KSL INVESTIGATES

Menu Makeovers: The Risks & Rewards Of QR Codes

Jul 30, 2021, 6:34 AM | Updated: Jun 19, 2022, 10:02 pm

SALT LAKE CITY – At the One-0-Eight Bistro in Salt Lake City, you can find a wide array of modern entrees prepared fresh. What is harder to find is a traditional menu printed on paper.

You will not receive one when you sit down at your table unless you ask for one. But general manager Ashlee Francom said most customers prefer digital menus.

“QR codes are here,” Francom said. “Every seat has one.”

Just scan the code with your smartphone and voila – an instant online menu. You do not even need to download a special app.

Traditional paper menus are disappearing from many restaurants. Restaurants adopted QR codes during the pandemic to provide contactless menus. Just scan the code with your smartphone and an instant online menu. QR codes allow restaurants to instantly react to market prices and update menus. A study from IT software company Ivanti found more than half of respondents did not realize scanning a QR code accesses the internet.

The trend started with COVID-19 – ditching physical menus helped limit touchpoints. But the dozens of restaurateurs with whom the KSL Investigators spoke are embracing the QR trend permanently.

The benefits are easy to count. In addition to less cootie-sharing, there’s less waste and less waiting around for a server.

“If someone wants to get dessert, they don’t even have to ask,” explained Francom. “No more dessert menus. No more drink menus. Don’t have to leave it on the table. Save some space.”

Michael McHenry, who owns a slew of restaurants along the Wasatch Front including the Oak Woodfire Grill in Draper, said going QR has added new fluidity to an already fluid industry.

“We’re able to literally change our menus in real time,” said McHenry.

Much like how a gas station will change pump prices every day with the fluctuating costs of oil, menu prices can now be easily adjusted when the cost of an ingredient like beef goes up or down. And restaurants no longer need to go through the costly process of reprinting hundreds of paper menus. And remember when the really expensive stuff on the menu used to say, “market price?” No need for that anymore.

While the pros are plentiful, there are also a few cons: Scammers have been known to use QR codes on the “QT,” sending out emails with the codes. In some bold attacks, they actually drop their codes around town – including on restaurant tables – with hopes of making off with people’s passwords and their money.

Research shared with the KSL Investigators shows most people are unaware of the risks. According to an Ivanti study from this past April, 83% of people surveyed used a QR code to pay for something in the past year. Yet 53% of respondents didn’t know that scanning a QR code actually prompts your device to access the internet.

As with any scam, being aware of it can help you guard against it. And that is good news because if you plan to eat out, QR is the new norm, at least for now.

“I will say that I’m never going back from that,” said McHenry. “Do I believe it will be the only thing that sustains? No, but I think it’s a big part of what we do – 95% of the time we’re ordering from a QR menu in this restaurant.”

Restaurant owners to whom we spoke say that most of their patrons have embraced digital menus.


Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

KSL Investigates

(KSL TV)...
Matt Gephardt

Get Gephardt helps restore West Valley man’s Social Security disability payments

Jeff Davis gets disability payments from the Social Security Administration. At least, he did up until his mom passed away in December.
5 days ago
The Pearsons tell KSL’s Matt Gephardt they should be reimbursed by either the airline or the onli...
Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage

Sandy couple Gets Gephardt after booking error left them paying out for pricey return flights

A Sandy couple bought roundtrip tickets to Hawaii, but when they discovered their return tickets were no good, they had to buy pricey replacements. When they were refused reimbursement, they decided to Get Gephardt.
6 days ago
Amy Olsen...
Matt Gephardt

Utahns cleared of DUI accusations are forced to pay to get their licenses back

Amy Olsen has her driving privilege back now, but it cost her $255. For her, it is a frustrating ordeal that began months earlier when a trooper pulled her over.
10 days ago
Gas bill...
Matt Gephardt

Gas company increasing bills for customers on fixed payments plan

If you're told you're going to pay the same price for 12 months, you wouldn't expect the price to go up. But when the natural gas company raised the rates on a Payson woman, she decided to Get Gephardt to investigate.
10 days ago
Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...
Matt Gephardt

$21 billion in gift cards go unused. Here’s how to avoid letting them go to waste

Gift cards: they are one of the most popular gifts to give and to receive, but that does not necessarily mean they are going to get used.
12 days ago
(KSL TV)...
Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage

How to beat the dynamic pricing used by Amazon and many other retailers to pay less

The KSL Investigates team gives you information on how to beat dynamic pricing to get your money's worth and pay less.
13 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
house with for rent sign posted...
Chase Harrington, president and COO of Entrata

Top 5 Reasons You May Want to Consider Apartment Life Over Owning a Home

There are many benefits of renting that can be overshadowed by the allure of buying a home. Here are five reasons why renting might be right for you.
Menu Makeovers: The Risks & Rewards Of QR Codes