30 ms·

I've actually stood up and left restaurants when their QR menu sends me to IG.

tough 3y ago
Hahahaha I was picturing this idea before asking tbh... We sometimes get some customers who hate the QR's, or claim not having phone/signal/whatever. I'll lend them my phone to check...
- arrowsmith 3y ago
  Or you could just print a goddamn paper menu?
  - wpietri 3y ago
    Who still has a printer? Maybe they could fax you one instead?
    - duckmysick 3y ago
      Print shops. Restaurants already source their materials and equipment from other suppliers. They don't grow their own food; they don't need to print their own menus.
      - wpietri 3y ago
        Sure, the same is true of anything written. But much of that has shifted to digital media because it's more convenient. A print shop has much higher latency and change costs. The newer restaurants in my neighborhood mostly use flexible ways of conveying prices. QR codes, menus on big screens, chalkboards, or computer-printed paper menus on disposable paper.
        boring_twenties 3y ago
        More convenient for the restaurant, less convenient for the customer. This defeats the whole purpose of a restaurant, which is to be convenient. If I wanted to be inconvenienced I would just buy groceries and cook them at home.
        wpietri 3y ago
        I don't think it's "the customer". I think it's you and some other folks who are in a relatively narrow customer niche who are very big on convenience and grew up on paper menus, making those feel convenient. I'd add that the whole purpose of a restaurant isn't convenience for the customer. That's the purpose of going there for many customers, which should of course be honored. But the purpose of them for restaurateurs are generally on the order of "make an enjoyable living", which involves convenience for them too. As with almost anything social, the outcome must balance the desires of all involved.
        boring_twenties 3y ago
        They don't feel convenient because we grew up on them, they feel convenient because your alternative is obviously and extremely inconvenient.
    - godelski 3y ago
      Businesses Come on, you can get one for under $100
- totallywrong 3y ago
  I'm one of those customers. QR menus must die.
- mcpackieh 3y ago
  I'd refuse to touch your phone and insult you for the offer. If you don't have a paper menu the question of me giving you money is already off the table; the food is forgotten and my new mission in your restaurant is to punish you with my vindictive attitude. If enough waitresses complain about obnoxious boomers giving them grief, I think the business owner will eventually wisen up.
  - shagie 3y ago
    At The Fish Market, they had menus printed out each day with the current market rates of all the fish that they had and modified it for that day's availability. Each day, they had new paper menus ( https://menucuisine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-Fish-Market-Palo-Alto-Menu-1.jpg https://menucuisine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-Fish-... - note the top) Their menu is now also at https://order.online/store/the-fish-market-palo-alto-723242/?hideModal=true&pickup=true https://order.online/store/the-fish-market-palo-alto-723242/... I'm not sure if they still have paper menus or what the expense of those menus were.
  - throwanem 3y ago
    You don't know how the restaurant business works, for one thing. For another, acting like an asshole to waitstaff just makes you look like an asshole, and gratifying yourself in public over your supposedly principled stand in acting like an asshole doubly so. QR code links to menus are bad, sure. I'd still rather eat at ten places that have those than one place that has you.
    - mcpackieh 3y ago
      > I'd still rather eat at ten places that have those than one place that has you. If my making a scene makes other customers upset, then it's working. I know businesses hate it when people do this, and that's why I know it's an effective tactic. The whole point of the protest is to sabotage the business by making everybody else in the room upset.
      - throwanem 3y ago
arrowsmith 3y ago
I wouldn't even make it this far, I'm not scanning their QR. Give me a paper menu or gtfo.
- mcpackieh 3y ago
  This. I've never scanned a QR code and I don't intend to learn how. And because the premise of a restaurant not having printed menus available is so absurd, I think I'd be compelled to stick around for a few minutes loudly insulting their business acumen before leaving (as I have done before at bars that didn't accept cash!) I consider this a service done for those who think like me but aren't brave enough to speak out themselves.
  - AeroNotix 3y ago
    The sad part is that practically all patrons that could hear you will just label you as a "Karen". The owners will not change their ways. It works for them, their client base and the vast majority of potential clients. People do not care at all whatsoever about their privacy being invaded, generally.
    - luuurker 3y ago
      Imagine you go out for launch and see this random guy "loudly insulting" the staff because of some random internet stuff you don't understand or care about. Maybe you won't call the guy "Karen", but I'd be very surprised if you approved of the situation... Unless, of course, you think that insulting low paid workers loudly is something good and to be proud of.
      - mcpackieh 3y ago
        The point is not to persuade you of my point of view, the point is to ruin the mood of the workers and customers. So if I leave you fuming about the Karen (eg me, but wrong gender fyi), mission accomplished. If it were legal I'd pull the fire alarm on my way out.
silasdavis 3y ago
Perfect on a first date.
- bombcar 3y ago
  You’ve got to case the restaurant, run background checks on the staff. Can the menu be read without a phone? If not, I gotta go somewhere else.
  - RadiozRadioz 3y ago
    Excellent reference.
    - bombcar 3y ago
      Glad it shone through even with the edits.
- kergonath 3y ago
  The risks of picking a place you don’t know for a date ;)

