QR code menu for restaurants: a complete guide (printing, placement, tables and ordering)

One code for the menu, or one per table?

• One code for the whole menu: the same on every table, in the window or on flyers. Simple, fine when guests only browse.
• One code per table: each code knows its table (“Table 12”). Needed for table ordering: guests add products to a cart, send the order, and it appears live in the dashboard with the table number.

In Menu3D you can have both: the menu code for outside and table codes inside. Table codes are created in bulk (“Table 1–20”) and printed on an A4 sheet.

How big to print the code

A commonly used rule of thumb: the side of the code should be about a tenth of the scanning distance. At a table, the phone is usually 25–40 cm away, so a 3–4 cm code is comfortable; on a poster read from 1–2 m, it needs to be much larger. Always test with different phones.

• high contrast: a dark code on a light background;
• a clear white margin around the code (the “quiet zone”);
• matte material — glossy lamination reflects light and gets in the way;
• a short line next to the code: “3D menu · scan with your camera”.

Where to put it

• on a table stand, in plain sight, not under the salt or the napkins;
• at the entrance or in the window, for people choosing before they come in;
• on the bill or the reservation card, for the next visit;
• on your website and social profiles, with a direct link to the menu.

What the code should open

The menu must load fast on mobile data, be easy to read with one hand and show prices, ingredients and allergens. 3D models load only when a guest opens a dish, so the list stays fast. If you have 3D dishes, guests can browse them one after another and see them on the table, in AR.

Ordering from the table

1. Turn on “Menu + ordering” and create your tables.
2. Print each table’s code.
3. Guests add products to the cart and send the order; payment happens at the restaurant.
4. The order appears live in the dashboard, with a sound; you accept it, prepare it, serve it, and the guest sees the status on their phone.
5. Kitchen hours, pauses and sold-out products are respected automatically.

Test before opening

• scan every printed code with at least one iPhone and one Android phone;
• check that each table code shows the right table;
• try the menu on mobile data, not only on the restaurant Wi-Fi.