistros whose daily menu changes almost every day;
• places where most guests are regulars.

Even then, avoid a PDF if prices or items change often: a structured digital menu reads better on a phone, lets you mark an item sold out in seconds and keeps the same QR code. See the QR code menu guide for printing and placement.

When 3D is worth adding

Add 3D when the look of the dish and the portion size influence the decision. Guests see the portion, height, sides and plate from every angle, and in augmented reality they see the dish on their own table at real size.

• signature dishes you want to recommend to every guest;
• platters and large portions, where people ask how big they are;
• desserts and dishes with a special presentation;
• new or unusual dishes guests do not know by name;
• tourists, for whom a real view helps more than a translated description.

Compare the options per dish in photo, 3D scan or AI and which dishes to show in 3D.

How to choose

Answer six questions. If the first three are a yes, it is worth having at least a few dishes in 3D.

1. Do guests often ask what a dish looks like or how big it is?
2. Do you have signature dishes you want to sell more often?
3. Do you serve many tourists or first-time guests?
4. How often do you change the menu and prices? (often = avoid a PDF)
5. Do you need allergens shown for every item? (required for informing guests in the EU)
6. Do you want guests to order from the table?

What a combined menu looks like

A combined menu uses 3D for a few items, photos for some and text for the rest, all in one menu behind one QR code. A restaurant with 40 items might have 5 dishes in 3D, 15 with a photo and the rest as text. In Menu3D every item can be text, photo or 3D, and a 3D model can be replaced at any time without changing the link or the QR code.