QR codes were already in use by some restaurants before the pandemic. 

Now?

Customers better take their cell phones with them to dine. They must make sure that their phones are fully charged.

QR codes have taken the restaurant industry by storm in recent years. These two-dimensional barcodes can be scanned by your phone or tablet to access digital information. For restaurants, it means contactless payment options and accessing menus on cell phones.

Here’s why your restaurant should consider adding them to their proverbial digital menu:

1. Contactless Menus: Many customers were wary of touching physical menus after the pandemic. Now? People have begun assuming that restaurants are taking safety measures to avoid any kind of contact with anything/anyone, including menus. Going forward, menus can be accessed by scanning the restaurant's QR code, which takes you to a link with the menu.

2. Faster Ordering: Some restaurants do not hand out menus until their patrons are seated. If it is a busy night, it can sometimes take a while. That is no longer an issue for restaurants using QR codes, as it speeds up the ordering process significantly. Customers can access the menus immediately after scanning in the QR code.

3. Increases Efficiency: You hear buzzwords like "streamlining their operations" and "reduction of staff workload" when talk turns to QR codes. It is absolutely true. Restaurants that offer digital access to their menus and payment options ensure a lot of free time for their wait staff and hosts. Instead of waiting on a busy server to take a customer's order, itemise the bill, or handle the transaction afterwards, now they can take a more proactive approach with the customers and focus more on ensuring that all the diners' needs are met.

4. Improves Customer Experience: Likewise, customers detest when being made to wait, no matter how busy the restaurant is. Again, this isn't an issue when you implement QR code technology. Customers can order their meal and pay for it at their convenience rather than having to wait because of an overly busy waitstaff.

5. Opens Up Marketing Opportunities: Who says your restaurant’s QR code can only be used and accessed at the physical location of your restaurant? QR codes can be displayed anywhere, including print ads, billboards, websites – even T-shirts, as long as potential customers can scan them using their phones or smart devices. It is an excellent opportunity to promote specials, discounts, or even loyalty programs. This type of customer engagement has been shown to drive more customers to businesses, including restaurants.

6. Better Data Collection: Restaurants can gain valuable data about customer behaviour with QR codes. Is your "Tasty Humus Tuesdays" more popular than your "Old School Shawarma" Wednesdays? Data like this becomes easy to find with QR codes. It allows you to adjust based on what your customers like and want most from your menu.

7. Increase Revenue: Restaurants that utilise QR codes can see an uptick in sales when patrons have immediate access to the menu. It is especially true for after-dinner treats like Karak. Restaurants that still use a physical menu and then take that menu back after the customer has ordered dinner are potentially missing out on orders of Gahwa and sweet dates. The patron must have overlooked it without immediate access to the menu.

8. Reduced Costs: Credit card processing fees and chargebacks can drain restaurants financially. By implementing a QR code restaurant owners no longer need to worry about those extra credit card costs.

Restaurants may be hesitant to introduce new technology. QR codes are just one of the many ways restaurants are improving the overall customer experience. In other words, tech like this might be trendy and new now, but it will likely become the norm within several years.