Where and how to place the QR code on the table
Published
A QR menu is useless if guests cannot find the code or their phone cannot read it. Where the sticker goes, how big it is and how it is protected matter as much as the menu itself. Here is a simple method that works indoors and on the terrace.
Start the free trialThe right spot: where the eye lands
When guests sit down, they look at the middle of the table, then at the edge in front of them. Put the QR code where it can be seen from every chair, without anyone standing up or moving a glass. Avoid table legs, the underside of the top and the wall behind a bench seat.
On a long table or a large terrace table, two stickers for the same table, one at each end, stop the phone from being passed around. On a counter with stools, one code every two or three seats is usually enough.
Size, and the oldest-phone test
A code that is too small makes guests lean in and zoom. Avoid anything smaller than a coin: guests should be able to scan it seated, arm half stretched.
The best test is simple: take the oldest phone in your team, sit at the table and scan with the camera, once in daylight and once in the evening with your normal room lighting. If it struggles, make the code bigger or move it before you print the whole batch.
Contrast, white margin and a short line of text
QR codes read best in black on a light background. Keep a white margin around the code: without it, phones struggle to pick it up. Do not put it on a photo, a zellige pattern or very dark wood.
Add a short line next to it, in French and Arabic, such as 'Scannez pour voir le menu', with the table number clearly visible. A guest who understands in one second what the code does will scan it without asking the waiter.
Protecting the sticker: lamination and cleaning
Tables are wiped several times a day, and an unprotected sticker soon wears out with water and cleaning products. Lamination or a clear matte film protects it, and a matte finish avoids the glare from lamps and sun that stops phones reading the code.
Ask the team to wipe the code with a damp cloth rather than scrub it with a rough sponge. A clear table stand is another option, as long as it is weighted so it does not tip over.
Terraces and summer: sun, heat and wind
On a terrace, the Moroccan summer sun fades ink and the heat lifts sticker corners. A UV-resistant film or thick lamination makes them last longer. Watch for glare too: a glossy code in full sun becomes unreadable at certain hours.
Wind blows away light stands, and chairs move all the time. Stick the code straight onto the table rather than on a loose stand, and check terrace codes at least once a month during the hot season.
A damaged sticker: replace it straight away
Always keep a spare sheet of stickers in the office. Each code belongs to one specific table, so replace it with the code for the same table, never another one, or orders will arrive at the wrong place.
Make checking the codes part of opening, like filling the sugar bowls. And remind staff that a guest who cannot scan should never be left waiting: the waiter takes the order in person.
A table PIN against fake orders
A photo of your QR code can travel on social media or WhatsApp, and someone could then order without sitting at the table. It is rare, but possible. A short code tied to the table helps confirm that the order comes from someone actually seated there.
If you switch it on, agree with the team on how guests receive it, and explain it once to every waiter so nobody is caught off guard mid-service.
With Tablilo
In Tablilo, you print an A4 sheet of stickers from the dashboard, one QR code per table. Guests scan with the phone camera, with no app and no account, and pick French, Arabic or English. An optional 2-digit table PIN guards against shared links and fake orders. Start a free trial and test your first stickers at your own tables.
Related features
- QR code menu for restaurants and cafés in MoroccoA QR code menu on every table: guests scan, choose and order from their phone, no app needed. Digital menu in French, Arabic and English.
- Menu in Arabic, French and EnglishA QR menu in Arabic, French and English: guests pick their language, each waiter works in their own, and tickets print in Latin letters.
- Three menu looks: Moderne, Élégant, SoiréeModerne, Élégant or Soirée: pick the look of your QR menu, add your venue colour and change it whenever you like.