Create a free QR code menu for your restaurant or café: step by step in 15 minutes

Printed menus get stained, torn and outdated, and every price change means reprinting. That is why so many restaurants and cafés now put a QR code menu on the table: the guest points their phone camera at the code and the menu opens with photos and prices.

The good news is you can do this for free, without a developer. This article walks through it step by step on GoSufra and shows how to avoid the mistakes that make guests close the menu and wave for a waiter.

First: a view-only or an ordering QR menu?

There are two kinds, and the difference is big:

Start with view-only if your team is new to it, then switch on table ordering for a few tables first.

How to create a free QR menu on GoSufra

1. Open a free account

Sign up without a credit card. The free plan includes the POS, the ordering website and QR codes, so the digital menu costs nothing.

2. Add your menu

In the dashboard, add sections (hot drinks, sandwiches, desserts…) and the items in each: name, description, photo, price, and sizes and modifiers where they apply. This is the same menu the till sells from, so you write it once.

3. Switch on the ordering website

GoSufra creates a menu and ordering page for your restaurant at its own address, such as your-restaurant.gosufra.com. Pick a theme that looks like your place and the language — English, right-to-left Arabic and others. This is the digital menu your QR codes will open.

4. Add your tables and print their codes

In the tables section, add your dining-room tables, and use each table’s “QR Code” button to download the code as a PNG or print it directly. The code is permanent, so you print it once and leave it on the table.

5. Test it yourself

Scan from a few tables with your own phone and check the menu opens quickly, photos are clear and prices are right. If you enabled ordering, send a test order and watch it arrive at the till with the table number.

6. Put the code everywhere

Not only on tables: on the door, on receipts, in Facebook and Instagram posts, and on your Google Business Profile. Every one of these leads to the same menu.

Why this beats a PDF or a standalone menu site

• A web page, not a PDF: it reads on a phone without zooming.
• Prices change in one place: change a price in the dashboard and it changes on the digital menu and the till at once. No stale menu with a wrong price.
• Sold-out items disappear: mark an item unavailable and guests cannot order it.
• Orders reach the till: with table ordering on, the order joins the till’s order list — and if you have a kitchen display, it appears there immediately.
• Table ordering is secured: the printed code is permanent, but the ordering session behind it is protected and time-limited, so someone who photographed the code cannot order to your table from home. Ordering is also rate-limited so nobody can flood the kitchen with prank orders.
• No commission: GoSufra takes no cut of orders from your site or QR menu. Read more about commission-free online ordering.

Mistakes that make guests give up on a digital menu

1. A PDF menu. The biggest one. Guests pinch, zoom and give up.
2. Photos on some items and not others. The ones without photos look unfinished. Photograph the whole section or none of it.
3. Prices without tax and service. If the bill is higher than the menu, guests feel cheated. Say whether prices are inclusive.
4. A tiny code, or one in a dark corner. Print it at a sensible size (at least about 5 cm) with “Scan for the menu” beside it.
5. Weak signal in the room. If mobile data is poor, offer guest Wi-Fi and print the name and password next to the code.

QR menus for cafés in particular

In a café, modifiers are everything: milk type, an extra shot, size, sugar. GoSufra’s digital menu shows modifiers and sizes with their prices, so guests choose for themselves and the order arrives exactly right — no more “did they say latte or cappuccino?”. See POS for cafés and coffee shops.

Frequently asked questions

Is creating a QR menu on GoSufra really free?

Yes. The ordering website and table QR codes are on the permanent free plan, for one branch and up to 500 orders a month. On the free plan the site shows “Powered by GoSufra”.

Do guests need an app to scan the code?

No. Any modern phone camera reads the code and opens the menu in the browser, with nothing to install.

Can the menu be in two languages?

Yes. You choose the language of the ordering page, and Arabic is shown right to left.

Can I use my own domain?

The default your-restaurant.gosufra.com address is enough to start. A custom domain is available on the Enterprise plan.