Germans reject QR menu in restaurants

A recent survey shows that restaurants have adopted a service that many guests hate. That’s the point.

A visit to a restaurant should be as carefree, convenient and easy as possible. However, due to a small innovation that was introduced a few years ago, this is no longer the case for many guests. This is especially true when it comes to the menu. This is usually no longer available on the table as a printed or bound version. Instead, there is a sticker on the table with a QR code that guests have to scan in order to see what is on offer.

A survey by the POS system and payment platform Lightspeed now shows that this service is not well received by Germans. The majority of Germans (85.73 percent) still prefer printed menus. At the same time, however, acceptance of digital alternatives is growing, especially among tech-savvy guests.

According to the international survey, only 14.57 percent of Germans prefer to use QR code menus. However, if restaurants offer menus via QR code, half of Germans (43.51 percent) quickly use the service. On the other hand, one in three guests (35.13 percent) refuses to point their mobile phone at the code and insists on receiving a physical menu. If that is not possible, guests (6.59 percent) ask the service staff to tell them what dishes are on offer. Almost as many (6.29 percent) even leave the restaurant if there are only digital menus. Overall, one in three respondents (30.64 percent) admit to hating QR code menus.

However, the survey also shows that guests are aware of the advantages of QR code menus: the digital version is considered more convenient (16.47 percent) and more hygienic (24.45 percent).

The survey was conducted in May 2024 by Lightspeed together with survey provider Medallia. Over 7,500 people from Germany, Great Britain, Canada, the USA, France, the Netherlands and Belgium were surveyed – 1,002 people took part in the survey in Germany.

All participants were over 18 years old and had visited a restaurant in the last six months. The survey results are anonymous and have been quality checked to ensure a reasonable margin of error.

For its reporting, t-online focused on the answers of the German participants.