Dining has seen some MAJOR changes over the past year, making in-person experiences different in multiple ways prior to the pandemic.

While restaurants have started to roll out previous features, like character dining in the Disney Parks, QR codes have been one of the biggest elements that has stuck around.

CNBC has detailed how popular QR codes currently are in restaurants and how they could continue to be adapted. Over the past 18 months of the pandemic, there has been a 750% increase in QR code downloads, according to link management service Bitly. The president of the company Raleigh Harbour noted that this has aided dining locations to “adjust their menu offerings on the fly to account for elements like inflation, fluctuations in food and commodities prices, and other variables.”

Customers can also use QR codes for quick payments, making wait times shorter in between tables (like Mobile Order at Disney). Plus, QR codes could even let guests access their past orders when they visit restaurants, similar to ordering platforms like Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Doordash. Many dining locations already offer rewards programs. But, there could be additional rewards for guests who use QR codes and fill out contact tracing forms at restaurants!

QR code menus not only provide customers with more information, but they give restaurants additional details on their guests as well. Services like OpenTable, SevenRooms and Resy allow visitors to make reservations. However, not every dining location takes reservations, whether it’s through these companies or directly through the restaurant. QR codes could give restaurants details on who their customers are when they sit down, rather than waiting until the end of the meal when they pay.

Along with in-person dining, there has been a boom of online ordering at restaurants since the start of the pandemic. While guests can order online outside of the restaurant, QR codes allow restaurants to offer this option on premise. This opens up more opportunities outside of just delivery and takeout, as digital on-premise orders now make up 1% of industry transactions for the first time! According to Noah Glass, who is the CEO of the digital ordering platform Olo, this is due to the fact that QR codes and self-ordering kiosks have become popular at restaurants.

Busy restaurants also can provide the option to pay directly through a QR code, which will make service move faster and more efficiently for both customers and staff. Yet, not every restaurant has incorporated QR code menus, as finer dining may opt for the “classier” hand-held menu instead. We’ve seen this at table-service Disney World restaurants. And, some guests may not want to use QR code menus, depending on personal preference or whether they have a smart phone. However, it still does seem like QR codes are here to stay with huge future developments in the works!

We’ll have to keep an eye on how your dining experiences at Disney Parks may change. And, you can stay tuned with All Ears for the latest Disney entertainment and news coming soon!

Buffets are coming back to Disney World restaurants!

How do you feel about QR code menus at restaurants? Let us know in the comments below!

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