Analyze QR code scans in the restaurant: What the numbers tell you

What is counted

A QR code statistic in a restaurant only works with dynamic QR codes. With them, each scan first goes through a short address where it can be counted before the guest is redirected to the menu. Static QR codes lead directly to the destination – there, no one counts.

Same-QR counts how many times each QR code has been scanned and displays the total in the dashboard. To prevent a hesitant camera from being counted multiple times, the same internet connection is counted at most once per minute for the same QR code. Link previews from messengers are not counted. Who scanned, from where, or with which device, is deliberately not recorded.

Separate QR codes by location

A single QR code for all tables, windows, and flyers reveals only a total number. If you want to know what works, each placement location gets its own QR code:

• Tables in the dining room
• Beer garden or outdoor seating or terrace
• Showcase and entrance
• Flyers and business cards
• Pick-up and delivery bags

All QR codes can lead to the same menu. The difference lies only in the counting. With labels, such as “Tables,” “Windows,” “Flyers,” you keep track with many QR codes.

Compare before and after

Since the number is a sum, it is worthwhile to record it at regular intervals, such as once a week. This way you can see how usage develops: Is the window QR code scanned more frequently after the new posting? Does the flyer in the surrounding offices generate more views of the lunch menu?

It is important to change only one thing at a time. If you launch a poster, flyer, and Instagram campaign simultaneously, you will not know later what had an effect.

Mark campaigns

What happens after the scan is measured by your website's web analytics, not the QR code. To make it clear where a visit came from, UTM parameters are appended to the URL. Same-QR handles this for hosted pages with a campaign: the destination then receives utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign, for example for the "Spring Flyer".

Limits of numbers

• A scan is not a guest. Some scan without ordering, others order without scanning.
• Multiple people on the same Wi-Fi network who scan within one minute are counted once.
• Anyone who takes the printed menu will not appear in the statistics.
• Small differences between two QR codes are often coincidental.

The scan count reliably shows you whether and how strongly a QR code is being used. For decisions regarding sales and inventory, the data from your cash register remains the more important source.

Example from everyday life

A cafe has three QR codes: table QR codes, window QR codes, and flyers in the office district. After one month, it becomes clear: the table QR codes are used regularly, the window QR code hardly at all, and the flyer surprisingly often.

• The window QR code is made larger and reinstalled at eye level.
• The flyer is reprinted and distributed in other offices.
• Nothing changes at the tables.

After another month, a comparison is made again. This leads to decisions based on observation rather than intuition, even without complex analysis.

Frequently asked questions