PDF menu vs digital menu
PDF menu vs digital menu vs QR ordering: which should you use?
Four ways to put a menu in front of guests, what each one costs you in time and money, and which kind of restaurant each one suits.
Updated
The short answer
- Paper menu: for a short menu that rarely changes, served by staff at every table.
- PDF behind a QR code: a free stopgap. It works, but it reads poorly on a phone.
- View-only digital menu: for when you mostly want easy updates and a menu that reads well on phones.
- Digital menu with QR ordering: for busy services, spread-out seating, or a small team that can't reach every table quickly.
Side by side
| Paper | PDF + QR | Digital, view-only | Digital + ordering | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set-up cost | Printing | Free | Monthly fee | Monthly fee |
| Change a price | Reprint | Re-upload | Edit, live at once | Edit, live at once |
| Shows sold-out items | No | No | Usually | Yes |
| Reads well on a phone | n/a | Pinch and zoom | Yes | Yes |
| Guests can order | Via staff | Via staff | Via staff | Yes, or via staff |
| Order reaches kitchen | Handwritten | Handwritten | Handwritten | Automatically, with table |
Paper menus
Paper is familiar, needs no signal and suits a short menu that rarely changes. The costs are hidden ones: reprinting every time a price moves, crossed-out dishes when something runs out, and menus that wear out. Every order still depends on a server reaching the table.
PDF menus behind a QR code
Exporting your menu as a PDF and linking it from a free QR code is the fastest way to go “digital”. But a PDF is laid out for an A4 page, not a phone, so guests pinch and zoom. It can't hide what's sold out, and every change means a new file. Treat it as a stopgap.
View-only digital menus
A real digital menu is built for phone screens, with categories, photos and descriptions, and you edit it in a browser. It fixes reading and updating. Ordering is still done the old way: the guest waits for someone, and the order is written down and carried to the kitchen.
Digital menus with QR ordering
Here the menu also takes the order. Each table has its own QR code, so the order arrives on the kitchen screen with the table number and every option the guest chose. Guests can follow their order's progress and call a waiter or ask for the bill from their phone.
It doesn't have to replace your staff or your till. In Dyne, guests who prefer a person still order with one, and payment stays at your cashier. Ordering from the phone is simply another way to order.
How to choose
- How often does your menu change? Weekly specials or frequent sell-outs favor a digital menu.
- How long do guests wait to order at peak? If it's long, ordering from the table is where the time is saved.
- How spread out is your seating? Terraces, pools and beaches make QR ordering more valuable.
- Do your guests have mobile data? Keep printed copies either way. Dyne prints an A4 menu from the same data.
Want to set one up? Follow how to create a digital menu.
Questions
Is a PDF menu a digital menu?
Technically yes, but it's a copy of your printed menu shown on a screen. It isn't built for phones, can't show what's sold out and can't take orders.
Which menu type is cheapest?
A PDF behind a free QR code costs nothing to set up, and paper costs only printing. A hosted digital menu has a monthly fee. Dyne's is $10 a month, including ordering.
Can I use more than one?
Yes, and most restaurants should. Keep a digital menu on the tables and a few printed copies for guests who prefer paper.
Put a digital menu on your tables this week.
$10 a month, 14 days free, no card needed. Prefer we set it up? Send us your menu by email or WhatsApp.
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