I don't often agree with boomer takes, but I agree with this one.

I'm with boomers on this. It's even worse if it redirects you to their FB page

That's not a menu! That's a QR code!

So I threw it on the ground

What drives me up the wall is when it just links to a scanned image of the menu they used to have, so instead of a full sized menu, you have to pinch and zoom and swipe around on your phone. What's the fucking point? I went to one and the menu was FOUR PAGES LONG like that! If I hadn't been promising my daughter I'd take her, I would have walked out.

I am fine with it but I feel they should have alternatives. Some people don 't have a device, connection. Or have issues with using technology for whatever reason, being old, incapacitated, etc.

It shouldn't be on the customer to have the tech to view a menu. If you're gonna run a restaurant, have a paper menu available to customers somewhere, even if your primary menu is behind a QR-code.

I went to a restaurant that had the barcode menu. I prefer a physical menu, but fine whatever. The problem was, there was no reception inside the restaurant, and you couldn't connect to their wifi for whatever reason.

I don't know why but the QR menus just piss me off in a service restaurant. I won't use em (been bailed out by a date more than once).

For a counter place where they are just slinging me the food? Ok I guess. But if we're out paying for a dinner that'll hopefully lead to nookie, phones should be the last thing on the table.

You're supposed to enjoy your meal, then tape a QR code to the table and say that's your payment as you walk out.

I love and seek out restaurants that use online ordering and payment. I don't need someone waiting on me. I'm in the US and they are not paid a living wage, the work is difficult with little reward. Now there is a place in my neighborhood where you sit down the QR code is table based, interaction is simple, clear and designed to work (uses Toast as the backend iirc). You order, the order stays open till you pay it's a restaurant/bar so if you need another you don't have to do anything but tap on your phone. They have amazing helpful servers that are paid well. You pay on your phone and leave when you are done. It's amazing.

I think this is more about power dynamics than currency and menus. I think many people just want or more accurately demand that others (with less power) to serve them. I've even heard people say "it's not my job to check me out or take my order." Those same people treat their waitress like shit, when those waitresses are paid basically nothing to take the abuse. Then they try to weasel out of the bill. Seen it time and time again.

Now, some restaurants do poor a poor implementation of modern menus and it's frustrating. However... long term those that do it well will win. It reduces friction and costs leading to lower prices higher margins and quicker more accurate service.

I am serious. And don't call me surly.

Yeah I'd just walk out if the restaurant can't afford menus

I use a LightPhone II which has no camera. It gets me out of this bullshit all the time.

Oh yeah. I absolutely hate this new trend.

Doubly egregious when you have one of those annoying GDPR windows that make opting out a hassle just to view the menu. I’ve left restaurants over this.

I feel that. I can't stand this crap and I get you wanna save paper but some of us don't bring phones everywhere we go or we just have a flip phone or a phone without service. If you really wanna save paper instead of using more paper to print out a QR code just get a chalkboard or whiteboard

I've been to a dine-in movie theater that had QR codes for the menu. Problem is, I typically don't bring my phone to a movie AND since you can order during the movie, who wants people turning their phones on to read a menu?

They keep trying this in our small town, and they find out.

At my age my phone is too small sized for me to be able to view a menu properly.

Now if they want to loan me a tablet to review the menu I'd be fine with that.