Hahahaha I was picturing this idea before asking tbh... We sometimes get some customers who hate the QR's, or claim not having phone/signal/whatever. I'll lend them my phone to check...

arrowsmith 3y ago
Or you could just print a goddamn paper menu?
- wpietri 3y ago
  Who still has a printer? Maybe they could fax you one instead?
  - duckmysick 3y ago
    Print shops. Restaurants already source their materials and equipment from other suppliers. They don't grow their own food; they don't need to print their own menus.
    - wpietri 3y ago
      Sure, the same is true of anything written. But much of that has shifted to digital media because it's more convenient. A print shop has much higher latency and change costs. The newer restaurants in my neighborhood mostly use flexible ways of conveying prices. QR codes, menus on big screens, chalkboards, or computer-printed paper menus on disposable paper.
      - boring_twenties 3y ago
        More convenient for the restaurant, less convenient for the customer. This defeats the whole purpose of a restaurant, which is to be convenient. If I wanted to be inconvenienced I would just buy groceries and cook them at home.
        wpietri 3y ago
        I don't think it's "the customer". I think it's you and some other folks who are in a relatively narrow customer niche who are very big on convenience and grew up on paper menus, making those feel convenient. I'd add that the whole purpose of a restaurant isn't convenience for the customer. That's the purpose of going there for many customers, which should of course be honored. But the purpose of them for restaurateurs are generally on the order of "make an enjoyable living", which involves convenience for them too. As with almost anything social, the outcome must balance the desires of all involved.
        boring_twenties 3y ago
        They don't feel convenient because we grew up on them, they feel convenient because your alternative is obviously and extremely inconvenient.
  - godelski 3y ago
    Businesses Come on, you can get one for under $100
totallywrong 3y ago
I'm one of those customers. QR menus must die.
mcpackieh 3y ago
I'd refuse to touch your phone and insult you for the offer. If you don't have a paper menu the question of me giving you money is already off the table; the food is forgotten and my new mission in your restaurant is to punish you with my vindictive attitude. If enough waitresses complain about obnoxious boomers giving them grief, I think the business owner will eventually wisen up.
- shagie 3y ago
  At The Fish Market, they had menus printed out each day with the current market rates of all the fish that they had and modified it for that day's availability. Each day, they had new paper menus ( https://menucuisine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-Fish-Market-Palo-Alto-Menu-1.jpg https://menucuisine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-Fish-... - note the top) Their menu is now also at https://order.online/store/the-fish-market-palo-alto-723242/?hideModal=true&pickup=true https://order.online/store/the-fish-market-palo-alto-723242/... I'm not sure if they still have paper menus or what the expense of those menus were.
- throwanem 3y ago
  You don't know how the restaurant business works, for one thing. For another, acting like an asshole to waitstaff just makes you look like an asshole, and gratifying yourself in public over your supposedly principled stand in acting like an asshole doubly so. QR code links to menus are bad, sure. I'd still rather eat at ten places that have those than one place that has you.
  - mcpackieh 3y ago
    > I'd still rather eat at ten places that have those than one place that has you. If my making a scene makes other customers upset, then it's working. I know businesses hate it when people do this, and that's why I know it's an effective tactic. The whole point of the protest is to sabotage the business by making everybody else in the room upset.
    - throwanem 3y ago

arrowsmith 3y ago

I wouldn't even make it this far, I'm not scanning their QR. Give me a paper menu or gtfo.

mcpackieh 3y ago
This. I've never scanned a QR code and I don't intend to learn how. And because the premise of a restaurant not having printed menus available is so absurd, I think I'd be compelled to stick around for a few minutes loudly insulting their business acumen before leaving (as I have done before at bars that didn't accept cash!) I consider this a service done for those who think like me but aren't brave enough to speak out themselves.
- AeroNotix 3y ago
  The sad part is that practically all patrons that could hear you will just label you as a "Karen". The owners will not change their ways. It works for them, their client base and the vast majority of potential clients. People do not care at all whatsoever about their privacy being invaded, generally.
  - luuurker 3y ago
    Imagine you go out for launch and see this random guy "loudly insulting" the staff because of some random internet stuff you don't understand or care about. Maybe you won't call the guy "Karen", but I'd be very surprised if you approved of the situation... Unless, of course, you think that insulting low paid workers loudly is something good and to be proud of.
    - mcpackieh 3y ago
      The point is not to persuade you of my point of view, the point is to ruin the mood of the workers and customers. So if I leave you fuming about the Karen (eg me, but wrong gender fyi), mission accomplished. If it were legal I'd pull the fire alarm on my way out.

silasdavis 3y ago

Perfect on a first date.

bombcar 3y ago
You’ve got to case the restaurant, run background checks on the staff. Can the menu be read without a phone? If not, I gotta go somewhere else.
- RadiozRadioz 3y ago
  Excellent reference.
  - bombcar 3y ago
    Glad it shone through even with the edits.
kergonath 3y ago
The risks of picking a place you don’t know for a date ;)