Like Rex Manning, it seems like ten years ago for a total of three days, QR codes were all the rage. Until they weren’t. Here we are in a time when restaurants can’t have menus touching more than one patron’s fingertips for fear of “The ‘Rona” (as I hear the cool kids calling it) and what do you know, restaurants are clamoring for table tents with QR codes for their menus. Please know that I disdain QR codes too and yet here I am writing a late-night 500-worder to tell you how to make one. Why, you ask? Because today I received calls from two customers telling me that a nice human came into their restaurant selling a service where they will give a restaurant a QR code and charge the restaurant $0.10 every time someone scans it, for the privilege. Are you hearing my deadpan? There are so many amazing subscription services – Spotify, taxes, healthcare, insurance, cell phones….ok, maybe they’re not all great but at least they provide a service. A QR code isn’t a service, it’s a picture of a barcode. If you own a retail shop and I walk in and say, “Hey! I’m going to print out all your barcodes in the store, and every time you scan one, I’m going to charge you $0.10. Cool?” We both know how that sales pitch would go. I think you get where I’m going with this, so let’s get to it. Here’s how you create a QR code for your restaurant menu faster than Dominos can deliver a pizza, and for less dough. (See what I did there? I’m a sucker for double-entendres, but we’ll get to more French stuff later.)
Step 1. Find a digital version of your restaurant logo
Make sure it’s a .PNG or .JPG file. If you’re feeling lucky, a .GIF will work, too. If you’re one of those creative types that I wish I was, .AI and .EPS will also work, but you’ll have to convert to one of the three previous all the same.
Step 2. Go to https://www.unitag.io/qrcode
The truth is there are 2,700 places you can go on the internet to get a free QR code but I like Unicode because they make it super easy to drop your logo in the middle, change the color, and download a hi-resolution version for print and digital.
Step 3. Create your QR code
Upload your logo, choose the color of your QR Code (I’m a fan of matching the QR code color to the color of your logo background), enter the URL of your menu online, and then download that bad boy. WAIT! I know I said to download. Before you do, you’re going to be asked if you want to pay for a high-resolution download. I know, I said it was free. Sue me - I need more results on Google and I know you didn’t come here after searching, “How do I create a QR code for my restaurant for six euros.” Download the free QR code if you wish – you won’t hear me gripe, but I’m classy, and I like the finer things in life. Moreover, the hi-resolution file is going to be easier for your patrons to scan and will look better, and let’s be honest – it’s like $7 USD. Just pay the couple bucks and get the thing. I know you’re thinking, did he just say, “Euros?” I did. Welcome to the second buttonhook – Unitag is a French company. Their website is in English, but you’ll get a pretty cool receipt in French, which might actually be worth the seven bucks.
Step 4. Test your QR code
That was a long step 3. Don’t get lost and forget step 4 – TEST YOUR QR CODE! Wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Or you could just forget the whole thing and put a table tent that says, “Go to www.myfood.com/menu to view our menu," but I digress.
