Where to offer QR code Menus: 10+ Best Practices for Restaurants – part 1/2
Some Background & Insights on QR Code Menu
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QR codes (short for quick response codes) are becoming ubiquitous, slowly but surely, both for businesses & individuals. While their adoption & popularity vary country to country, it is quite likely that you may see these maze-like figures or subconsciously miss & pass them by (out of the corner of your eye) almost on a daily basis. With more than half of the global population owning a smartphone and thus the ability to scan QR codes at the click of a button, organizations leverage QR codes for their versatility & ease of use in marketing, providing information (e.g. restaurant menus, product details, etc.), navigation, customer engagement & support, operations, training & education, events & entertainment and lot more.
QR code insight #1 – However, one of the most successful and widespread uses of QR codes globally has been in contactless payments. Countries like India, China, Japan, South Korea, and many in Europe and North America have adopted QR code payments to quite an extent. While QR codes were already in use before the pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis significantly propelled their adoption across the world and in the USA, making them a key tool for contactless interactions & transactions. The retail and hospitality industries in the USA have been among the leading adopters of QR code payments (as they were significantly affected by the pandemic) with many restaurants, cafes and hotels using QR code menu ordering & payments.
Apart from the need for contactless ordering (i.e., safe and hygienic interactions & payments) and increasing embrace of technology in a digital world (by business and consumers alike), there are other advantages and reasons galore for restaurants to adopt QR code menu ordering & payment. Broadly, these include but are not limited to saving on printing & reprinting costs, avoiding the need to pass menu between customers, speeding up table turnovers & increasing order values, cutting out 3rd party fees, easy integration with existing PoS / payment gateway & other partners, better menu design & two-way update, reducing errors in order taking, rich analytics, countering labor shortage & increasing their efficiency and most importantly improved customer experience.
Without getting into the details (we will keep that for another article), let us help you implement QR code menus to better your restaurant’s efficiency and revenue.
QR code menu insight #2 – Restaurants offering on-premise / tableside QR code ordering system are at an advantage as they facilitate the entire customer journey right from interaction to transaction in a single instance i.e. the typical restaurant QR code menu use case where a user scans the code, views the menu, adds food items and pays instantly is one of the most encompassing & integrated applications of QR code technology (compared to other QR code interactions, which may be only restricted to payments, or seeing product info, writing reviews etc.). This journey covers multiple stages of customer experience and leverages full potential of QR code technology. We will get into the details & reasons why, in another article.
But every silver lining can have a dark cloud too! As per available data, it is estimated that (only) around 50-60% of restaurants and F&B businesses in the USA have implemented QR code menu based food ordering in some form. This figure represents a significant increase since the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also means there is still substantial room for growth & adoption. Some of the reasons for lower adoption include technological / financial or mindset barriers, customer demographics & restaurant location (urban vs rural or young vs old), operational preferences (restaurant type / format) and general lack of awareness on the restaurants’ part.
If you are a hospitality business in the USA who is facing any of the above issues or looking for a free, flexible & user friendly online and QR code ordering solution (with no hidden costs or upsells), then you can book a no obligation consulting call with TorchFi’s team using the links below. Or for that matter, if you are exploring how to setup a QR code menu for your F&B / hospitality business, you can reach out to us. We will not get into the technicalities of that in this article.
QR code ordering insight #3 - Did you know that China has the highest adoption of QR code menu food ordering in the F&B and hospitality sectors?
Where to Offer QR code Menu Ordering (i.e. Placements) - Best Practices & Marketing Tips
Without any further ado, let us dive into the heart of the article (or should we say the centre of the QR code?). So below are 10+ best practices on where restaurants can offer QR code menu ordering, sprinkled with generous amounts of insights & tips just like your menu.
1) On-premise / Tableside ordering:
For the uninitiated, in this case, restaurants (or for that matter any other F&B outlet) keep customized QR codes at each table or station and customers use their mobile phones to scan them at their table, parking spot, seat or anywhere you want them to order (which is in close proximity to your location or within your premises.) Needless to say, this is the flagship, most important & foolproof way of implementing restaurant QR code menu (in comparison to, for e.g., customers scanning a QR code to access your menu and order online from their home, office, etc. where they may or may not complete the transaction).
QR code ordering insight #4 – Did you know that QR code menu ordering extends beyond the typical fast casual / QSR or fine dine restaurants tableside ordering formats? For e.g. we at TorchFi have helped F&B and recreational outlets of various types such as RV resorts, hotel rooms, golf courses, bowling alleys, sports arcades and more set up multiple QR codes food ordering mapped to their desired ordering stations. For details see https://www.torchfi.com/#multichannelordering
Some Tips and Best Practices specific to On-premise / Tableside QR Code menu ordering:
- Use good quality laminated plastics for displaying the QR codes. If you are putting them in sticker formats on the table, they are subject to wear & tear due to customers and severs using the table as well as to the risk of getting wiped off by your cleaners.
