Menu QR Codes: Static vs Dynamic, and How EverScans Handles Scheduling

Most restaurants that print a QR code on their tables get this half right: upload a PDF once, print the code, done. That works fine until the menu itself isn't one fixed thing — breakfast is different from dinner, weekends have specials, and someone has to decide what a customer sees when they scan.

Static menu QR codes

A static menu QR code is exactly what it sounds like: one PDF, uploaded once, tied to one QR code. Scan it, the menu opens.

The tradeoff is that the file is fixed once it's uploaded — there's no "swap it out" option built in. That's the right choice for a restaurant with a single menu that doesn't change often, since it's also free on EverScans' Starter plan (a free account is required only because we host the file for you).

Dynamic menu QR codes

A dynamic menu QR code doesn't point at one file — it points at a set of named sections, each with its own PDF. A restaurant might have "Breakfast," "Lunch," "Dinner," and "Weekend Specials" all live under the same code at once.

Each section can carry its own schedule: which days of the week it's active, and what time window. "Weekend Menu" active Saturday and Sunday. "Breakfast" active 6–11am, daily. The schedule is evaluated in the restaurant's own timezone, so it's correct regardless of where the customer scanning it happens to be.

When someone scans, EverScans checks the current day and time against those schedules and redirects straight to the matching PDF — not a page listing every menu option with a "pick one" prompt. A customer scanning on Saturday morning lands on the weekend brunch menu directly, the same way they'd land on the dinner menu on a Tuesday night. Sections can also be added, removed, or replaced anytime without touching the printed code.

Dynamic menu QR codes are available on the Pro and Business plans, since the scheduling logic is what makes them worth the upgrade over a static one.

The rule of thumb

If your menu is one thing that doesn't change, static is simpler and free. If you're running multiple menus that rotate by day or by hour, dynamic means you set the schedule once and never have to explain to a customer that they're looking at the wrong one.

Ready to put your menu online? Try the free menu QR code generator — or read static vs dynamic QR codes if you're still weighing the two more generally. This same scheduling works on every QR type now, not just menus — a WhatsApp number that switches after hours, a contact card that changes during an event, and more.