QR Code for Your Restaurant Menu: Free Permanent Setup
Thousands of restaurants set up QR code menus during COVID — and many are still paying monthly subscriptions they don't need. Here's how to do it free, permanently.
What you actually need
You need two things: a stable URL for your menu, and a QR code that points to it. That's it. No monthly subscription needed, no QR "platform," no analytics dashboard.
Most restaurants that use QR code services are paying for features they don't use — scan tracking, A/B testing, team accounts. The core function (scan code → see menu) is just a URL.
Step 1: Get a stable menu URL
Your options, from best to worst:
Step 2: Generate your QR code
- 1. Go to TrueQR — free, no account needed
- 2. Select "URL" and paste your menu link
- 3. Choose a color that matches your brand (optional)
- 4. Download as SVG for print — it scales to any size without pixelating
Step 3: Print tips
- •Minimum print size: 1.5cm × 1.5cm (most phones can scan this)
- •Leave a white border (quiet zone) around the code — at least 4 modules wide
- •Test with multiple phones before printing a full run
- •Laminate table cards so they survive spills
- •Add a short text label: "Scan for menu" — reduces customer confusion
What about when the menu changes?
This is the key insight: update the file at the same URL, not the QR code.
If your menu is at yourrestaurant.com/menu.pdf — replace that PDF file on your server. Every existing QR code instantly shows the new menu. You never reprint the codes.
The same works with Google Drive: update the file, the link stays the same. If you need to change the URL itself (rare — avoid this), that's when you'd generate a new QR code.