Consumers Avoid QR Code Menus at Independent Restaurants

When it comes to QR code menus, consumers are rarely huge fans, and this dislike is more pronounced at independent restaurants.

By the Numbers

According to the PYMNTS Intelligence and Paytronix study last year, “Digital Divide: Technology, Customer Service and Innovation in the Restaurant Industry,” which drew from a survey of nearly 2,400 U.S. consumers, 23% of respondents felt positively about viewing menus with QR codes at independent restaurants. In contrast, a larger share but still the minority — 38% — said they felt positively about QR code menus at chain restaurants.

The Data in Context

While consumers do not want QR code menus, there may be other parts of the restaurant experience where they feel more positively about the technology.

In an interview with PYMNTS posted in July, Suzie Tsai, who was then vice president of marketing at casual dining chain On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, explained that while the restaurant had largely returned to traditional menus, QR code payments continued to contribute positively both to efficiency and to the customer experience.

“No longer do guests have to scan the QR code — if they want, they certainly can — … but we went back to the more traditional ways of providing a menu,” Tsai said at the time. “On the payment side, we continue to work through how to make making payments easier because so much of it has to do with the pacing and timing of service and giving the guests a short, easy, faster checkout experience.”

Meanwhile, fast-casual chain Sweetgreen has been using QR codes to drive in-store use of its digital loyalty program.

“With nearly 50% of Sweetgreen customers purchasing in-store, we are excited to offer the best of our rewards across all our owned channels,” Sweetgreen Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Nathaniel Ru said in September. “Starting today, our loyalty program works on all in-store orders, driving unmatched value, customer experience and savings with the simplicity of in-person scanning.”