Why we still print menus

For a few years, the QR code on the table became the default menu almost everywhere. It was practical at the time, and for some places it still is. But when small restaurants ask us today whether they should print menus again, our answer is usually yes.

A menu is part of the room

The weight of the paper, the way the type sits on the page, the small drawing in the corner — a printed menu is often the only piece of the brand a guest holds in their hands. A phone screen, with its notifications and low battery warnings, pulls people out of the room instead.

Printing small is easier than it looks

Most of our hospitality clients change their menus every season or even every week. We design a simple template with fixed headings and flexible text areas, so the owner can update dishes and prices in a word processor and print on a good office printer. Only the cover is printed professionally, once a year.

Keep the QR code — just not instead

We still add a small QR code linking to the online menu, for guests who want larger text or a translation. It sits at the bottom of the page, where it helps without taking over.

Paper menus cost a little more in time and money. In return, guests slow down, read, and remember the place. For a small restaurant, that is worth a lot.