I took a client out to lunch. The waitress came to the table, directed our attention to the qr code and left. I was wanting to connect with my guest but instead had to get out my phone, point it at the qr code then peer at a screen, which is the height of bad manners when you are in someone else’s company, choose what I wanted then hand my phone to my guest, which is a revolting and unhygienic thing to do, nowhere else in society is this expected, then he had to do the same, choose something to eat, then I’m damned if I didn’t have to pay for it there and then at the table, get out my credit card and complete the transaction, just such bad manners and embarrassing. Dealing with money has rules and expectations in our society. Are we meant to go through some sort of “I’ll pay/no please I’ll pay” ritual over a qr code menu at the beginning of the meal? Ugh. I hated every moment of that experience.
Instead of enjoying and exploring the menu, chatting lightly about the choices available, I couldn’t wait to get the awful experience over with.
The printed menu, and the human interaction with the waiter, are an integral and key part of the experience of eating out, and if a restaurant owner doesn’t understand that then they really don’t know what business they are in.
QR code menus are lazy, impersonal, offensively pushing me to use tech when I don’t want to, inconvenient, tasteless and generally the absolute opposite of the experience I want when dining out.
Makes no sense to me that restaurant owners think they are a good idea.
I can see why they’d be good at Macdonalds or fast food restaurants but that’s it.
When I book a restaurant I now ask if the use QR code menus and if they do then I cancel.