As an investor in a QR code menu ordering company (StoreKit), I know firsthand that bar/restaurant owner sentiment is also mixed. Some owners see clear value i

As an investor in a QR code menu ordering company (StoreKit), I know firsthand that bar/restaurant owner sentiment is also mixed. Some owners see clear value in increased labour efficiency and revenue generation (people order more when using their phones), while others don’t want their customers playing with phones because it cheapens the experience. It’s really just a matter of product-market fit; some venues are naturally more receptive to QR codes than others. The jury is still out as to which venues they are. It’s also a matter of technology catching up to the ordering experience. Who wouldn’t want to see an AR version of their dish and be able to interact with it? Imagine scrolling through every menu item as if it were right in front of you, clicking on it, zooming in, seeing the exact portions, having all dietary and ingredient information readily available and being able to tinker with your order at will, having interactive information about the source of ingredients.. The possibilities are truly endless and fully customizable by each venue. Ordering is also a subtle signalling tool of social status, so taking that away will upset some people, like snobs at The Atlantic. Some people like showing off how much they know about an ingredient on the menu, displaying dominance over waiters/waitresses and even fellow guests, etc. The only way to have mass adoption is to please everyone, which you can’t at the early stages. That’s why it‘s currently being used by venues that are getting a lot of value from it. (Labour efficiency) Journalists are not hired for their imagination, particularly at The Atlantic (establishment conformists). Using tech to order from a menu will only get better over time because, at the end of the day, the paying customer will enjoy the experience. But we’re not there yet for most venues.