Digital Menus
QR Menus for Coffee Shops
In a coffee shop a QR menu works best in three places: in the queue, so guests decide before they reach the till; on the tables, so seated guests can read — and if you allow it, order — without getting up; and in the window, for people deciding whether to come in. Whether guests order from the code or only read it depends on how your bar copes with orders arriving from two directions.
Where to put the codes
- The queue: at eye level, a few steps before the till, so the decision happens while waiting.
- Every table: one code per table, so a seated order says where to bring it.
- The window or door: the menu for people outside, readable from the pavement.
- Takeaway cups or bags, if you take orders ahead for pickup.
Read only, or order from the code?
| Set-up | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Read only | Guests read the menu, then order at the till | Small shops, quick counter service |
| Order from the table | Seated guests order and the drink comes to them | Shops with plenty of seating |
| Order ahead for pickup | Guests order before they arrive and collect | Commuter rush, takeaway-heavy shops |
Protect the bar at the rush
Orders from the code and orders from the till end up at the same espresso machine. If both arrive in separate places, the barista works from two lists and drinks go out of order. Make sure every order lands in one queue, in the order it was placed, and that someone accepts phone orders before they are made — especially pickup orders for guests who may still be ten minutes away.
Make coffee orders unambiguous
- One item per drink, with size, milk and extra shots as options, so the cup is right first time.
- Use the names your baristas call out, so the screen and the call match.
- Keep the pastry case honest: mark items sold out as the tray empties.
Regulars and loyalty
Coffee shops live on regulars. If guests order through the menu, members of your loyalty programme can collect points with every order automatically, instead of a paper card that gets lost in a wallet. Keep the till open for the regular who just says "the usual".
Check what is actually scanned
After a few weeks, look at which codes guests use and at what time. A queue code nobody scans is in the wrong place; a table code that is scanned all afternoon tells you seated ordering is worth keeping.
For how to structure the menu itself, see the best digital menu setup for cafés.
See also Thmenu for cafés and coffee shops.
A coffee shop QR menu with Thmenu
In Thmenu you add your tables — the counter and the window can be places too, marked as a counter, a queue point or a pickup point — and download a print-ready PDF with one code per place. A table code tells the menu where the guest is; a general code opens the menu without one, for the queue or the window. Codes keep working when you rename the menu link. Seated ordering and pickup each have their own switch, every order reaches the kitchen screen and waits for staff to accept it, and orders placed through Thmenu earn loyalty points for guests who joined your loyalty programme. Scans are counted per day and per table.