- Ensure QR codes are easily accessible on tables, either as part of the table setup or on a stand, while at the same time not interfering with your customers’ dining experience.
Marketing Tip: When offering digital menu ordering, be mindful of your restaurant’s customer demographics & your format. If it is the older / non-tech savvy generation / those with no access to technology or those who want the luxury of human touch & feel, then in that case complement your digital QR code menus with physical menus too and give them a choice between QR code menu ordering & waiter service. Younger generations or urban population are comfortable with technology and more likely to scan QR codes for restaurant compared to rural population or older adults who might be less familiar or find them inconvenient. Train your staff to train customers how to use your restaurant QR codes.
- If you are a restaurant, bar, pub, live music venue etc. with low-lit ambience, use a fluorescent or glow-in-the-dark background for QR codes to make them easily visible.
QR code menu insight #5 – Customers at live music restaurants, pubs and discotheques find QR code menu ordering very helpful, as it saves them the trouble of going through printed menus in the dim lighting and the need to shout to waiters / bartenders to call them out as well as the need to talk loudly to them for their orders due to loud music. Also, making them order through QR code menu is convenient for them than having to stand in queue at the counter or self-order kiosks, so they can better enjoy the event.
Note: We have covered in more detail about ‘Tips & Best practices on How to offer QR code Menu ordering’ in another article i.e. part 2/2 of this series. Read the article at this link.
Besides tableside ordering, let us look at other places where you can put / promote your QR code menu ordering.
2) Printed Takeway Menus:
Include your QR code on your printed menus that you may be giving to your visitors and customers (on premise, takeout & delivery). This will mostly be a common QR code (and not table specific) scan which should take them to your online ordering menu page, either at your own website or those listed at 3rd party ordering apps.
Did you know that with TorchFi’s free online ordering solution, you can create & offer your own online & QR code food ordering services to your customers without being dependent on 3rd party apps and without even the need to have a website? This helps you and your customers save on commission fees. Moreover, our integration with DoorDash and Uber Eats lets you fulfil those orders at minimal cost.
Marketing Tips & Best Practices when including QR code Menu on Printed Materials:
- Give your customers an incentive, like a discount for their next order (be it online or on-premise) or a coupon code that will encourage them to scan the QR code and transact with you again through your digital menu.
- Add a compelling call to action (CTA) message and / or button besides the QR code (but without encroaching its scannable area) that informs them of the above. Complement the CTAs with your regular irresistible offers text such as happy hours, holiday deals, promotions etc.
- Keep the offer exclusive and time bound. If you have the luxury & time, go ahead and offer customized coupon codes for each customer / customer cohort.
- Also Include the URL of your online ordering page (i.e. the one which opens on scanning the QR code) besides the QR code. This can help in building trust as well as will be useful if they are unable to scan the code for some reason.
You can selectively implement the above tips in your resraurant’s print & offline + online marketing materials too (where you will be including your printed QR codes that will open your menu). Some of these additional placements are listed below.
3) Printed materials for Neighbourhood (local) Marketing:
Use your QR code (that leads to your online ordering page) on your printed flyers / brochures, posters, menus, etc. that you will be publishing or distributing in your neighbourhood. This will help promote your restaurant & online ordering options and help your target audience to easily re/order instead of typing online ordering links.
4) Co-Branding Activities / Community Building:
Similar to the above, you can partner with local businesses to display your QR code in their establishments and marketing materials (offline & online) and vice versa, thus reaching a wider audience. Offer mutual exclusive discounts / offers / promo codes to encourage cross-promotion.
Marketing Tip: These efforts need not be restricted to just local business partners and the limit is endless. For e.g. you can co-brand with a travel agent from another state or country to promote your restaurant to their customers who may be travelling to your locality. Don’t forget to leverage social media features of adding cocreators / paid partnerships in such content to cross promote.
5) Print Ads and Hoardings:
Integrate QR codes into print advertisements in local newspapers or food / leisure / community magazines to drive traffic to your online presence & ordering page. Just like above, this need not be restricted to only local publications, but can even extend to those areas where your potential / future target audience is.
E.g. if you are a fast casual restaurant located in an area frequented by business travellers, you can advertise in relevant national level print materials that reach them.
While it may be a little farfetched to put up your QR codes on hoardings (regular & digital) – users may not have the need or time to scan them immediately (as they pass them by) – but it surely can convey a modern tech progressive brand image about your restaurant as well as briefs customers about this new facility. Complement the ad with necessary offers and call to actions to get desired results.
6) Catering Menus:
If you are catering at an event, include your QR code (for your online ordering page) in the takeaway menus and other promotion materials you may be keeping there.
7) Events which you are Conducting or Sponsoring:
Include your QR code in the flyers / tickets / wristbands of the events which you are directly conducting at your venue or are a sponsor. These can be in both print and online materials.
However, for the above couple of points (point 6 & 7), give clear instructions what the QR code would do i.e. useable for online ordering later or during the current event.
