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Create Your Free Online Menu that Attracts Customers in 5 Steps

By Carta Team•

Create Your Free Online Menu that Attracts Customers in 5 Steps

Key Benefits of QR Menus for Your Restaurant

  • Operational Cost Savings:
    • Eliminates the need to constantly print and reprint menus.
    • Reduces design and lamination expenses.
  • Real-Time Updates:
    • Allows you to modify prices, add daily specials, or mark dishes as "sold out" instantly and at no cost.
    • Offers maximum flexibility to adapt to inventory changes or seasons.
  • Greater Hygiene and Safety:
    • Provides a contactless solution, reducing physical contact.
  • Allergen Management and Multilingual Support:
    • Facilitates the inclusion of detailed allergen information and allows you to offer the menu in multiple languages easily.
  • Improved Service Efficiency:
    • Customers access the menu immediately, reducing wait times and allowing staff to focus on taking orders and serving food.

Discover more benefits that QR codes bring to your restaurant: QR codes for restaurants

At Carta, all menus are linked to an establishment. Haven't registered your restaurant yet? Don't worry, we invite you to read the steps to do it quickly in this article: Create your digital menu for free.

Already have your establishment ready? Perfect! Then let's go for it!

To make the process as clear as possible, we're going to create together the free digital menu for our example restaurant: Ramen-Ya BCN. This restaurant is already registered on Carta, but currently its menu is empty.

Step 1: Access Your Restaurant

  • Open your Dashboard from the top menu.
  • Navigate to the restaurant for which you want to create the digital menu.
  • Click the button that says "Menus" to enter the management section.

Note: If no restaurant appears in your dashboard, you can create one by clicking "Add New". We recommend following our step-by-step guide: Create your digital menu for free

Step 2: Organize Categories

On Carta.app, each "Menu" works as a section or category of your menu (e.g., Starters, Main Courses, Wines) or as a fixed-price menu (e.g., Lunch Menu).

  • Click the "Add Menu" button.
  • Name: Write the name of the section. For example: "Starters", "Cold Dishes", "Main Courses", "Wines", etc. In our example, we'll create the "Starters" section.
  • Description (Optional): You can add a brief explanation about this section of the menu.
  • Price (Optional):
    • If you're creating a list of individual dishes (à la carte), leave it blank.
    • If you're creating a fixed-price menu (like a "Lunch Menu" that includes several dishes for a set price), you can add that total price here.

Step 3: Upload Your Dishes and Sell

Open the created category (e.g., "Starters") and click "Add Dish".

  • Dish Name: Should be concise and easy to remember.
  • Description: If the name is short, take advantage of this space to describe the ingredients, preparation, and sell how delicious it is. Here you can add all the details you like!
  • Price: Add the cost of the dish.
    • Tip: If the dish is part of a fixed-price menu but has an extra cost (a supplement), simply add the value of that supplement here.

You've created the dish! Now it will appear in your list.

The next step is to open it to enter the visual and technical details that will captivate your customers.

Step 4: Add Photos and More Details

  • High-quality photos: Add images so your customer can see what they're going to eat. A good dish enters first through the eyes, follow our guide to take perfect photos: Improve your menu with photos that captivate
  • Using Tags: Add an existing tag or create a new one.
    • Use them to indicate allergens (online menu with allergens).
    • Specify key ingredients.
    • Indicate the spice level (you can create tags with a scale from 1 to 5).
  • Important: Don't forget to click "Save" to confirm all changes!

Step 5: Generate Your Custom QR Code

Finally, convert your digital menu into instant access that you can place on tables.

  • From your main menu, click the "Generate QR Code" button.
  • You can customize your preferred colors and shapes to match your restaurant's brand.
  • Take advantage of the option to add your logo so it appears in the center of the code, reinforcing your image.

Mission Accomplished!

That's it! You've just created your first easy digital menu and your first dish. With these steps, you now have all the knowledge needed to digitize your complete menu for free.

Have questions? Check our Frequently Asked Questions, explore our features, or contact our team. We're here to help you succeed.