How to Make a QR Code for a Restaurant Menu
Point the code at a stable menu link, download a high-contrast PNG, and test a printed copy before you put it on tables.
Updated 14 November 2026. Platform sizes can change; check the official help page we link to if you are publishing today.
This guide uses the free QR Code Generator. The file or text stays in your browser.
What the QR code should point to
The most reliable restaurant-menu code is a link, not the menu text itself. Put the menu on a page you control — your website, a simple hosted PDF, or another stable URL — and encode that address. If you later change a price, you update the page and the printed codes can stay the same.
Avoid links that expire, require a login, or change every time you edit a file. If you use a file-sharing link, check that anyone can open it without an account.
1. Get a short, lasting menu URL
Copy the full address, including https://. Open it in a private or logged-out browser window to confirm a guest can reach it.
2. Generate the code in your browser
- Open the QR Code Generator and paste the URL. The code is created on your device.
- For a printed table tent or window sticker, choose a larger module size and a higher error-correction level (Q or H). Higher correction helps if the print gets worn, but the pattern becomes denser, so do not make the code tiny.
- Keep the foreground dark and the background light. Low contrast is a common reason a code will not scan.
3. Download the PNG
Download the PNG and keep a copy. If you need the code in a poster or menu PDF, place that PNG in your design and leave a quiet margin (blank space) around all four sides. Do not stretch it into a rectangle.
4. Test before it reaches a guest
- Scan the file on your screen, then scan a real print, from a typical sitting distance.
- Try more than one phone, and try it in the lighting you have in the room.
- Confirm it opens the current menu, not an old file.
- If a logo sits on top of the code, keep it small and re-test. Error correction can tolerate some coverage, but only a test tells you if yours still works.
This guide does not cover local health-label or allergen rules. If your area requires printed allergen information, follow those rules in addition to offering a QR menu.