Is your business still relying on handwritten or printed restaurant ordering forms and menus? Traditional methods may feel familiar, but they’re also painfully inefficient. They slow service, complicate menu updates, and cause costly mistakes during rush hours.
So, switching to digital solutions like online forms is a big leap. But going digital without guidance might have you stalled. Without proper tools or templates, you end up adding more work instead of simplifying operations.
That’s precisely why we’ve created this guide to help you get started. We’ve also covered pre-built digital forms explicitly tailored for every food service workflow. To take things further, we’ll show you how to create QR forms for even greater speed and customer convenience.
What is a Restaurant Ordering Form, and How Does it Work?
As the name suggests, a restaurant ordering form is a form that customers can access by using a QR code. These are made using form and ordering builder, so guests can access menus, place orders, and make payments seamlessly through smartphones.
It is a well-known fact that 80 percent of restaurants shut down within the first five years of operation. This is attributed to the restrictive figures of running such establishments. An average dine-in restaurant order is $48, and a 9.3 percent profit margin—the industry’s average—nets a restaurant a $4.46 profit.
Beat these odds by using QR code forms and achieve the growth and longevity you desire. Using these codes, your restaurant improves two important aspects of the dining experience: the menu and the overall service.
How Does the Ordering System Work in Restaurants?
Restaurant ordering systems have evolved significantly, offering customers a smoother and more convenient experience. Here’s a breakdown of their functions, from traditional methods to modern digital solutions.
Traditional Menu Ordering Process
The restaurant food order process typically begins with customers reviewing the menu, which can be either a physical paper menu or an interactive digital version designed to engage customers more effectively.
- Printed Menus: Restaurants usually print menus and place them on tables for customers.
- Interactive Menus: Some restaurants enhance their menus with colorful designs, making them more engaging.
Printed menus are familiar. However, they pose challenges for growing restaurants.
- Cost of Printing: Printing menus for each table is expensive, especially as the restaurant grows.
- Menu Updates: Updating the menu, such as changing prices or adding items, means reprinting it entirely, increasing long-term costs.
Transition to online order menus
Many restaurants are modernizing operations by moving away from paper-based menus and opting for online order forms. Online forms offer a more flexible and efficient way to present menus, manage orders, and reduce manual errors. This digital shift eliminates the need for frequent reprinting and allows restaurant staff to update menu items, prices, or promotions instantly through an online dashboard.
One effective way to deliver these online forms to customers is through QR codes. Rather than replacing the menu entirely, QR codes act as a gateway to the digital experience. They make it easy for customers to access the most up-to-date version of the menu using their smartphones’ scanners.
7 Types and templates of restaurant order forms
Dine-in Order
Use case: For customers dining at the restaurant premises
A dine-in order form supports a smooth and efficient table-service experience. Customers can use an online form to view the menu and place their order directly. This speeds up service, reduces errors, and frees up staff to focus on customer interaction rather than order-taking.
Takeout Order
Use case: For customers who plan to pick up their meals and eat elsewhere
Takeout order forms are commonly found on a restaurant’s website or app. Customers can select items, customize their food, and choose a preferred pickup time. These forms help restaurants plan their kitchen workload more efficiently, allowing customers to skip lines and avoid order delays.
Delivery Food Order
Use case: When customers want their meals delivered to their location
Delivery order forms ensure the food reaches the right place at the right time while keeping the process seamless for both the business and the customer. By structuring the process digitally, restaurants reduce order errors, simplify delivery coordination, and avoid miscommunication.
Bakery Order
Use case: Best for customers ordering baked goods, especially custom or made-to-order items
Bakery order forms allow users to choose flavors, sizes, quantities, and include special messages or design instructions. These restaurant forms also let customers select pickup or delivery times and may include the option to upload reference images. They’re especially helpful for advanced planning and avoiding last-minute rushes, allowing bakeries to schedule production efficiently and fulfill detailed, personalized requests.
Group Order
Use case: Perfect for group settings such as office lunches or family gatherings
Group order forms allow multiple participants to submit individual selections under one shared order. Typically distributed via a link, these forms enable each person to choose their items while compiling everything into one organized request for the restaurant. This minimizes confusion, speeds up fulfillment, and allows easy packaging and distribution of group meals.
Pre-order
Use case: Ideal for customers who want to schedule meals in advance
Pre-order forms are typically used for planning around busy times, tight schedules, or events. These forms allow customers to submit their choices ahead of time and specify when they want the order fulfilled. Restaurants can prepare meals during slower hours, manage inventory more effectively, and reduce peak-time stress. For the customer, it ensures punctual service and food availability.
