A menu code that keeps up with the kitchen.
Put one code on every table and the counter. Point it at today’s menu, the weekend specials or the allergen sheet, and change it whenever the kitchen does, without reprinting a single table card.
menu
One code, over time
Same print. Different jobs.
An example of one printed code being re-pointed as things change. Each change takes a few seconds in the dashboard.
- MonCode points to the weekday menu PDF.
- ThuHake is off, cod is on: upload the new PDF, same link.
- FriRe-point to the weekend brunch menu.
- Sun nightBack to the weekday menu. Nobody touched a table card.
In practice
What a menu code is really for.
Most cafés print table cards once and forget them, then spend the next year apologising for dishes that are no longer on. A dynamic code breaks that link between the card and the content. The card only has to say what the code does (“Today’s menu”, “Book a table”) and the dashboard decides what that means this week.
It also helps with the things that change for reasons outside the kitchen: a supplier runs out, prices go up, a seasonal menu starts on a Thursday. Update the PDF or page, and the tables, the window and the takeaway bags all open the new version on the next scan. Guests never see a “404” or last month’s prices.
The scan report is honest feedback, too. If the window code gets far fewer scans than the table codes, the A-board isn’t doing its job. If most scans happen between 12:00 and 13:00, that’s when the menu needs to be clearest.
Where the codes go
What to print, and what it opens.
| Where | Kind of code | What it opens |
|---|---|---|
| Table cards and tents | Dynamic link | The menu, as a PDF or a page on your site. Name each code by table area to compare them. |
| The window or A-board | Dynamic link | Opening hours and booking page in the evening, today’s lunch deal in the morning. |
| Receipts and takeaway bags | Dynamic link | Your review page or loyalty sign-up. |
| The owner’s business card | Contact card | For suppliers, events and private bookings. |
What to measure
Questions the scan data answers.
- Which hours people scan most, so you know when the menu matters.
- Window code versus table codes: is the A-board pulling anyone in?
- Whether takeaway-bag scans turn into reviews over a few weeks.
Tips
Small things that help.
- Print table codes about 3 cm across. People scan from a seated distance.
- Keep one code per purpose (menu, reviews, booking) so the analytics stay readable.
- Pause the brunch code on weekdays if you’d rather it showed nothing than the wrong menu.
Questions
Restaurants & cafés, asked.
Yes. A dynamic code can point at any web address, including a PDF stored on your website or in Google Drive or Dropbox with link sharing on. When the menu changes, upload the new file and update the link in your dashboard. If you replace the file at the same address, you don’t even need to edit the code.
Yes, and it can be useful. Make one dynamic code per area (window, bar, terrace, tables) and point them all at the same menu. The report then shows which part of the room scans most. Each code counts toward your plan: five on Free, unlimited on Dynamic and Pro.
No. The phone camera reads the code and opens the menu in the browser. Contact cards and AR videos also open in the browser, with nothing to install.
Stop reprinting
table cards.
Your first five codes are free, with no card needed.