Today there are numerous solutions offering digital or interactive menus. Many emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, but beware: most of them simply convert a paper menu into a PDF with a QR code. That is not digitalisation.
The most common mistake
When we digitalise something, we must focus on processes and content, not just the document. True digitalisation goes beyond document conversion to leverage the capabilities of mobile technology and improve the user experience.
What a professional digital menu must have
Content and usability
- Responsive design — Content adapts to any screen without needing to zoom.
- Category filter — Users browse specific sections (desserts, red wines) through accessible carousel-style controls.
- Integrated search — Customers locate dishes by ingredient or product name.
Visual and linguistic elements
- Custom images — Photos for categories and individual dishes.
- Multilingual support — 11 languages with automatic device language detection; English as a fallback if no translation is available.
- Detailed descriptions — Product specifications including ingredients or wine origins.
Compliance and accessibility
- Allergen management — Compliance with EU Regulation 1169/2011; allergen icons displayed in the user’s language.
- Dietary indicators — Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, spicy and pork-free icons included.
Advanced functionality
- Product variations — The same item displayed in multiple portions (wine by the glass/bottle; beer in a pint/bottle).
- Notifications — Personalised promotional messages in the customer’s language.
- Multi-rate pricing — Different prices per product based on the guest’s board type.
- Multiple menus — A single QR that indexes several menus (wines, drinks, desserts, children’s).
- Ordering module — Customers send orders directly to kitchen printers.
- Management dashboard — Administrators easily activate/deactivate products and adjust prices.
Conclusion
A professional digital menu is not a PDF with a QR code. It is an interactive platform that improves the guest experience, complies with allergen regulations, adapts to any language and generates additional sales opportunities.
