Printed menus go out of date the week onion prices spike. A digital menu lives at a link you control, updates in seconds, and reaches the customer through a QR on the table — no app to install, no aggregator commission. This tool lets you build a categorised menu with prices, veg/non-veg markers, descriptions and daily specials, generates the QR for table tents and the door, and includes a camera QR scanner so you can test it on the spot. Everything is created in your browser and the menu link is shareable on WhatsApp and Instagram.
Who this is for
Cafés, dhabas, cloud kitchens, tiffin services, bakeries, bars, and hotel room-service desks — anyone who changes prices or dishes more often than they want to reprint. It also suits salons and clinics that publish a "menu" of services, and home bakers who send a WhatsApp catalogue every festive season. Restaurants competing with delivery apps are using QR menus plus a WhatsApp order link to take direct orders without the 20–30% commission; see Quick commerce vs the kirana for how neighbourhood businesses are winning direct customers back.
What a good digital menu includes
| Element | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Categories in eating order | Starters → mains → breads → desserts → drinks; customers scan top to bottom |
| Veg / non-veg / egg markers | Mandatory under FSSAI labelling norms for packaged food and expected on menus |
| Prices with "taxes extra" or "inclusive" stated | GST on restaurant food is 5% without ITC; state it once, clearly |
| Short descriptions and allergens | "Contains nuts", "spicy", "Jain option available" reduce back-and-forth |
| Specials and out-of-stock toggles | Hide the paneer tikka the moment it runs out |
| Contact and order link | Phone, WhatsApp, delivery radius, timings |
Menu items are a good place to reuse product photos — compress them with the photo resizer so the page loads on slow mobile data, and clean the background with the background remover for a consistent look.
How to use the menu creator
- Add your outlet name, logo, timings and contact.
- Create categories, then items with price, veg/non-veg flag and an optional description or photo. Drag to reorder.
- Mark today's specials and hide anything unavailable.
- Publish the menu link and download the QR — print it on table tents, the counter, the door and takeaway boxes.
- Use the built-in camera scanner to test the QR from a phone before printing 50 copies.
Pricing and GST on the menu
Restaurant service is taxed at 5% GST without input credit for standalone restaurants, and 18% with ITC for those inside hotels with room tariffs above ₹7,500. Most small outlets print inclusive prices for walk-ins and add "5% GST extra" for billed orders — whichever you choose, say it on the menu and match it on the bill from the GST invoice generator. If you are under the composition scheme (turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, 5% for restaurants), you cannot charge GST separately at all; the GST composition scheme guide explains the trade-off.
Use the profit margin calculator to price dishes on food cost — most cafés aim for 30–35% food cost — and the discount calculator for happy-hour or combo pricing.
Practical tips
- One QR, many placements. Print at 5–6 cm for table tents and 10 cm for the door; the URL QR generator can make extra sizes or a coloured version.
- Keep the link short and include it in your Google Business Profile so search shows "View menu".
- Photograph in daylight, same angle, same plate — consistency sells more than filters.
- Update prices before the shift, not during; customers photograph menus.
- Ask for reviews on the last page with the Google review request builder.
Related tools
- WhatsApp direct link & QR — take orders without an app.
- UPI QR standee — payment QR beside the menu QR.
- Photo resizer & compressor — fast-loading dish photos.
- GST invoice generator — bills that match the menu.
- Google review request — turn diners into ratings.