What Is a QR Code Menu?
A QR code menu is a scannable code — printed on a table tent, sticker, or packaging — that opens your menu on the customer's phone. Since 2020, customers expect it; UPI trained every Indian smartphone user to scan QR codes without thinking.
But there's a huge difference between the two kinds of QR menus:
- PDF / image menus — a static file. Customers can look, but they still have to call a waiter or dictate the order. Hard to zoom, impossible to update quickly, and you get zero data.
- Ordering menus — a live store page. Customers browse by category, see photos, add to cart, pay online, and place the order themselves. The order lands in your dashboard and prints a KOT in your kitchen.
This guide is about the second kind — and how to get one free.
How to Create a Free QR Code Menu (Step by Step)
- Create your store on Tezzu — sign up free, and you get a store page at tezzu.in/store/your-name.
- Build your menu — categories, photos, prices, variants (Half/Full, S/M/L), and add-ons (extra cheese, toppings). Mark items sold-out with one tap.
- Download your QR code — the dashboard generates a QR that points to your store page.
- Print and place it — table tents for dine-in, stickers at the counter, on delivery packaging, and on your delivery-app inserts.
- Orders flow in — customers scan → browse → pay via UPI/card or choose cash → order appears in your live dashboard and prints in the kitchen.
Why a QR Menu + WhatsApp Ordering Beats a Plain Digital Menu
- The order is captured, not just read. A PDF menu still needs a waiter. A Tezzu QR menu takes the order, the address (for delivery), and the payment.
- You capture the customer. Every order gives you a WhatsApp contact you can re-engage with broadcasts — new items, weekend offers, festival specials.
- Repeat orders happen on WhatsApp. After the first order, customers just message you — you're one tap away in their chat list.
- Update instantly. Change a price or mark an item sold out — every QR code in your restaurant updates immediately, because the code points to a live page.
- It's Google-indexable. Your store page shows up in search results — a PDF on a table doesn't.
Where to Place Your QR Code
- Tables — tent cards or lamination stickers for dine-in self-ordering
- Counter — for walk-ins who want to skip the queue
- Delivery packaging — turn every aggregator delivery into a future direct order ("Order direct next time — scan & get 15% off")
- Storefront glass — passers-by can browse even when you're closed
- Instagram bio & Google Business profile — same link, no QR needed
What Does It Cost?
| Typical QR menu software | Tezzu | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | ₹500–2,000/month | Free plan available |
| Online ordering | Often extra | Included |
| Payments | Often extra | UPI, cards, net banking (Starter+) |
| WhatsApp ordering | Not included | Included — your own number |
| KOT printing | Separate POS needed | Built in |
| Commission | Varies | 0% — flat ₹10/order |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can customers order without downloading an app?
Yes. The QR opens a normal web page — they browse, pay, and order in the browser, or continue on WhatsApp. No download.
Can I use the same QR menu for dine-in and delivery?
Yes. Customers choose delivery, pickup, or dine-in at checkout, and your delivery zones and charges apply automatically.
How do I update the menu after printing QR codes?
Just edit your menu in the dashboard. The QR code never changes — it points to your live store page.
Do QR menu orders print in my kitchen?
Yes. With Tezzu's KOT system, orders from the QR menu print automatically on your kitchen thermal printer.