How to make a QR menu for your restaurant

Why every restaurant needs a QR menu in 2026

Printed menus are expensive to reprint whenever your prices or dishes change. They collect bacteria, get damaged, and often go missing. A QR menu solves all of this: one scan and the customer sees your latest menu, with photos, on their own phone. Post-pandemic, customers in India have become comfortable scanning QR codes — the habit is already there.

Beyond hygiene, a good digital menu drives higher average order values. When a customer can see a photo of your paneer tikka masala or a description of a signature cocktail, they are far more likely to try it. Restaurants that switch to digital menus with photos typically see a 10–20% lift in add-on orders.

What to prepare before you start

Spend 30 minutes organising this information before opening BillRaja and the setup will take under 15 minutes:

• Menu categories — Starters, Mains, Breads, Biryani & Rice, Desserts, Beverages, Combos. Keep it simple: 4–8 categories cover most restaurants.
• Dish names and descriptions — a single sentence describing key ingredients or flavour profile is enough.
• Prices — use your current menu prices. BillRaja will apply the correct GST slab (5% for restaurants without a liquor licence, 18% for air-conditioned restaurants serving alcohol) when your staff generates the bill.
• Dish photos — phone photos in good natural light work well. Aim for one clear photo per item, especially for high-margin dishes. You can add photos later for items you skip now.
• GST rate for each item — most food items fall at 5% or 18% depending on your restaurant type. Packaged snacks and non-alcoholic beverages may have different rates. Use the GST guides if unsure.

Step-by-step: setting up your QR menu in BillRaja

Step 1 — Open the restaurant workspace

Download BillRaja from the Play Store if you have not already. On the home screen, select or create a restaurant workspace. The restaurant workspace includes table management, KOT printing, a public QR menu, and GST-compliant billing.

Step 2 — Add menu categories

Inside the restaurant workspace, go to Products. Tap the category organiser and create your top-level sections — Starters, Mains, Beverages, and so on. Categories appear in the same order on the customer's QR menu, so put your most popular or high-margin sections near the top.

Step 3 — Add dishes under each category

For each dish, enter:

• Dish name (shown as the product heading in the menu)
• Short description (optional but recommended for premium items)
• Price (base price before GST)
• GST rate — 5% or 18% for most food and beverage items
• A photo — tap the camera icon to capture or upload from your gallery

Repeat for every item. Use the bulk-add flow if you have a long list — you can enter items in quick succession without navigating away from the Products screen.

Step 4 — Enable the public QR menu

Open Restaurant Settings inside the workspace. You will find a toggle labelled Public Menu. Switch it on and save. BillRaja instantly generates:

• A unique public URL your customers can visit on any phone browser
• A printable QR code PNG you can download and place at tables

The menu is read-only for customers — they can browse and scroll, but cannot place or pay for orders through the link. All ordering happens through your staff using BillRaja's table and KOT features.

Step 5 — Display the QR code at your tables

Download the QR code image and print it. Common placements that work well:

• Table tents — a folded card standing on each table with the QR code on both faces
• Stickers on the table top — durable and impossible to misplace
• The front cover of your existing printed menu — a bridge while you transition
• A frame at the entrance — customers can check the menu while waiting for a table

How customers use the QR menu

A customer sits down, opens their phone camera (on Android or iPhone — no app required), and points it at the QR code. The camera app recognises the code and shows a prompt to open the link. One tap and the full menu loads in the browser: category tabs at the top, item photos, names and prices below.

The menu is fully mobile-optimised. Customers can scroll through categories, zoom into photos, and read descriptions. They then tell your staff what they would like, and your staff enters the order in BillRaja to generate a Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT).

Keeping your menu up to date

The biggest advantage of a QR menu over printed cards is instant updates. When a dish sells out, mark it out of stock in Products — it disappears from the customer view immediately. When prices change, edit the item once and the QR menu reflects the new price within seconds. No reprinting, no sticker corrections, no awkward conversations about crossed-out prices.

Seasonal specials can be added as a new category, made live for a week, and then archived — all without touching your regular menu structure.

Tips for a high-quality QR menu

• Use photos for every dish in the top two categories. Even a simple overhead phone shot is better than no photo.
• Keep names consistent with what your staff says aloud — "Chicken Tikka Masala", not "CTM Special". It avoids confusion when orders are placed.
• List allergens or dietary tags in the description — Jain, vegan, contains nuts — to reduce questions.
• Test the link on an Android and an iPhone before going live to confirm the photos load and the layout looks good.
• Reprint your QR code only if you reset your restaurant workspace. The link is stable; updating your menu does not change the URL.