How a 12-location restaurant chain cut menu printing costs by 80%
A regional restaurant group replaced printed menus with dynamic QR codes — and discovered they could A/B test promotions, track foot traffic patterns, and update menus across all locations in seconds.
The challenge
A 12-location restaurant chain in the Southeast was spending over $14,000 per year on printed menus. Every seasonal change, dietary update, or price adjustment meant reprinting across all locations — a process that took 2–3 weeks from design to table.
They also had no way to measure which menu items were driving interest, or to test whether promotional placements actually increased orders. Menu decisions were based on gut feeling.
The solution
They replaced every printed menu with a branded table card featuring a single dynamic QR code. Each location got its own QR code, all managed through the ScanStack API.
Dynamic QR codes
One QR code per table, per location. Menu URL updated centrally — no reprinting needed when menus change.
A/B testing
50% of scans saw the standard menu. 50% saw a version with a featured appetizer banner. Tested weekly.
Scan analytics
Real-time data on peak scan times, device types, and per-location engagement. Exported weekly for ops meetings.
Implementation
// Create a dynamic QR code for each location
curl -X POST https://api.scanstack.dev/v2/qr \
-H "x-api-key: qr_your_key" \
-d '{
"type": "dynamic",
"target_url": "https://menu.example.com/downtown",
"label": "Downtown - Table Menu",
"style": {
"color": "#1a1a1a",
"backgroundColor": "#ffffff",
"logoUrl": "https://example.com/logo.png"
}
}'
When the seasonal menu launched, the team updated all 12 locations in a single API call — no design work, no printing, no waiting.
// Update the target URL when the menu changes
curl -X PATCH https://api.scanstack.dev/v2/qr/:id \
-H "x-api-key: qr_your_key" \
-d '{ "target_url": "https://menu.example.com/downtown/spring-2026" }'
Results
Reduction in menu printing costs
Increase in appetizer orders via A/B tested promo
Time to update menus across all 12 locations
QR scans per month across all locations
Key takeaway
"We went from dreading menu changes to launching them in minutes. The A/B testing was a bonus we didn't expect — it turns out a simple banner at the top of the digital menu moves way more appetizers than a printed insert ever did."
— Director of Operations
ScanStack features used
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