A QR code menu lets guests open your menu on their phone by scanning a code on the table. For a café or restaurant in Kenya, it means you can put your prices in shillings online, change them in seconds and stop reprinting menus. You can start free, in about 10 minutes.
- Photograph your menu and let AI type it in at QR Menus (free plan).
- Check every dish and price, and set your currency to KSh.
- Open the menu on your own phone.
- Download the QR code and print it at a local print shop.
- Put it on every table, with “Scan for menu” next to it.
Why a QR menu suits Kenyan cafés and restaurants
- Change prices without reprinting. When the cost of an ingredient changes, edit the price online. Every printed code shows the new price straight away.
- Mark a dish sold out or add today’s special in seconds, so guests don’t order something the kitchen cannot make.
- Save on printing. Paper menus get stained, torn and out of date. A small QR card lasts for months.
- Customers already use their phones. Guests scan with the normal camera; no app is needed.
- Add WhatsApp ordering. On the Starter plan and above, each dish has a WhatsApp button that opens a chat with the dish and price already typed in.
Set it up for your place
- Create your free account Go to QR Menus and enter your email. You get a login link by email — no password to remember. New accounts can use every feature free for 7 days, with no card needed.
- Add your menu with AI Take a clear photo of your menu (flat, well lit, from straight above) or upload a PDF, Word or Excel file. AI fills in your sections, dishes and prices. You can also type it in. The free plan includes 2 AI reads a month.
- Set your currency and check every price In your menu details, type KSh as the currency. Then go through each dish and compare it with your paper menu. AI can make mistakes, so check every price before you print.
- Write it the way your guests speak Dish names and descriptions are text you type, so you can use English, Swahili or both. Add short notes for dishes that guests may not know, and put your best sellers near the top of each section.
- Check it on your phone Open the menu the way a guest would. Is anything missing or hard to read? Fix it before you print.
- Download and print the QR code Download the QR code image and take it to a local print shop, or print it yourself. Make it at least 2 cm wide, dark on a light background, with “Scan for menu” next to it.
- Put it where guests will see it On every table, at the entrance and at the counter. Laminate cards or use stickers so spills don’t ruin them.
Keep a few paper menus. Some guests don’t have a smartphone or don’t have data. A QR menu replaces most paper menus, not every one.
Tips for a busy restaurant
- Good light matters for scanning. A code in a dark corner or behind shiny glass is hard to read.
- Test with two phones before you print many copies, ideally an iPhone and an Android.
- Update when things change, not later. Guests trust the menu they see.
- Put the same code in more places: on takeaway bags, flyers, your window and your social media, so people can find your menu when they are not at your table.
- Put your Wi-Fi code next to it. See how to make a Wi-Fi QR code.
Free or paid
You can run a QR menu for free: one text menu with unlimited dishes, a downloadable QR code and 2 AI reads a month. Paid plans add food photos, your logo and colours, daily specials, a “sold out” switch and the WhatsApp button. Starter is from $1.99 a month, shown in US dollars and paid by card in Kenya shillings at the day’s rate. Plans are prepaid, with no automatic renewal. See all QR Menus plans.
Make your QR code menu now
Free plan, no card needed. Snap your menu and AI types it in for you.
Questions people ask
Can I show my prices in Kenya shillings?
Yes. In your menu details, type the currency you use, for example KSh, and your prices show as “KSh 350”. You can change it any time.
Do my customers need an app?
No. Most smartphones read QR codes with the normal camera. Guests point the camera at the code and the menu opens in their web browser.
Can I use it for a café, hotel, bar or nyama choma place?
Yes. It works for any menu: food, drinks, breakfast, room service or a poolside bar. A shop or salon can use QR Price Lists the same way.
Can I write the menu in Swahili?
Yes. Dish names and descriptions are text you type, so you can write them in English, Swahili or both.
How do I pay for a paid plan?
Plans are shown in US dollars (Starter from $1.99 a month) and paid by card, charged in Kenya shillings at the day’s rate. Plans are prepaid and do not renew automatically. The free plan needs no card.
What if my internet goes down at the restaurant?
Guests use their own phone’s data, not your internet. Keep a few printed menus at the counter for guests without a phone or data.
Related guides and tools
- How to make a QR code menu — the full guide, with print sizes and mistakes to avoid.
- Turn a paper menu into a QR menu with AI
- QR Menus — your menu on a QR code, with a free plan.
- QR Price Lists — the same idea for salons, barbershops and shops.