BUYER’S GUIDE
How to choose a 3D / AR menu for your restaurant
Choose a 3D / AR menu by testing it on your guests’ phones first: it should open from a QR code in the phone’s browser with no app, and show each dish at its real size on the table. Then compare who makes the 3D dishes, which dishes they can do well, what you pay per dish and per month, and how the menu behaves on a phone that cannot show AR.
AR menu or QR menu: what is the difference?
A QR menu is your menu as a web page: the guest scans the code on the table and reads it in the phone’s browser. A 3D / AR menu is a QR menu with one more layer. Some dishes have a 3D model the guest can turn with a finger, and on a phone that supports augmented reality (AR) the guest can place that dish on the real table through the camera.
So every AR menu is also a QR menu. The question is not which one to buy, but whether the extra layer is worth it for your dishes and your guests.
| QR menu | 3D / AR menu | |
|---|---|---|
| What the guest sees | Text, prices, usually photos | The same, plus chosen dishes as 3D models and, on supported phones, at real size on the table |
| What you supply | Menu text, prices, photos | The same, plus what the vendor needs to build each 3D dish |
| Phones | Any phone with a camera and a browser | The menu works everywhere; AR needs a phone that supports it |
| Changing a price | Edit it in the panel; the QR stays the same | The same; a changed recipe may also need a new model |
| Cost | A subscription, plus printing | The same, plus the 3D dishes (included in a plan or paid per dish) |
The checklist
Go through this list with every vendor you consider. A “no” is not always a deal-breaker, but you should know it before you print anything.
- It opens from a QR code in the phone’s browser. Guests do not download an app.
- AR works on both iPhone and Android. On iPhone, web AR usually runs through Apple’s AR Quick Look, which shows USDZ files in Safari. On Android it usually runs through Google’s Scene Viewer, which needs an ARCore-supported phone on Android 7.0 or later (see the sources below).
- When a phone cannot show AR, the guest still sees the dish in 3D or as a photo, and the menu itself always works.
- Dishes appear at their real size. Ask how the size is measured.
- You know who makes the 3D dishes, what you have to send, and how long it takes.
- The vendor tells you which of your dishes will look good in 3D and which will not, before you pay for them.
- The 3D dish loads on mobile data at a table, not only on office Wi-Fi.
- You change dishes and prices yourself, and the printed QR code stays the same.
- The menu can be read in the languages your guests speak, and has fields for allergens and ingredients.
- You know what happens to your menu and your 3D dishes if you stop paying.
Questions to ask the vendor
- Can I open a live menu of yours on my own phone, right now, with no app?
- Which phones show AR, and what does a guest see on one that cannot?
- How many dishes are included, and what does each extra dish cost per month or once?
- Who makes the models, what do you need from me, and how long does a dish take?
- Which of my dishes would you not make in 3D, and why?
- If I change a recipe or the plating, is the model updated, and at what cost?
- How long is the contract, and how do I cancel?
- Do you take orders or payments, or is this only a menu? What does the guest see if they try to order?
What it costs: the line items
Prices differ a lot between vendors, and many are only given on request. Compare the same line items side by side instead of the headline price.
| Line item | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly or yearly? What is included: menu, languages, statistics, branches? |
| 3D dishes | How many are included? Price of each extra dish, and is it a one-off or monthly? |
| Setup | Is there a setup fee? Who enters the menu: you or the vendor? |
| Changes | What does a new or changed 3D dish cost after launch? |
| Printing | Are table cards or stickers ready to print, or do you design them? |
| More branches | Does a second branch cost a full plan, or less? |
| Taxes | Are prices shown with or without tax in your country? |
When you do not need an AR menu
An AR menu is a nice extra, not a basic need. A clear QR menu with good text and honest prices is enough in many places. You can skip AR, or wait, when:
- Your menu changes every day. Models cannot keep up with a board that is rewritten each morning.
- Most of your dishes have no stable shape: leafy salads, long pasta, loose toppings. These are hard to show well in 3D.
- Your guests are regulars who already know what they order.
- Guests order at a counter and do not sit with the menu.
- The basics are not done yet: the menu text, prices or allergen information still need work. Fix those first.
Test it in your own dining room
A demo on a sales call tells you little. Ask for a live menu link and try it where your guests sit.
- Use three phones: an iPhone, a mid-range Android, and one on mobile data with Wi-Fi off.
- Scan the QR code from where a guest sits, at the table’s real distance and light.
- Open a 3D dish, then AR. Check that it sits flat on the table and looks the right size next to a real plate.
- Check the printed code: QR codes need a clear, empty margin four modules wide on every side, so nothing should be printed right up to its edge.
- Hand the phone to someone who has never seen the menu and watch where they get stuck.
Where Serva fits
Serva is one of the services that does this. It is a QR menu that opens in the phone’s browser, with 3D dishes that guests can place on the table in AR, the menu in up to 24 languages, and Servito, Serva’s AI menu advisor. The Serva team prepares the 3D dishes; you choose which dishes you want in 3D in the panel. Not every dish suits 3D, and the 3D / AR menu page lists which ones do.
Plans start at $19 a month with 10 3D dishes; an extra 3D dish is $2 a month. All plans and what they include are on the pricing page.
Questions about choosing an AR menu
Do guests need to download an app to see a dish in AR?
Not with a web AR menu. The guest scans the QR code and the menu opens in the phone’s browser. On iPhone, AR usually opens in Apple’s AR Quick Look; on Android, in Google’s Scene Viewer. Ask the vendor to show you this on your own phone.
Does AR work on every phone?
No. AR needs a phone and browser that support it. On Android, Google’s Scene Viewer needs an ARCore-supported device running Android 7.0 or later. A good AR menu still shows the dish in 3D or as a photo on other phones, and the menu itself works on all of them.
How many dishes should be in 3D?
Not the whole menu. Start with the dishes guests ask about most, your signature dishes, and dishes whose size is hard to judge from a photo, such as pizzas or sharing plates. Add more once you see which ones guests open.
What does a 3D / AR menu cost?
It depends on the vendor. Compare the same line items: the subscription, how many 3D dishes are included, the price of each extra dish, setup, changes after launch and extra branches. Many vendors only give prices on request.
Can I make the 3D models myself?
You can, but it is more work than it looks. The dish has to be at real size, light enough to load on mobile data, and saved in two formats: USDZ for iPhone and glTF or GLB for Android. Most restaurants leave this to the vendor.
Does an AR menu replace the printed menu?
Not always. Some guests have no phone with them or prefer paper, and in some places local rules ask for a printed menu or for allergen information to be given in a set way. Check the rules where you are and keep a printed or spoken option.
Is an AR menu the same as ordering at the table?
No. An AR menu shows dishes; it does not have to take orders or payments. Some services add ordering, others do not. Ask the vendor which one theirs is.
Sources
The numbers and technical facts on this page come from these pages, read on the date above. Check the current version at the source.