i run a small 18-table Mediterranean restaurant in Florence... every season, as our seasonal recipes changed and supplier prices went up, reprinting the menus was turning into a major expense. tbh we were reprinting three times a year, paying around 450 euros each time including design and binding... both to cut this cost and to speed up operations six months ago we got rid of all physical menus on the tables and put up QR codes on acrylic stands.
during the first few months, being able to instantly hide sold-out items and update prices in just a few seconds via the digital admin panel was an incredible convenience. our printing costs dropped to zero, and we only started paying 25 euros a month for the menu software... i mean but things on the dining floor didn't turn out quite as rosy as we'd hoped.
our local Italian regulars especially those over 50, were really annoyed about having to pull out their phones the second they sat down. cell reception is weak at the back of the restaurant, which led to awkward back-and-forths between waiters and tourists who couldn't get the menu to load then i mean plus our expectation that "QR menus would speed up ordering" didn't really pan out; people simply don't make decisions as quickly while scrolling on a screen as they do flipping through a physical page. i wanted to share these experiences for anyone planning to switch to QR menus and ask how it's been working out for you.