At Back of House, we work closely with restaurant owners and operators to find tech-powered solutions to familiar problems and new challenges. But at the end of the day, it’s really all about the customer experience. Your restaurant’s success depends on how effectively you deliver on that experience.
With that in mind, we wanted to do something a little different. This is the first installment in a series of articles that are all about the customer experience. We want to help you better understand exactly what customers want out of their dining experience and what they expect from your restaurant.
To do this, we’ve gathered a panel of experts from our own team, and we’ve asked them to think like diners. The good news is that we all love going out to restaurants so it was pretty easy to do.
We hope our experiences can provide guidance as you make decisions about the right tech for your operation.
Today’s Team Topic – QR Codes and Digital Menus
Today, we’re taking a closer look at QR codes for restaurants. Specifically, we wanted to find out how providing QR codes and digital menus instead of print menus can affect the customer experience.
Whether you already use QR codes in your restaurant or you’re thinking about adding this feature, we thought it might be helpful to hear how a few actual consumers feel. But first, let’s take a quick look at exactly what QR codes are.
What Are QR Codes and How Do They Work?
Even if you don’t use QR codes in your restaurant, you’ve almost certainly seen them around. QR codes are those pixelated black and white squares you see everywhere these days — on event flyers, television commercials, billboards…you get the idea.
QR codes are basically just two-dimensional barcodes. Like traditional barcodes, they store information. Unlike traditional barcodes, you can immediately access this information by pointing your smartphone camera at the square and clicking on the link that pops up.
How Do QR Codes for Restaurants Work?
Restaurants use QR codes in a whole bunch of different ways, which is why you also see QR codes all over the place in restaurants: on table-top advertisements, on physical menus, even affixed to the center of the table where your customers eat.
Customers can click on QR codes to:
- Join your loyalty program
- Leave feedback and reviews
- Book reservations
- Join the waitlist to be seated
- Access Wi-Fi
- View events calendars and special promotions
QR Codes and Digital Menus
A growing number of restaurants are also using QR codes to give customers access to digital menus instead of providing print menus. A QR code lets your customers view your digital menu using their own smartphones or tablets.
Digital menus can come with a variety of different features. Some digital menus are “read-only.” In this case, customers still place their order with a live human server. But it is also possible to use the QR code as the entry point for doing pretty much everything including:
- Browsing menu items
- Placing contactless orders
- Processing payments
Benefits of Using QR Codes in Your Restaurant
The benefits of contactless menu browsing and contactless ordering proved particularly popular in the aftermath of the COVID crisis. QR codes and digital menus can reduce the spread of germs, and many restaurants adopted the technology for health, hygiene, and safety reasons.
But there are other potential benefits, including:
- Cost savings on print menus
- Fast, easy, real-time menu updates
- Reduced service wait times
- Higher table turnover
But how do customers really feel about QR codes in restaurants? Let’s find out.
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The Back of House Team Talks QR Codes
We asked some of our team leaders to get real about QR codes. Some of their responses surprised even us!
Our Panel of Diners
- Nick Florek – CEO
- Hilary Young – Director of Marketing
- Judy Weightman – Editorial Manager
- Ashley Dunn – Marketing Manager
- Manisha Kishinchand – Design Strategist
As a customer, how do you feel about using QR codes to access menus?
Nick
Context and environment matters most for me! In a quick service environment, if it helps me get through the line quicker, I love it.
For a weekend dine-in experience, I'm not a huge fan. I very much enjoy a good hospitality experience with human engagement.
Judy
Speaking strictly as a civilian — and a boomer — I really, really hate QR codes. For one thing, I resent being forced to use my phone for anything other than calling or texting (don't get me started on dual authentication). For another, it makes dining out — which is (or at least should be) a very human experience — feel less personal, more robotic.
I also read dead tree books.
Hilary
I don't hate it, but I think it depends on the ambiance of the restaurant because it does impact the overall vibe of the dining experience.