7. Catering order
Use case: Designed for large-scale events like parties, weddings, or business functions
Catering order forms capture a broad range of details: headcount, menu packages, dietary preferences, delivery or setup logistics, and sometimes staffing requests. This thorough planning tool ensures that customer expectations and operational demands are met. It helps the restaurant organize labor and supplies well in advance, leading to a professional and timely catering experience.
The purpose of the menu QR code form
Today, going contactless has become the norm. Interacting with technology rather than a person is considered a perk, and digitizing physical items, such as the menu or paper forms, is considered consumer-friendly.
While the convenience of the menu QR code (and QR codes in general) is the ideal way to pitch this technology to consumers and improve customer service, businesses also stand to benefit from reduced expenses and scalability.
Collect data
Data is essential for modern business, yet restaurants rarely use data. This is not because restaurants don’t want to, but because the paper process makes it challenging to collect and analyze data that leads to beneficial action.
A digital order form changes that. When customers use these digital order forms for restaurants to place their orders, restaurants gain insight into their preferences, spending, and dining habits. This data can be used to make a restaurant more client-centric.
Scale using data
The data gathered through the restaurant ordering form can help you scale up your operations.
For instance, you can rely on the trends and patterns gathered from your data to determine what meals to remove from the menu, when to run promotions, and what specials attract diners. Data will also help you decide pricing, operating hours, and maximizing the space.
Benefits of a simple restaurant food order process with QR codes
For the restaurant people (owners, staff, kitchen crew)
- Operational efficiency
With customers placing orders directly through their smartphones, QR code systems eliminate the need for staff to take orders manually and input them into a POS system. This reduces the risk of bottlenecks, especially during peak hours, when multiple tables might be ready to order simultaneously.
With fewer interruptions, the kitchen can receive a steady, well-paced stream of orders, and servers can prioritize food delivery and guest service rather than taking repetitive orders. - Fewer errors
When customers input their selections, the chances of order mistakes caused by human error, such as mishearing, language barriers, or handwriting issues, are greatly reduced. For example, if they have dietary restrictions, they can just indicate it in the digital order form. This leads to higher order accuracy, fewer remakes, and a better dining experience. - Reduced labor pressure
In high-volume or short-staffed restaurants, traditional table service can strain employees. QR codes reduce the burden by shifting the initial interaction of taking the order onto a self-service model. Staff can then focus on food delivery, customer engagement, and problem-solving. - Faster table turnover
Since customers don’t have to wait for a server to bring menus, take orders, or process checks, the entire dining cycle becomes faster. For instance, the time saved per table in a fast-casual or high-traffic urban restaurant could range from 10 to 20 minutes.
Upon sitting down, customers can browse the menu immediately, place their order within minutes, and even pay without asking for the bill. This means the restaurant can seat more guests per shift, increasing daily revenue potential without sacrificing service quality. - Better feedback and data collection
Each digital order is automatically logged and stored, offering valuable insights into customer behavior. Restaurants can track top-selling items, monitor peak ordering times, and identify patterns. By including a simple food survey question at the end of the ordering process, businesses can also gather direct customer feedback on menu items, service quality, or overall satisfaction. This data can be used for inventory planning, dynamic pricing, or targeted marketing campaigns. - Cost savings
Restaurants save on recurring printing costs without printed menus and paper order pads. They no longer need to print new inserts or update chalkboards. Additionally, digital menus help reduce errors and food waste caused by out-of-date printed menus displaying unavailable items. - Enhanced hygiene compliance
QR code scan to order system promotes contactless interaction, reducing the physical touchpoints involved in the dining process—no more passing around menus, pens, or receipts. This is especially relevant in a post-COVID world where customers are more aware of cleanliness and health precautions.
For customers
- Time-saving convenience
Customers can sit down, scan the QR code, and start browsing the menu immediately; no need to flag down a waiter or wait in line. This is particularly useful in fast-paced settings like mall food courts or busy lunch spots, where time is limited.
For solo diners, introverts, or those in a rush, this self-directed approach creates a smoother and more comfortable experience. It empowers them to order independently without relying on staff availability.
- Real-time menu access
QR-powered menu order forms can reflect real-time updates (e.g., sold-out items, new specials, or price changes). This prevents the frustration of ordering something that’s no longer available. It also allows restaurants to promote high-margin or overstock items with visual highlights.
The menu becomes more dynamic and informative for customers, helping them make faster and more confident decisions based on accurate, up-to-date information.
