Schanigarten and outdoor seating: menus and QR codes outside

Challenges outside

In the courtyard or beer garden, different conditions apply to the menu than indoors. Wind turns or carries away menus, rain soaks paper, and sun fades colors. At the same time, service routes are longer, and guests want to be served more quickly.

In Austria, the beer garden is a distinct institution, while in Germany it is referred to as outdoor catering or terrace. The permit for areas in public space is generally regulated by the municipality, with its own specifications regarding times, furnishing, and sometimes also regarding installers.

Weatherproof codes

A QR code on the table saves many menus outside, but must itself be weatherproof:

• Stickers made from outdoor film or laminated inserts in sturdy display stands.
• Matte surfaces that do not reflect in the sun.
• A dark, strong code on a light background that remains readable even when faded.
• Securely fastened so that wind and guests do not move it.

Check the codes regularly with a mobile phone, especially after several weeks of sun exposure. For the print shop, you download the codes as a vector file so that they remain sharp on foil.

Menu for outdoors

Many restaurants offer a smaller menu in the garden: drinks, ice cream, small dishes, and a few main courses. This relieves the kitchen and service during nice weather. With a dedicated QR code in the garden, this menu can be displayed directly – separate from the indoor menu.

A custom code for the garden has another advantage: Same-QR counts the scans per code, so you can see how heavily the garden is used in comparison to the dining area.

In the evening and in light

In the evening it gets dark outside, and candlelight is often not enough to read a paper menu. On a mobile phone, the menu lights up on its own. For it to be clearly readable, it should have strong contrast; a dark design causes less glare. Same-QR checks the contrast when adjusting colors and warns if text would be unreadable.

The code itself must be visible when scanned. A small lamp on the table or an illuminated stand helps if the garden is very dark in the evening.

End of season

At the end of the season, stands are collected, and stickers sometimes remain on the tables over the winter. With a dynamic code, you can change the destination over the winter, for example to the indoor menu or a note saying "Beer garden or outdoor seating available again from April." In spring, you simply switch back to the garden menu.

Checklist for the season start

• Codes and stands checked, damaged ones replaced.
• Garden menu updated and prices reconciled.
• The codes have been switched to the garden menu.
• Lighting tested for the evening.
• Permits and conditions of the municipality checked.
• Season start announced online and on the notice board.

With good preparation, the garden is ready on the first warm day – and the service can focus on the guests instead of missing menus.

Frequently asked questions