How to put your menu on a QR code in 15 minutes, step by step

Putting your menu on a QR code sounds like a job for IT people, but it isn’t. If you can send a WhatsApp message, you can do it. And with your menu to hand, you can have it up and running in a quarter of an hour. Here is the order that works best.

Before you start: pick up your paper menu

Have your menu in front of you as it is now, with its sections and prices. There is no need to change anything yet. The first goal is to copy it; improving it comes later.

You only need two things: a phone or a computer, and five quiet minutes. There is nothing to install, it all works in the browser.

Step 1: create the sections (2 minutes)

Sections are the parts of your menu: Starters, Tapas, Meat, Fish, Desserts, Drinks… Create them in the same order as on paper. It is the order your guests are used to and it raises the fewest questions.

One tip: if your menu is very long, it doesn’t have to be complete on day one. Start with what people order most.

Step 2: write the dishes (5 minutes)

For each dish, enter:

• The name, as your guests know it (“Spanish omelette”, not “Traditional tuber-based omelette”).
• A short description, only if needed. One line is enough: “With onion, juicy inside”.
• The price.

If the same dish comes in different sizes, you can add several prices: tapa, half portion and full portion. That way you don’t have to repeat the dish three times.

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Step 3: photos with your phone (3 minutes)

A good photo sells more than three lines of text, and you don’t need a photographer. A phone is enough if you follow four rules:

1. Natural light. Put the dish by a window or out on the terrace. Avoid flash and the yellow lights of the venue.
2. Clean plate. Wipe the rim of the plate with a cloth before you shoot.
3. From above or at 45 degrees. Above works for pizzas, salads and flat dishes; at an angle, for burgers and sandwiches.
4. A simple background. A plain table, with no napkins or glasses in the way.

Take two or three shots and pick the best. You don’t need to photograph the whole menu: your ten house specialities will already make a difference.

Step 4: tick the allergens (2 minutes)

On each dish, tick the allergens it contains from the 14 official ones. This is included on every plan and it is a legal requirement, so now is the best time to do it. If in doubt, check the product label or ask in the kitchen. There is more detail in our allergen guide.

Step 5: choose your menu style (1 minute)

Saboria has five styles. Classic light is on every plan. Centred elegant, Tabs and Dark elegant come with the Start plan, and Full-screen photos with Pro. Pick the one that suits your venue: a neighbourhood café doesn’t need the same as a dark, candlelit restaurant. You can change it whenever you like without touching your dishes.

Step 6: download the QR code (1 minute)

When the menu is ready, download the QR as a PNG (to print at home or at a print shop) or as an SVG (if you are sending it to a designer or printing it large: it doesn’t lose quality when enlarged). Before you print anything, scan it yourself with your phone and with someone else’s, to check that it opens the menu.

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Step 7: print the QR properly

This is where most people slip up.

• Recommended minimum size: around 3 x 3 cm for scanning at close range; for a poster or a wall, a lot more. The further away it is, the bigger it needs to be.
• Contrast: black on white is the safest. If you customise it with your colours, check that it still scans.
• Blank space around it: leave a clear margin; if you stick text or drawings over it, it may stop working.
• Material: if you print on paper, laminate it, because on a bar table it won’t last long. You can also order physical holders: wooden cubes, Dibond plates or stickers.
• A line next to it: “Scan to see the menu”. Some people don’t know what to do with a black square.

Step 8: where to put it

• On every table, in plain view and with nothing covering it.
• On the bar, for people standing.
• On the door or the window, for people who haven’t come in yet.
• On the terrace, always sheltered from rain and direct sun, which fades the ink.

Step 9: share the link

Your menu also has a link, and you can send it on WhatsApp, add it to your Google profile, to your Instagram bio or to your website. Plenty of people look at the menu before leaving home, so it is worth making it easy to find.

Step 10: keep a paper menu for anyone who asks

Not everyone wants to use their phone, and that’s fine. Keep a few paper menus to hand for those who ask. Digital doesn’t replace good service: it complements it. And when you change a price, you only change the digital one, which is the one most people look at.

And when things change

A price goes up or a dish runs out: you change it from your phone and within seconds everyone sees it. The printed QR stays the same, so there is nothing to reprint. You can hide sold-out dishes with one tap and switch them back on tomorrow.

To see everything you can do, have a look at the features. If you have specific questions, they may already be answered in the FAQ. To find out which plan fits your venue, see the pricing.

Try it with your own menu

The best way is to try it with your dishes. Start 14 days free: you get everything in the Pro plan, no card needed, and if you don’t continue, your menu moves to the Free plan and keeps working.