- More control over the order
When placing orders through a digital form, customers can see a clear summary of what they’ve selected, along with pricing, notes, and special requests. They can review and edit before submitting, which reduces confusion and ordering anxiety.
This also appeals to customers with dietary needs, as they can ensure modifications are correctly included. It gives them peace of mind that their preferences have been captured exactly as intended—something that’s often a concern when placing verbal orders in noisy or busy settings.
- Improved hygiene and safety
Customers no longer need to handle shared menus, pens, or credit card terminals. This is especially comforting in environments where hygiene is a top concern, such as during flu season or in the wake of a public health crisis.
For families with children, elderly guests, or health-conscious individuals, QR-based ordering shows that the restaurant takes cleanliness seriously, improving their overall perception and trust in the brand.
- Transparent pricing and offers
Customers can see prices, taxes, and discounts as they build their order, reducing surprise charges at the end of the meal. Like a purchase order form used in business transactions, this structured approach ensures that every item and cost is clearly outlined before finalizing the order.
Promotions, add-ons, and bundle deals can be presented visually, helping customers make informed decisions and feel in control of their spending. This transparency builds trust and minimizes billing disputes.
- Better accessibility
Digital menus can support multiple languages, text resizing, and visual aids like photos of each dish, which benefit non-native speakers, visually impaired guests, or those with learning difficulties.
For example, an international traveler may not speak the local language but can understand dish names and ingredients thanks to visuals and translations. This makes the restaurant more inclusive and welcoming to diverse customers.
- Faster service = better experience
Customers enjoy a seamless dining experience without the friction of waiting for menu delivery, verbal ordering, and bill processing.
Everything flows faster, from browsing and ordering to payment, resulting in shorter wait times and more satisfaction. A smooth experience makes guests more likely to return and recommend the restaurant to others.
How to Transform Your Restaurant with a Restaurant Ordering Form
Now that you know the benefits of using a restaurant ordering form, it’s time to implement those in your restaurant. These five steps will help you create a restaurant ordering form with QR code.
Step 1: Outline relevant questions
A restaurant ordering form is only as good as the fields included in the form. Before turning to a form builder or a form creator to generate your order form, identify the most important details of an order (item, quantity, customizations, and substitutions) and list them.
When creating your form, you could seek inspiration from the online order forms of delivery service apps.
The form should be easy-to-use, so the back-of-house staff can carry out each order without any hassles. Include every single aspect of the order in the form.
Step 2: Create restaurant ordering form with form builder
Once you have an outline of the questions you’d like to ask, use a form builder for restaurant ordering to create the digital order form. You may even use Google Forms. Use the multiple-choice field, the multi-level selection field, and the checklist. Avoid using short or long text fields in the form creator.
If you allow customers to type long messages, back-of-house staff could waste time deciphering the meaning behind the input. Sometimes, pertinent information might be missing or incomplete.
On the other hand, integrating a multiple-choice selection or a checklist allows your restaurant to guide the ordering process in a way that helps customers articulate their needs and makes BOH staff more efficient.
Step 3: Generate the form QR code
Once you’re satisfied with the form, generate the QR code. The QR code gives customers access to the restaurant order form, menu, or both.
If you are using a form builder instead of a Google form QR code, you can insert brand and design elements, too.
A form builder for restaurant ordering has customizable elements to showcase your brand aesthetic and identity throughout the order process.
Step 4: Link forms to the restaurant’s order system
For the restaurant ordering form to function, link it to your restaurant ordering system. This step tests how useful a form builder is.
While you can create a Google form QR code, you should still rely on a form builder to create the QR code and seamlessly link a Google form to your ordering system.
A form creator allows you to customize multiple aspects of the form and facilitates easy data retrieval.
Step 5: Place QR codes at various (visible) access points
It’s time to print your QR codes and place them on tables and counters. The QR code should be a high-quality print that is easy to scan.
For in-person dining, every table should have a unique QR code. Essentially, you should number (or name) each table and link the form with the corresponding number or name. “Table One” should be linked to the form of the same name.
Remember to test the QR code and form before placing them on tables. Also, get your staff to scan the QR codes to ensure they are compatible with different devices, like tablets and smartphones.
Streamline Your Dining Experience: Set Up Your Restaurant Ordering Form with QR Codes
It is finally time to get rid of paper menus and the hectic order-taking process. Simply use menu QR codes and restaurant ordering form to improve the dining experience and make your restaurant more competitive.
This is truly a cost-efficient change that has the potential to boost sales, loyalty, and organic growth.
So, what’s keeping you back? Try out the Form QR Code Generator and build all the necessary QR code forms to keep your restaurant going.