10 Creative Ways Restaurants Are Using QR Codes in 2025

Why Restaurants Love QR Codes in 2025

QR codes have become the default interface between restaurants and their guests. What started as a pandemic workaround has evolved into a genuine operational advantage — cutting costs, speeding up service, and opening new revenue channels.

Here are 10 ways the sharpest restaurants are using them right now.

1. Dynamic Digital Menus

Static printed menus are expensive, wasteful, and impossible to update quickly. A QR code linked to a dynamic menu page lets you change prices, add specials, or 86 an item in under 60 seconds — without reprinting a single sheet.

Why it works: Guests scan at the table, browse on their phone, and you capture their attention before they even speak to a server.

2. Table-Side Ordering

Several fast-casual chains now let guests order directly from a QR scan. The order flows straight to the kitchen display without a server as an intermediary. Faster turns, fewer errors, lower labor costs.

3. Feedback Collection (While It's Fresh)

A QR code on the receipt or table tent saying "Tell us how we did" gets far higher response rates than a follow-up email two days later. When the experience is still warm, guests are motivated to share.

Tools like QRplex let you build custom feedback forms — star ratings, open text, specific dish questions — and see results in real time.

4. Loyalty Program Sign-Ups

Instead of paper punch cards (which get lost) or asking guests to download an app (which they won't), a QR code sign-up takes 20 seconds. Name + email, and they're in your loyalty program.

5. Wine & Cocktail Education

High-end restaurants are using QR codes on menus and table cards to link to tasting notes, producer stories, and pairing suggestions. It adds perceived value without adding staff training burden.

6. Allergen & Nutritional Information

Regulatory requirements around allergen disclosure are tightening in many jurisdictions. A QR code linking to a full allergen matrix is both legally protective and genuinely useful for guests with dietary restrictions.

7. Waitlist & Reservation Management

A QR code at the host stand (or on a window cling outside) lets walk-ins join a digital waitlist. No clipboards, no "we'll text you" phone collection. Guests scan, enter their number, and get an automated SMS when their table is ready.

8. Pop-Up & Special Event Registration

Running a wine dinner, chef's table, or trivia night? A QR code on your social bio, in the window, or on table cards lets guests RSVP instantly. Collect names, dietary preferences, and payment all in one flow.

9. Employee Training Materials

Back-of-house QR codes on equipment tags, prep station boards, or locker room notices can link to training videos, safety procedures, and onboarding docs. When a new prep cook needs to know how to calibrate the slicer, they scan and watch — no manager required.

10. Post-Visit Review Requests

A small card with a QR code left in the bill presenter, saying "Enjoyed your meal? Leave us a review" converts a positive experience into a Google or Yelp review while the guest is still at the table. This is one of the highest-ROI uses of QR codes for any restaurant.

Getting Started

You don't need a complex platform to get started. QRplex's free QR code generator lets you create a QR code in under 60 seconds — no account required. For dynamic codes, form collection, and analytics, join the QRplex waitlist for early access to the full platform.