When do I appreciate QR code menus? When I'm out to dinner with my kids, and I'm trying to do a bunch of things at once. Having access to the menu on my phone makes it easy and quick (especially if the menu is large and it's easier to find what I'm looking for with a mobile experience), and I really appreciate that as a mom.
But when my husband and I are out for date night or I'm out to dinner with girlfriends, I generally enjoy the slower nature and tactile experience of having a printed menu.
Ashley
Yes, if you have Wi-Fi. I find that they are really popular at touristy spots or at restaurants outside of the United States. Nothing is worse than being hungry and not able to load the menu. I will give literally anyone my email address for Wi-Fi so it's a great lead gen opportunity for them too.
If it's a QR code, I still want a restaurant experience. The menu should be an extension of the brand and there are opportunities for photos or customer reviews of the dish.
Manisha
I prefer traditional print menus but QR code menus don't diminish my experience. I'm usually on my phone to look for pictures of the dishes that I'm interested in so I can see what they look like before I order!
Do QR code menus improve your dining experience, diminish your dining experience, or does it make no difference to you?
Nick
They improve accuracy, I think that's the main benefit for me as a diner. I'm able to see exactly what I'm ordering, customize for preferences, allergies, etc. But the experience has to be configured correctly. If it's not, it just adds more frustration.
Judy
Diminishes.
Oddly enough, doing the order myself at a console doesn't bother me, since that's part of what I'm going in for — order a salad with exactly what I want on it, get it, and go eat it somewhere.
Usually I'm alone for that, though, or if I'm with someone we're "grabbing a bite" on our way to the activity we've got planned. In that case, it's eating, not dining. If the point is to have dinner with friends, I want the experience to be about interacting with human beings — my friends, plus the wait staff.
Hilary
I think it really depends on the dining experience I'm expecting to have. For example, on our last family trip, using a QR code menu and self-ordering at the airport made it so efficient and speedy for us while traveling with kids and trying to catch a plane.
But I live in Philly, which is a real foodie city, and if I'm going to a restaurant with some good buzz and a cool vibe, I have the expectation of being handed a menu. If the experience was all virtual someplace trendy, would I hate it? I don't think so, as long as the service and the food were excellent!
Ashley
No difference. At the end of the day, I need some sort of menu. If I am with a boomer or my grandparents, it diminishes the experience. If we're all technologically apt, it's fine.
QR code menus can be a slippery slope to ordering your own food and still being expected to tip, but that's a different discussion. If I have to order and pay from my phone and all the waiter does is bring the food, what am I tipping for? But tipping culture is out of control, to me.
Manisha
It makes none, or maybe a very small difference.
If given the choice between using a print menu or a QR code to view and order your food, which would you prefer and why?
Judy
I prefer paper (or even laminated plastic).
Nick
Print. I'm 42, spend all day on screens and eyesight is only going downhill from here! For dinner and sit-down dining experiences at least, I very much appreciate a screen break!
Hilary
Wow, I think I am old-school because I'm just realizing I love a good printed menu! I also think that I'm becoming more and more aware of my screentime throughout the day and any experience that gives me a chance to put my phone away and be present with the people I'm with is a real added bonus.
Manisha
I would choose print, I like to see all the options laid out in a couple of pages rather than scrolling and clicking extra buttons.
Ashley
Honestly and unfortunately, I like a paper menu. I want to unplug and be at the restaurant. I want to have an experience that does not include my phone. I want to experience tangible menus and the creativity that goes along with that. You can replicate that with technology but it takes savviness and finesse.
I also like taking an analog approach to life when and while we still can. That is just for dine-in experiences, so you have to be able to do both. And who knows when another global pandemic may happen?
How QR Codes Fit Into Your Restaurant
The big takeaway here is that there may be valuable ways to use QR codes in your restaurant, but you have to think very carefully about how this technology fits in your space. Cost management and efficiency are important, but so are context, ambiance, and experience.
Fortunately, our team members are here to help you figure out the right balance between print and tech, between speed and engagement, between contactless transactions and high-touch customer service.
To find out more, schedule your personalized consultation today!
