The ones that amuse me are the restaurants that don’t do table service, but still have a multiple staff on the floor and door seemingly only to tell diners they don’t do table service.
“All you have to do is scan a qr code, sit on your phone for 5-10 minutes to figure out our menu system, get water for yourself at the station over there, get your own silverware, pick up drinks at the bar, grab this vibrating puck, and pick up food on the other side of the restaurant. Don’t forget to tip!”
I’ve still seen it quite a few times. It’s only annoying when it’s the only option to order.
The worst one was when they got mad at us for making 20 separate orders (group of 20 everyone orders on their own phone).
Apparently we were supposed to take half an hour passing 1 phone around hoping the shitty webapp doesn’t wipe our order.
I guess they wanted to be able to auto add gratuity to your large party and totally agree with you. I personally don’t mind the QR code when it is just me or one other person.
It’s been so long since I’ve eaten out, but I feel like I’ve seen QR codes quite recently.
One was a yoga studio. I saw yoga happening (big plate glass windows at street level so it was hard to miss), and on a whim I thought “Well this seems like a nice place”. A teacher was finishing up and I asked her about a schedule, and it’s all online!
It’s such a minor thing but it annoys me so much. I want their class schedule stuck to my fridge with a magnet. I don’t want more time looking at this god-awful thing. Yoga is me trying to touch grass, get out of the house.
Maybe I’m some kind of bauhaus idealist, but I think paper in hand could play a nice role in turning that plate glass window full of yogis doing yoga into some walk-in traffic.
It annoys me because the world I grew up in, every business had some kind of paper handout with info. A yoga class schedule, assuming it’s stable, is the perfect thing to stick to my fridge and notice sometimes.
When a good portion of them end up just thrown out, IMO this is a step in the right direction. If you want it in your fridge you could write it down or print it. And then anyone who doesn’t want it on their fridge or doesn’t care enough to open the website doesn’t cause another piece of coloured and printed paper to just be waste.
I’m not sure what the OP had in mind but with their description I was picturing the fast dining places, kinda like Panera bread. Sometimes in the more trendy places where they put like dandelions or some shit on sandwiches they will have a really convoluted bs system that requires as little human interaction as possible. But then they need all this extra staff because the system they made is confusing
a lot of them just kept both systems around here, which is nice because I love the ability to decide “man I could use another side” without having to slflag the server down
Both is definitely the best. As a software developer I see a potential SSOT violation but it’s not that bad. The paper menu is a representation. It’s a cache expiry problem which, as someone who’s worked in software and in restaurants, isn’t as hard as a tough bussing problem.
I was in a Buffalo Wild Wings recently that only had the menu available via QR code. You still ordered like normal, but in order to see the options, you had to scan the code.
The only thing worse is when they don’t explain that, and you’re stuck wondering why a waiter hasn’t come over. Yes I understand that the QR code is a menu. No I don’t think it’s more efficient to change the concept of a “restaurant” after 5,000 years.
Best thing is, last place that did this had a unique “fusion” menu. It’s not like the food was self-explanatory. So the waiters had to come to every table anyway, but it was hard to flag them down.
Yes they are. They were already ubiquitous in the Roman Empire. Pompeii has them in its ruins. It’s very recognizable as areas with seating and areas with food preparation / serving.
The ones that amuse me are the restaurants that don’t do table service, but still have a multiple staff on the floor and door seemingly only to tell diners they don’t do table service.
“All you have to do is scan a qr code, sit on your phone for 5-10 minutes to figure out our menu system, get water for yourself at the station over there, get your own silverware, pick up drinks at the bar, grab this vibrating puck, and pick up food on the other side of the restaurant. Don’t forget to tip!”
Is this still common or are people beating a dead horse?
The whole QR code thing was big during the pandemic but every restaurant in my city deactivated their QR menu and setup.
I say that as a person who loves ordering from a QR and just having the server bring it over. Fight me.
I’ve still seen it quite a few times. It’s only annoying when it’s the only option to order.
The worst one was when they got mad at us for making 20 separate orders (group of 20 everyone orders on their own phone). Apparently we were supposed to take half an hour passing 1 phone around hoping the shitty webapp doesn’t wipe our order.
I guess they wanted to be able to auto add gratuity to your large party and totally agree with you. I personally don’t mind the QR code when it is just me or one other person.
Luckily tips are still actually tips in my country. So you’d never pay them upfront and definitely not after receiving shitty service.
Vancouver is littered with QR Only restaurants, which is extra fun when we take out our boomer tech-illiterate parents.
Yeah but Vancouver is famous for never admitting it’s wrong.
It’s been so long since I’ve eaten out, but I feel like I’ve seen QR codes quite recently.
One was a yoga studio. I saw yoga happening (big plate glass windows at street level so it was hard to miss), and on a whim I thought “Well this seems like a nice place”. A teacher was finishing up and I asked her about a schedule, and it’s all online!
It’s such a minor thing but it annoys me so much. I want their class schedule stuck to my fridge with a magnet. I don’t want more time looking at this god-awful thing. Yoga is me trying to touch grass, get out of the house.
Maybe I’m some kind of bauhaus idealist, but I think paper in hand could play a nice role in turning that plate glass window full of yogis doing yoga into some walk-in traffic.
It annoys me because the world I grew up in, every business had some kind of paper handout with info. A yoga class schedule, assuming it’s stable, is the perfect thing to stick to my fridge and notice sometimes.
Being an old fogie sucks.
When a good portion of them end up just thrown out, IMO this is a step in the right direction. If you want it in your fridge you could write it down or print it. And then anyone who doesn’t want it on their fridge or doesn’t care enough to open the website doesn’t cause another piece of coloured and printed paper to just be waste.
I mean, if they can just keep a handful printed or be ready to print them if requested that would easily meet both needs
I’m not sure what the OP had in mind but with their description I was picturing the fast dining places, kinda like Panera bread. Sometimes in the more trendy places where they put like dandelions or some shit on sandwiches they will have a really convoluted bs system that requires as little human interaction as possible. But then they need all this extra staff because the system they made is confusing
I’ve NEVER seen a QR restaraunt
a lot of them just kept both systems around here, which is nice because I love the ability to decide “man I could use another side” without having to slflag the server down
Both is definitely the best. As a software developer I see a potential SSOT violation but it’s not that bad. The paper menu is a representation. It’s a cache expiry problem which, as someone who’s worked in software and in restaurants, isn’t as hard as a tough bussing problem.
I was in a Buffalo Wild Wings recently that only had the menu available via QR code. You still ordered like normal, but in order to see the options, you had to scan the code.
That matches my BWW experience from a few months ago.
The only thing worse is when they don’t explain that, and you’re stuck wondering why a waiter hasn’t come over. Yes I understand that the QR code is a menu. No I don’t think it’s more efficient to change the concept of a “restaurant” after 5,000 years.
Best thing is, last place that did this had a unique “fusion” menu. It’s not like the food was self-explanatory. So the waiters had to come to every table anyway, but it was hard to flag them down.
Btw restaurants with menu to choose from aren’t that old
Yes they are. They were already ubiquitous in the Roman Empire. Pompeii has them in its ruins. It’s very recognizable as areas with seating and areas with food preparation / serving.
That’s what they thought, till a Romanian grandma used it to make wool gloves
I feel like you’re gonna give us a link to back this up.
The point of contention is the menu, not the sit down and eat part.
And the menus?
Doubt. Even the Uruk Hai knew of menus
“Go get it yourself, you fuck! PS, can I have a 47% tip? It’s pre-filled!”