How to Create a QR Code Menu for Your Restaurant

A useful QR menu needs more than a code: guests need accurate prices, readable descriptions and a quick route to the dishes they want. This walkthrough takes you from an empty menu to a printed code you can test before service.

The screenshots below show QwikMenu using The Garden Table demonstration data. They illustrate the product interface, not a live customer account. Example dishes, prices and QR destinations are for demonstration only.

1. Prepare your menu before opening the editor

Collect your restaurant name, logo, categories, dish names, prices and a few clear food photos. Decide who will maintain the menu during service. Check dietary and allergen descriptions with the kitchen; a software label cannot verify ingredients or cross-contact practices.

If your immediate goal is a menu guests can browse, start with that. Add ordering only after your team has agreed how requests, bills and payments will be handled.

2. Create your account and choose your branding

Create a QwikMenu account and complete the restaurant and owner details. Use an email your team can access for verification and account messages. The current trial offers 10 days of Pro access; check the pricing page for current terms and the features available after the trial.

In Branding & settings, check the restaurant name, logo, menu currency and address. Choose a default light or dark theme and a menu display style. A guest’s saved theme choice can override the default, so inspect a fresh browser session when checking your initial appearance. Changing a currency label does not convert your dish prices; enter the correct amounts yourself.

3. Create categories in the order guests browse

Open Categories and group dishes using familiar names such as Starters, Main course, Breads and Drinks. Keep the first categories useful to guests rather than repeating your internal kitchen codes. Arrange the categories, then save their order.

4. Add dishes, prices and photos

Open Menu Items and choose Add item. Select the category, enter the dish name and price, then write a short description that helps a guest decide. Include important preparation or ingredient details without making unsupported dietary claims. Use a sharp photo of the actual dish where possible.

Review the guest view after adding a few items. Long names and large images can look different on a phone. Use availability controls for sold-out dishes rather than deleting an item you will serve again. Where options are supported by your setup, check each option and price before accepting orders.

5. If you use Square, review the import before syncing

For an eligible Pro account, connect Square and select the correct Square location. Use Sync with Square from Menu Items to reach the import workflow. Review the selected catalog items and the destination branch before syncing and publishing. Check option names, images and prices afterwards; the import screen should be part of your review process, not a reason to skip it.

Connecting a Square account and enabling guest ordering are separate setup steps. Read the Square integration guide before enabling an ordering or payment workflow.

6. Publish and inspect the live menu

Saved changes normally update the public menu. If the dashboard reports a publication problem, resolve it and publish again before printing or sharing. Open View live menu and inspect every category as a guest.

• Confirm restaurant details, currency and all displayed prices.
• Check photo cropping, descriptions and dietary labels on a phone.
• Verify that unavailable items and hidden categories behave as intended.
• Check contact links and the experience on a slower mobile connection.
• If ordering is enabled, verify the selected location, modifiers and staff workflow.

7. Download the right QR code

Open QR Code to download or print the general menu code. Put it on a table stand, counter card or receipt with a clear label such as “Scan to view our menu”. Leave white space around the code and avoid stretching or decorating the square pattern. Start with one printed sample and test it at the size and distance guests will use.

Pro table QR codes are managed under Ordering & Table QR. A table menu QR carries table context; a separate bill QR opens that table’s bill. Do not label a menu code as a payment code. Bill payments require the appropriate Square payment configuration.

8. Keep a simple pre-service routine

Ask another person to scan the printed code on a different phone. Check Wi-Fi and mobile data, then test from the actual table rather than only from your desk. Keep an alternative printed menu or staff assistance available for guests who cannot use a phone.

Before each service, review sold-out dishes, specials and price changes. Your existing menu QR continues to open the published menu, so normal content updates do not require a new print run. Deleting a table or area is different: its old table links stop working, so replace those printed cards.

For help choosing what to launch first, read Digital menu vs. printed menu or contact QwikMenu.