WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF QR CODES IN RESTAURANTS?

QR codes have been around since the ‘90s, but the pandemic caused usage to surge. These days, seemingly every restaurant has an option to scan a little black-and-white square on your smartphone to retrieve the menu. Sometimes it’s the only option. But the reasons restaurants are using QR codes have evolved. Rarely is reducing COVID-19 now a top motive, or really a motive at all.

There are more relevant benefits, like saving time and money, that impact operations on a widespread level. Yet, not all restaurant owners are sold on the idea of using digital menus forever.

As restaurants increasingly return to paper, reports show it’s a move many customers favor. But with profit margins getting squeezed thinner and thinner, there’s an argument to keep?QR codes?due to an extending utility beyond menu display.

Some digital?menu platform?companies are starting to report a decline in clients seeking QR code menus. But that doesn’t mean business is drying up all together. Benefits like allowing operators to update menu prices in real time and save on printing give QR codes longevity, especially in today’s climate.??

Supply chain fluctuations, coupled with inflation, are forcing many operators to make constant menu tweaks, and QR code menus assuage that challenge by making it easy to update pricing and availability. Virtual menus are also helping some restaurants with another hot topic –?staffing?challenges. Menus built with self-serve ordering capabilities eliminate the need for a server to stop by every table to take orders. And now that most people are familiar with how to use a QR code, many operators feel this model makes a lot of sense.

QR code menus with self-serve ordering capabilities allow customers to pull up a menu, order, and pay, all from a mobile device. Usage of this feature is likely to grow at restaurants where delivering quick and affordable meals is a higher priority than a memorable sit-down experience.?

The obvious benefit is the decrease in labor needs and costs.

QR code payment options may surpass QR code menu usage at full-service restaurants.

At higher-end restaurants, few people want to sit down and place their own order through an electronic device. You’re paying for an experience that includes human connection and ease of asking questions. But, the option to pay the check on your own time may bring greater appeal.

[Paying] is one of the biggest time-killers of servers and frustrations for guests. You have guests waiting around for the server, then typically the server has to run and bring back the card machine, and that whole process can take 10 to 15 minutes.

With pay-at–the-table technology, you can pay in seconds and get on your way, while your server gains back more time to spend at other tables. Restaurants don’t need to use a QR code menu to take advantage of this technology.?

Most current solutions enable servers to see customers’ payments immediately, designed to help avoid literal “dine ‘n dash” incidents. But that could be the largest drawback of pay-at–the-table solutions. While the technology frees up staff from some of the back and forth to the POS, they’ll still need to keep a close eye on tables unless payment is required upfront.?

Customers will continue to call for the return of paper menus. And return, they will.

Plenty of diners long for the days where staring at a smartphone wasn’t part of the dining experience. In a recent survey of 1,000 consumers by food industry consulting company Technomic, 88% of respondents said they preferred paper menus to digital QR codes, and 57% of respondents said using QR codes feels like a chore.

The penchant for paper has pushed many restaurants to already ditch digital menus, with some operators saying the benefits simply don’t outweigh the experience of a tactile menu

Some restaurants reported a?dip in average check totals after switching to QR-code menus. Factors like having an older, less tech-savvy customer base or a clunky QR-code experience that makes it frustrating to browse menu items could be to blame.?

If you did the QR code as a bandaid during COVID, those are the restaurants that will more than likely go back to paper menus. However, if you’re one of these larger, full-service chains that invested in technology where you can place your order and pay through it, or maybe even implemented a tablet menu before COVID, you’re probably not going back.

QR code menus will increasingly be tied to loyalty programs and other restaurant offerings.

You scan a QR code, and before the menu loads, a pop-up takes over your screen:?Click here to sign up for our loyalty program and get 10% off any appetizer!?

As restaurants rapidly embrace?loyalty programs?to boost sales and bolster their customer base, menu management platforms are getting in on the action. Some platforms even allow operators to build a digital loyalty program into their actual QR code menu.

There’s a convenience QR codes create for signing up for restaurant offerings, including those beyond loyalty programs.

QR code’s greatest appeal, however, is the opportunity to further educate guests. You can highlight certain wines on the menu, but if you want more information, you get it directly through the link. Guests get a chance to educate themselves, and we can introduce podcasts or videos we did with certain winemakers – that’s is really exciting.

QR code menu features will continue to expand in ways that target increased profitability for operators and a better guest experience.

Picture a QR code menu that knows your tastes and preferences. For example, maybe you’re someone who frequently orders lasagna. Now, whenever you scan a menu at a restaurant that offers lasagna, lasagna always shows up at the top.?

While currently in the early stages of development, that’s the kind of technology that MenuLabs hopes to introduce – a menu that dynamically pivots based on the user.

Several companies recently started testing out dynamic menu pricing, enabling operators to automate price changes depending on factors like time of day, or even adopt surge pricing, similar to Uber’s model, where price shifts with demand.?

QR code capabilities have rapidly evolved just within the past few years, and advancements are only expected to continue as menu management platforms strive to hold onto customers and attract new ones.