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Health & Fitness

Why should Restaurants take advantage of QR codes?

Some ways restaurants can use QR codes to promote.

  • They are free to make and free to use.
  • You can print them yourself on paper or labels and apply them to any type of printed media.
  • You can implement them for free in your social media.
  • Once they are made there is no cost involved to update them, just create new ones as the opportunity arises.


A bit about the QR code:

The QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. QR is the abbreviation for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

QR codes storing addresses and Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards, or almost any object about which users might need information. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the phone's browser.

Here are a few free QR code generators, there are many more free ones out there as well.

This is also a neat version of the QR code that provides you with a single web address and QR code for all your social networks, websites, blogs and online accounts so people can connect with you easily and quickly. Sort of like a digital business card that doesn't take up much room printed or online. http://kimtag.com/

Also Likify is kind of interesting, get Likes on your Facebook page, as well as giving you the ability to show a coupon code when the user Likes your product. http://www.likify.net/

A few ideas for Using QRs code for Restaurants:

  • Link a QR code to recipes on your website or blog.
  • Link a QR code to photos or photo albums on your website, Facebook or Flickr account.
  • Put a QR code into a magazine or newspaper ad linking it to your specials or a news article about the restaurant or an informational post. Great for info about a band playing as well.
  • Link it to your Facebook Page (give them an incentive to do so, follow us for Facebook only special offers).
  • Link to your blog or to a specific blog post you want to generate interest in.
  • When doing specific recipes that you want to draw a viewers attention to, have cards or labels printed with QR codes and link to the recipe or a blurb about the recipe and give to customers. Customers may pass it along to friends and generate more interest in your restaurant.
  • Link it to your twitter account (give them an incentive to do so, follow us for twitter only special offers).
  • Put the QR code in as your twitter avatar, change it regularly and draw attention to it in your tweets.
  • Link it to a Note on your Facebook Page (Notes give you the ability to write more then the standard Facebook post allows for space, it is a great format to run specials, contests and giveaways on).
  • Create a QR code and insert into your Facebook page post or use it to create albums of QR codes in Facebook and create a contest or use it for Easter egging.
  • Use a label to stick it on your business cards, rack cards, postcards, menus and other printed media, if its to a web link make sure the information in the QR code stays valid so someone linking to a page for a short term special will end up going nowhere in 2 months from when you printed it.
  • Print it on a T-shirt with a teaser phrase to get people to scan it, have it linked to a mouthwatering photo or some other type of teaser picture. A phrase like: "Got Beer?" Can link to a photo of a happy couple enjoying a brew or a "Got Romance" to a couple enjoying a romantic dinner with wine.
  • Use it as a voucher for reservation and check-in: if you have a code reader on your phone, or a code scanner, the guest could show you his QR code confirmation.
  • Use QR codes around your restaurant, a photo or an object with a historical story, put the information in to the QR code link so customers can view a bit of history about the 18th century beer tankards you have on display or the bio of your owner or chef.

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