4 ms·

I often can no longer ask for a menu at restaurants that expect me to scan a QR code. Well…I can ask, but they don’t have any to provide.

null0ranje 2y ago
I just leave restaurants that have gone to the online-only menu. It's usually an indicator that there are other terrible cuts in service and quality going on as well.
- serial_dev 2y ago
  I leave because I go to a restaurant to enjoy a meal with my family and friends and to connect. Forcing everyone to stare at their phones for the first five minutes is a bad start.
- dwedge 2y ago
  It makes it easier for them to regularly increase pricing without printing new menus. I wonder if any restaurants are doing A/B testing with pricing
  - mopenstein 2y ago
    I'm not generally evil, so I never would have thought of doing this. Therefore it must be the correct answer.
  - Marsymars 2y ago
    I’ve thought of this - if there’s no paper menu available, to avoid tracking, I always just search for the restaurant and navigate to the menu from their webpage rather than using a QR code.
- scottmcdoge 2y ago
  [dead]
- gamedever 2y ago
  > I just leave restaurants that have gone to the online-only menu I would if I'm by myself but if I'm out with friends I'm not comfortable making everyone leave. > It's usually an indicator that there are other terrible cuts in service and quality going on as well. I've seen no such correlation. Most I see restaurants switching to card only, pay in app. I can seem some benefits from them. * they don't need cash to make change * they have no money to be robbed * employees can't pocket any money Most of my friends like going cashless so they see it as a benefit too.
42772827 2y ago
I ask the waiter what’s good, and usually end up going back forth a few times. It’s not as efficient, but it keeps me from reaching for my phone, which is covered in germs.
- ponector 2y ago
  And in case of paper menu? It is also covered in germs. Do you read it or refuse and ask a waiter?
  - 42772827 2y ago
    I’m banking on the assumption that a paper menu has fewer germs than my cell phone. Life has risks.
whoisthemachine 2y ago
I've seen this trend regressing where I live, most restaurants I go to have done away with the QR codes (unless it's a brewery/distillery kind of establishment).
janc_ 2y ago
"Online menus" are fine; they allow quick updates without requiring the restaurant to re-print menus, and allow for just one copy/version of the menu to be used everywhere. But then they should also display them publicly outside/inside, and/or have a bunch of tablets ready for visitors to use.
athenot 2y ago
Tell them you can't use your phone for whatever reason, and then ask them to just tell you what they have. I think enough people must have done this already because I've seen paper menus return in many places. (This fall under the general pattern of "make it their pain")
- steelframe 2y ago
  There's a restaurant my parents take me to when I come to visit that requires you to scan a QR code to get to a website and then order and pay for your food on your phone. You are prompted to provide a tip up front before anybody has even done anything. Then when the food's ready your phone alerts you, and you have to get up and grab the food from a shelf outside the kitchen. So if you do tip, you end up tipping... the management, I suppose. It's just about the most cynical dining experience I've ever had the misfortune of enduring.

null0ranje 2y ago

I just leave restaurants that have gone to the online-only menu. It's usually an indicator that there are other terrible cuts in service and quality going on as well.

serial_dev 2y ago
I leave because I go to a restaurant to enjoy a meal with my family and friends and to connect. Forcing everyone to stare at their phones for the first five minutes is a bad start.
dwedge 2y ago
It makes it easier for them to regularly increase pricing without printing new menus. I wonder if any restaurants are doing A/B testing with pricing
- mopenstein 2y ago
  I'm not generally evil, so I never would have thought of doing this. Therefore it must be the correct answer.
- Marsymars 2y ago
  I’ve thought of this - if there’s no paper menu available, to avoid tracking, I always just search for the restaurant and navigate to the menu from their webpage rather than using a QR code.
scottmcdoge 2y ago
[dead]
gamedever 2y ago
> I just leave restaurants that have gone to the online-only menu I would if I'm by myself but if I'm out with friends I'm not comfortable making everyone leave. > It's usually an indicator that there are other terrible cuts in service and quality going on as well. I've seen no such correlation. Most I see restaurants switching to card only, pay in app. I can seem some benefits from them. * they don't need cash to make change * they have no money to be robbed * employees can't pocket any money Most of my friends like going cashless so they see it as a benefit too.

42772827 2y ago

I ask the waiter what’s good, and usually end up going back forth a few times. It’s not as efficient, but it keeps me from reaching for my phone, which is covered in germs.

ponector 2y ago
And in case of paper menu? It is also covered in germs. Do you read it or refuse and ask a waiter?
- 42772827 2y ago
  I’m banking on the assumption that a paper menu has fewer germs than my cell phone. Life has risks.

whoisthemachine 2y ago

I've seen this trend regressing where I live, most restaurants I go to have done away with the QR codes (unless it's a brewery/distillery kind of establishment).

janc_ 2y ago

"Online menus" are fine; they allow quick updates without requiring the restaurant to re-print menus, and allow for just one copy/version of the menu to be used everywhere. But then they should also display them publicly outside/inside, and/or have a bunch of tablets ready for visitors to use.

athenot 2y ago

Tell them you can't use your phone for whatever reason, and then ask them to just tell you what they have. I think enough people must have done this already because I've seen paper menus return in many places. (This fall under the general pattern of "make it their pain")

steelframe 2y ago
There's a restaurant my parents take me to when I come to visit that requires you to scan a QR code to get to a website and then order and pay for your food on your phone. You are prompted to provide a tip up front before anybody has even done anything. Then when the food's ready your phone alerts you, and you have to get up and grab the food from a shelf outside the kitchen. So if you do tip, you end up tipping... the management, I suppose. It's just about the most cynical dining experience I've ever had the misfortune of enduring.