Paper Menus vs. QR Codes: What Diners Actually Want
When restaurants reopened in 2020, QR code menus showed up on almost every table. It made sense at the time. Five years and a stack of diner surveys later, the question is simple: what do guests actually want to hold when they sit down?
We pulled the most recent independent surveys we could find, each with a date and a source you can check. Here is what they say, including the parts that make the case for QR codes.
The short answer: most diners want a printed menu
|
81%
of diners prefer a physical menu. Only 1% prefer a QR code.
Toast blind survey, 850 U.S. adults, Sept. 2024
|
88%
of consumers prefer paper menus at sit-down restaurants.
Technomic survey, 1,000 consumers, May 2022
|
|
58%
of people who have used QR menus want to go back to paper.
Ipsos Consumer Tracker, July 2025
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66%
of diners prefer menus that include photos of the food.
Toast blind survey, Sept. 2024
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So what about the rest? Toast did not publish a full breakdown, but the remaining answers went to other formats like a tablet the restaurant hands you. The QR code finished last in every group.
Here is the twist: more people are using QR menus than ever. Ipsos found usage climbed from 42% in 2022 to 65% in 2025. Yet only 37% say they like the experience. Guests are scanning because they have to, not because they want to.
It is not just older guests
The easy assumption is that paper menus are for grandparents and QR codes are for everyone else. The data does not back that up.
- Gen Z: 86% prefer paper menus (Technomic).
- Millennials: 82% prefer paper menus (Technomic).
- Guests 55 and up: 90% prefer traditional menus (Toast).
The generation that grew up on phones still wants something real to hold at dinner.
Why diners push back on QR menus
Technomic asked people what bothers them. The top answers were practical, not nostalgic:
- 66% dislike having to pull out their phone as soon as they sit down.
- 57% said QR codes feel like a chore.
- 55% said QR menus are harder to read and browse.
- 20% told Toast there is nothing they like about QR menus at all.
Think about how people read a menu. They scan the whole thing, flip back, compare two dishes, and point at something to ask the server. A phone screen turns that into pinching, zooming, and scrolling. Add a dead battery or one bar of signal and the table is stuck.
Where QR codes earn their keep
QR codes are not all bad, and pretending otherwise would not help you run a better restaurant. Here is the fair case for them:
- They feel cleaner to a lot of guests. 67% of consumers told Technomic a QR menu is more sanitary. About 17% of Toast respondents said avoiding a dirty menu is what they like most.
- They are easy to change. New price, sold-out special, or tonight's fish? Update a web page instead of reprinting.
- Some guests like the paper savings. 46% of QR users told Ipsos they like that it saves paper, down from 55% in 2022.
- A loyal minority wants them. 39% of QR users hope restaurants keep using them (Ipsos).
You may also hear that QR ordering raises check averages. Those numbers mostly come from companies that sell QR ordering software, so we would treat them as a sales pitch until there is independent data.
The scorecard: paper vs. QR
| What matters | Printed menu | QR code menu | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| What guests prefer | 81% choose it | 1% choose it | Printed |
| Reading and browsing | Whole menu at a glance | Small screen, lots of scrolling | Printed |
| Works for every guest | No phone, battery, or signal needed | Needs a charged phone and a connection | Printed |
| Showing off your food | Full-color photos right on the page | Photos possible, but small | Printed |
| Feels sanitary | Paper menus get grimy. Waterproof menus wipe clean. | Nothing shared to touch | Tie, if you can wipe it |
| Changing prices and specials | Means a reprint | Update in minutes | QR |
| Scam risk | Nothing to scan | The FTC has warned that scammers hide bad links in QR codes | Printed |
Printed menus win on the things guests care about. QR codes win on flexibility. So the smart move is not picking a side.
The best of both: a printed menu with a small QR code
|
1
Print the core menu
Put the dishes that rarely change on a printed menu at every seat. That is what 81% of your guests want to hold.
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2
Add a small QR code
Use it for what changes: daily specials, allergen details, the wine list, or online ordering.
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3
Make it wipe clean
A waterproof menu answers the hygiene worry. Wipe it down between tables and hand it to the next guest.
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Guests get the menu they prefer. You get a spot for the things that change every week. Nobody has to squint at a phone to order a burger.
Ready to put a real menu back on the table?We print full-color waterproof menus from your artwork, QR code included if you want one. Just add it to your design before you send it over.
Most orders ship same or next business day. |
Paper menus vs. QR codes: quick answers
Do diners prefer paper menus or QR codes?
Paper, by a wide margin. In Toast's 2024 survey, 81% preferred a physical menu and 1% preferred a QR code. Technomic's 2022 survey found 88% preferred paper at sit-down restaurants.
Are QR code menus going away?
Not yet. Ipsos found more people used them in 2025 than in 2022. But fewer people like them, and 58% of users want paper back. Expect QR codes to stick around as a backup, not the main event.
Are QR code menus more sanitary?
Many guests think so. 67% told Technomic a QR menu feels more sanitary. A waterproof printed menu that you wipe down between tables closes most of that gap.
Should my restaurant use both?
For most restaurants, yes. Keep a printed menu at every seat and add a small QR code for specials, allergens, or ordering. You get what guests prefer and the flexibility of a digital menu.
Sources
- Toast, QR code menu insights, blind survey of 850 U.S. adults, September 2024.
- Restaurant Business, Customers really don't like QR code menus, reporting a Technomic survey of 1,000 consumers, 2022.
- Ipsos, QR code menus are growing even less popular, Ipsos Consumer Tracker, July 2025.
- CNBC, QR codes may be a gateway to identity theft, FTC warns, December 2023.
