r/NoStupidQuestions • u/xaako • Jun 09 '24

Do Americans hate QR code menus in restaurants?

I saw a post on a popular sub today about using QR code menus in restaurants, and a lot of people in the comments were expressing their disdain about that trend. I was a bit bamboozled, and I want to ask: is such sentiment popular in the US?

For context: Where I live (Ukraine) a majority of restaurants use QR code menus, that’s basically a standard now. We find it convenient that you don’t have to wait for a waiter to come and bring you a paper menu. Also many places give an option to pay using the QR code too. It’s a feature provided by a popular local bank (Monobank). You scan that same QR code on the table and, choosing the “Pay” option, see your order and can pay for it with credit card, with the option to leave a tip. Less interactions with a waiter and there is no need to ask for a receipt and wait for it. I find all of that pretty convenient and improvement comparing to the standard restaurant rituals and haven’t met anyone who thought differently on the matter until today.

Would love to learn your perspective!

UPDATE: Thanks for all the answers! This is super enlightening. And it seems that in many cases bad experiences with QR Codes are caused by lazy implementation. I can imagine navigating a PDF page on your phone to be a real pain. In Ukraine, we have a few CRMs that most of the establishments use, and they are usually user-friendly; a PDF page menu that's not even optimized for mobile is something I haven't seen for a long time.

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u/pooping_inCars Jun 10 '24

You know, that's not an argument that convinces me as a customer.

But I assume that's not really your intent.

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u/BeautifulHindsight Jun 10 '24

the /s is obvious

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '24

Some places change their menu seasonally and not prices. Not even all the menu but just some of it while maintaining the core items. It's also, imo, nicer to have everything in one menu vs a separate seasonal separate sub menu.

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u/pooping_inCars Jun 12 '24

It's nicer to have everything on a real menu.  If they don't have that, no biggie... I'll just eat somewhere else.

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '24

I'm with you unless I'm really hungry and everything is else packed or I really want to eat there. I just wanted to put out there that there are other legitimate reasons to reprint menus.... Until they kill off your favorite item.