QR code menus are all the rage these days. Both
restaurants and their customers have embraced these nifty
black and white barcodes. Since the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic, half of all full-service restaurant owners in
the US have implemented digital menus that are accessible
via QR codes. Mainstream media channels reported in August
of last year that there had been a startling
750% increase in QR code downloads
over the preceding 18 months.
The QR code menu, formerly an integral part of
restaurants' COVID-19 safety protocol, is now a standard
dining feature. QR code scanning increased by 25% and 15%
in 2020 and 2021 respectively. According to Nation’s
Restaurant News, Insider Intelligence forecasts that
QR code scanning is expected to continue to rise
year-on-year by 10%
in 2022.
What is it about these box-shaped digital patterns that make
them so popular? The QR code menu's contactless order and
payment capabilities benefited restaurants. It made it
possible to reopen their dining rooms after lockdowns and
other limitations were relaxed. This contactless function of
QR code ordering has also helped restaurants navigate the
labor shortage. Thereby, providing them with the possibility
of serving customers even with reduced staff. Therefore, in
many ways, the QR code menu has been a lifeline for
restaurants hit by the consequences of the pandemic.
However, if the purpose of the QR code ordering method was
only to get around pandemic-related challenges, its use
ought to have decreased by now. But as noticed, it's
continuing to gain popularity, showing that there are many
long-term advantages that digital restaurant menus have to
offer.
Benefits of QR Code Menus
-
Brings in bigger checks
Customers who order via QR code menus spend more. They
are far more likely to opt for add-ons and extras when
they order digitally. They have also professed feeling
more at ease when browsing the menu and less pressured
to make snap decisions. This comfort helps boost the
value of the check. As QSRweb.com points out,
restaurants that use QR code menus have seen
a surge of as much as 22% in their Average Order
Value.
-
Save money
Printing hard-copy menus is costly. A new set must be
produced every time a menu is revised thereby increasing
the expense. Paper menus are incredibly expensive since
even the smallest changes to the menu necessitate a
complete rewrite. The only printing that needs to be
done with QR code menus is of the QR code itself. No
matter how many changes are made, the latest version of
the menu is accessible via the same QR code. No
additional printing is required, and restaurants do not
have to spend anything extra.
-
Can be updated on-the-go
All tweaks made to a digital restaurant menu go live
instantly. This means that specials and deals can be
included with a few simple clicks. Out-of-stock items
can be removed immediately and spur-of-the-moment
promotions can be publicized then and there. When
updates are done via the digital menu creator, the
latest version of the menu is accessible to customers
immediately.
-
Facilitate faster turnaround
It might not seem like customers have to wait long for a
staff member to collect their order, bring their check,
and then give them their card or change back. However,
these minutes add up when taken as a whole. With the QR
code ordering system, customers do not have to wait for
a staff member to come to them. They can order as soon
as they sit or perhaps even before they get to their
table. Additionally, customers can pay whenever they
choose, shortening the time spent dining. As a result, a
fresh group of customers can occupy that table sooner,
increasing the restaurant's revenue.
-
Reduce human error
While everyone makes mistakes, any restaurant worth its
condiments will do its utmost to minimize errors. In
this regard, the QR code menu is a godsend. Because
customers enter their preferences directly, there is no
chance of miscommunication between waiter and diner. The
review function allows customers to check and alter
their selections ensuring that when the kitchen receives
an order it is exactly what the customer wanted. No
wastage. No refunds.
-
Provide valuable customer data
In the pre-digital age, a restaurant's success was
primarily based on the quality of its food and service.
With online ordering, another aspect has come into play:
data. Customer data is pivotal for business as it helps
restaurateurs understand the ground reality of their
establishment. For example, what sells and when, popular
food pairings, special requests customers regularly make
and many other vital details. These insights help
restaurateurs make the correct decisions that will keep
them thriving.
The great thing about QR code menus is that both customers
and restaurants benefit from them. Therefore, it is
understandable why more and more restaurants are
implementing them, and that more and more customers are
opting to use them.