Have we seen the last of QR code menus?

A recent survey by the market research firm Technomic found that after a seismic shift to QR code menus that began during the pandemic, restaurants seem to reversing the practice and are moving back to paper menus. The survey found that having QR codes made it less likely for people to dine at a particular restaurant. Overwhelmingly, diners preferred paper menus to the codes.

Many restaurant goers felt that QR codes were ‘tacky’, but I didn’t mind them because I would rather not handle menus that have been touched by who knows how many people that day. That said, I do acknowledge that it is easier to read a printed menu instead of squinting at the small screen of a phone, zooming in and out because none of the online menus seemed to display in a convenient manner. Also, it’s much better to be able to talk to a server so you can ask questions that might not have the answers listed on the QR code menu.

People also viewed QR codes as another layer of work being foisted on the consumer. Software trainer Oz du Soleil mused that “it’s like self-checkout or putting your own IKEA stuff together.” There was also a cyber-security issue simmering underneath the resentment of having to input your own order. One Reddit user highlighted the issues associated with QR codes noting that “They’re so incredibly insecure. All it takes is someone to slap a different sticker over that and you’ve hacked every person who sits down at that table.” No one can get into your phone via a printed menu.