How to make a QR code menu you can update without reprinting

QR code menus are now normal in restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels. The best ones have one thing in common: when prices or dishes change, nobody reprints anything.

The trick is simple. The QR code shouldn’t point to a file. It should point to an address whose content you can change.

The setup in one sentence

Host your menu at a permanent web address, put that address in a QR code, and replace the menu behind the address whenever it changes.

Step 1: Prepare your menu

You have two good options:

• A PDF — easiest if your menu is already designed. Export it from Canva, Word, InDesign or wherever you made it. Keep it light (under 5 MB) so it opens fast on mobile data.
• A web page — better on phones because text reflows and you can tap sections. Ask an AI assistant: “Turn this menu into a single mobile-friendly HTML page with sections for starters, mains, desserts and drinks.”

Step 2: Put it online

1. Create a free StaticHero account.
2. Choose an address like harbour-cafe-menu.statichero.site.
3. Drop your PDF or HTML file in.

A PDF gets a clean full-screen viewer with a download button.

Step 3: Download the QR code

Open the site in your dashboard. The QR code is already there — download it as SVG for print (it stays sharp at any size) or PNG for digital use.

Printing tips:

• At least 2.5 cm (1 inch) square on table cards, larger on posters.
• Dark code on a light background with a margin around it.
• Test the printed proof with a couple of different phones before printing hundreds.

Step 4: Update whenever you like

New seasonal dish? Price change? Upload the new PDF or page to the same site. Every printed QR code now shows the new menu — and the old version is kept in history if you need it back.

Optional: use your own domain

menu.harbourcafe.com looks more trustworthy than a generic address. Connect it on a paid plan and print the QR code for that address instead.

Optional: see how many people scan

With analytics on a paid plan, you’ll see visits, peak times and devices. Add ?utm_source=table to the address in the QR code, and ?utm_source=window in the one on your front window, to compare where scans come from.

Why not a dynamic QR code service?

Many QR generators give you a “dynamic” code that routes through their own short link — and stop redirecting when you stop paying. Encoding your own address avoids that dependency entirely.

Print once. Update forever.