8) Visiting Cards:
Attending an industry networking meet? Or an official business meeting with your stakeholders? Include your online ordering QR code in your visiting cards that you exchange there. It may not lead to immediate orders, but surely gives you an impression & edge over others and conveys your restaurant’s modern approach & tech savviness. For all you know, this may help you attract investors.
9) Your Bills, Receipts as well as Invoices (for B2B clients) can include your Online ordering QR code.
Marketing Tip: Encourage feedback by additionally putting up your online review / survey page’s link or linking the QR code to that and offer a discount on the next visit or online order as an incentive. Ask them to share the screenshot to a WhatsApp number that you can include in your receipts, etc.
10) Outdoor Signages and Physical locations just outside your Restaurant:
Display QR codes on outdoor signs, A-frames and window decals. E.g. displaying a large QR code on your restaurant window along with relevant promotion text and call to action message (e.g. scan & save the link to order online at a discount / happy hours), to grab attention from potential customers walking by. You can complement it with your online ordering link and / or takeaway menus kept nearby.
Tip: Use weatherproof materials and ensure the QR codes are at an height that can grab pedestrians’ attention.
11) Takeout Bags and Delivery Packaging:
Integrate QR codes on your food packaging to encourage customers to reorder online. Don’t forget to include a discount or promo code to reward their patronage.
Tip: Use reusable bags & containers instead of disposable or recyclable ones to include your QR codes, when giving takeaway food (so customers have access to your QR code in sight). However, try to have environment friendly bags & boxes
12) Loyalty Programs:
Integrate QR codes into your loyalty program materials i.e. physical or online mailers that you may send to your patrons and loyalty program members, in which you can include your QR code & online ordering link; and inform them they can also order online through the QR code or link. It goes without saying that your loyal patrons deserve a discount, so add a special promo code which they can use when ordering online or at your outlet.
13) Some Additional Placements within your Restaurant to flaunt your QR code Menu:
You can selectively keep them for on premise ordering / online ordering with clear instructions that inform customers about the same:
- Use table tents, menu stands, coasters, placemats to display QR codes at the dining area (can be specific to tables) and digital signage inside the restaurant for general advertisement about your online ordering QR code.
- Tip: Combine the QR code with a call-to-action for a special limited-time menu offer to entice customers. Offer bonus points or rewards to those who use the QR code to access & order from your digital menu. Use customer data to offer personalized discounts and recommendations when they scan the QR code.
Apart from the above placements which are mostly offline / print and hence more effective to promote your QR code menu, below are some online placements.
14) Digital Placements for your Restaurant QR code:
These will allow people to access the QR code within their mobile screen and scan it / open the link to access your menu & order online (or at premise in some cases):
- Your online business profiles & listings including Google Business profile and maps. However, this is more for educating / informing your customers than transacting, so also include your online ordering link alongside the QR code.
- Your website: To do this with caution as it is better to share the link. Ensure your restaurant’s website prominently displays the QR code for easy access. But this is more for fancy design purpose. So support it with clear instructions such as download this QR code image & scan. Also complement it with regular online order link.
- Social media pages: Share QR codes in your social media posts, stories and profiles.
Marketing Tip: Create engaging content around your QR code menu, like a video tutorial on how to order using them, irresistible food photos and offers, customer testimonials to boost engagement. Add the QR code to your stories along with a swipe up link to your online ordering page. Mention the URL as well.
Influencer Marketing: Partner with local food influencers and have them feature your QR code on their social media platforms, so you can reach a wider audience.
- Digital marketing campaigns: Incorporate QR codes into email newsletters, digital ads and online promotions to showcase your online menu, offers and / or reservation system.
Tip: Track the performance of each campaign using unique QR codes for different channels (using UTM links) to analyse what works best.
QR code Insight #6: With the above-stated tip, you can create multiple QR codes for (i.e. linked to) the same final URL.
Want a QR code ordering service provider who ticks all the above boxes, so you can concentrate on your core competence which is amazing customer dining experience? Leave the hassle to TorchFi. Our restaurant partners find our QR code ordering solution intuitive. And our end users love the interface & experience that they order more food and keep visiting again. If you would like to try TorchFi, just reach out to us here:
We looked at some important areas where restaurants can offer online ordering through QR code menus. These included but were not limited to on-premise / tableside ordering, printed takeaway menus, neighbourhood marketing & co-branding materials (offline & online), ads & hoardings, signages within & just outside your restaurants, food takeout & delivery packaging, as well as in your online properties such as profile listings, social media, website etc.
While we have made efforts to make the list as exhaustive as possible, readers are advised to use these selectively as per their discretion & need and also refer other materials / seek professional advice if required.
Note: We have separately covered in more detail about ‘Tips & Best practices on How to offer QR code Ordering’ in another article i.e. part 2/2 of this series. Read the article at this link.
These best practices and innovative marketing tips can help restaurants enhance customer interaction & experience, streamline operations and boost their online presence with QR code menu ordering system. By leveraging their QR codes in these various locations & media give above, US restaurants can effectively engage with customers both online and offline, thus promoting their brand & business in a convenient and innovative way.