Restaurant owners have recently started using QR codes on their menus. How can I generate one for free?

To avoid contacts, restaurants are now using QR Codes to allow their customers to consult the menu.

The PDF format

To start with, you'll need the menu in PDF format. The "PDF" format is a standard format that can be read on any device, iOS or Android, so using the PDF format means you won't have any compatibility problems with your customers' phones. It's also possible to have a simple web page, but since that's more difficult to achieve, stick to a PDF format, which you should already have anyway (it's often what printers ask for ... quite simply, because it's standard).

Host your menu for free.

There are lots of possibilities: Google Drive, an FTP server, Dropbox ... etc. Keep in mind that you want direct access to the file, not a page promoting the service you're using.

Each service has its limits; in the case of Frères Marchand, the Christmas menu was on the LudoDev infrastructure.

In this article, we're going to use Google Drive, you should already have a Google account, any Google account has 15 GB of free storage space.

Once you've created or logged into your Google account, go to Google Drive.

On the home page, right-click on an empty space and select "Import".

Select your PDF file

Right-click on your newly created file in the Google Drive interface, then "Get Link".

Click on "Limited", then select "All users with link".

Now the link to your file is in your "clipboard", you can paste it anywhere, in my case the link to my file is "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q8K17QIwMgF7Ddw1Pviizal828cdTtQu/view?usp=sharing" keep it aside.

Generate the QR Code for your file

To do this, simply go to the QR Code generator with the link you obtained earlier.

Put your link in the "URL" box, and in the "name" box, put a name that will enable your QR Code to be recognized in the future, e.g. "My Menu". The size of 300 pixels is a good idea if you want to print a small QRCode, click on generate.

Once on this page, you can click on your QRCode to display it full-screen and print it via your browser's menu.

The link provided on this page enables you to share your QR Code with your teams, if for example you need to print your QRCode in several establishments, or simply wish to send your QRCode by e-mail to the person who needs to print it.

Remember to test your QR Code with your smartphone before printing it.

Conclusion

This article shows you how to create a dematerialized menu with your customers, and at a very low cost. I'll be happy to answer any further questions you may have.