Restaurants are ditching ‘tacky’ QR codes and bringing back paper menus after customer backlash

Street Knowledge

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Restaurant patrons have had their fill of menu QR codes.

Once a new-age innovation to easily and quickly access menus on your smartphone, the existence of the humble barcode plastered to the table is now the hallmark of a tacky eatery.

“It’s like self-checkout or putting your own IKEA stuff together,” Oz du Soleil, a 59-year-old software trainer, told the Wall Street Journal.

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Recently, Soleil walked out of a Las Vegas brunch spot before even placing an order for his matcha latte because of the digitized menu, telling the Journal it felt like work to use his phone and voiced concerns over data privacy.

He is one of the many patrons nationwide who have lamented the proliferation of QR code menus, prompting restaurants to ditch the square barcodes altogether in favor of tried and true paper menus.

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“In the restaurant industry, the QR code menu is seen as a little bit tacky,” Teddie King, the director of operations at the Japanese chain Zuma, told the Journal.

Zuma swapped QR codes for paper two years ago after the pandemic, which proved to be a boon for the barcodes as eateries attempted to limi the transfers of germs — after all, menus are one of the dirtiest surfaces in a restaurant.

According to The Journal, a survey conducted earlier this year by Technomic revealed that QR codes would not encourage customers to dine at a restaurant more often. The market research firm also reported that, in 2022, 88% of diners preferred paper menus over QR codes at sit-down establishments.
 

Sir Richard Spirit

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Me and my wife was at restaurant in Holland Michigan. We were driving through from a resort and we were hungry. Me and my wife sit down and the waitress puts down a QR code and walked off.

I scanned the code and it nothing but bar specials. I didn’t want any liquor because I was already high as hell from some edibles. My wife said she didn’t want a drink either.

So after 10 minutes I stop a waitress and was like hey can we get a dinner menu? She was like you gotta scan the QR code. I was like I did and it was all alcohol we not drinking.. she was like well you have to order something and when your order comes you get a dinner menu.

I scanned it again to order some pop or water but there was nothing but alcohol. I ordered 3 beers and a shot of Belvidiere. When the waitress came to the table with the drinks we got up and walked out.


I play dirty to :manny:
 

Elim Garak

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Why would you want restaurants to waste paper unless you old? No reason you should need a printed menu in 2024.
 

Bunchy Carter

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Oh wait your eyes were opened hygienically only post covid, right?
Been using paper menus for 20+ years but now you're riding your high horse with your QR codes now. Knock it off man.

It's funny hearing people talk about how paper menus are not hygienic and perfer QR codes, and these are the same people who do not wash their hands before eating.
 
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