El Paso, TEXAS- Restaurants are adapting new ways to keep customers safe from the coronavirus as CDC allows restaurants to open 75% capacity since September 17.
As Texas Governor, Greg Abbott placed new standard health protocols as precautions in order to keep people safe, such as staying 6 feet apart, hand sanitation among points of entry, and contactless payments are encouraged
One of the ways is changing the way you order food; instead of having regular paper or plastic menus, QR code menus are becoming a new normal.
Quick Response Codes, also known as QR, are being used everywhere, usually found in restaurants such as Hooters, Texas Roadhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee’s, Olive Garden, among others have adapted this new trend.
By just pointing your camera to the code, you can obtain the whole restaurant’s menu and, in some cases, even the bar menu in the tip of your finger.
Customers are having split decisions whether QR Codes are beneficial or are simply not a good idea.
“It’s a way to use technology besides it is faster to order the products I am about to eat. Besides, I won’t touch any menus or plastic and I won’t get COVID” Customer Andres Juarez says
However not everyone is a big fan of these QR codes. One group in particular: the elderly.
Patricia Romero is a 52-year-old woman who like many doesn’t understand or know how to use her phone enough to scan these QR codes.
“Honestly I don’t like them, my cell phone is not so up to date to take this app and honestly I would not understand them because I would like to see the pictures as before.” Patricia says.
Patricia Romero smiles for the camera as she shares why she’s against QR codes in restaurants.
For those who struggle with scanning QR codes like Patricia, restaurants also have alternatives, for example Texas Roadhouse and Applebee’s offer paper menus that get tossed after every use.
Other restaurants, like Hooters use their regular menus that get disinfected after every use.
Even though Patricia always has problems opening up the menu in her phone, she says this will not stop her from eating out. She says that she always asks her server to help her out if she’s dining alone.
For Hooters, switching to QR code menus was a corporate decision to limit the spread of COVID-19.
While it’s unknown if after the pandemic restaurants will keep using this new trend or go back to the old ways of traditional menus, Hooters’ general manager Guillermo “Memo” Allande says he would like to keep QR code menus.
Hooters’ General Manager Guillermo “Memo” Andrade says QR codes are helping his store and the environment.
Memo thinks this is a way to not only help the environment by using less paper or plastic material, but to also keep the restaurant looking cleaner and more kept together.
However not all restaurant employees are pro-QR codes.
Hooters’ Bartender and Server Misty Garcia shares how QR codes menus are making her everyday job harder.
Such as Misty Garcia, a bartender who’s been working for Hooters for 17 years.
“Because only signature drinks are shown in the online menu, people are more inclined into ordering drinks that are not usually ordered therefore the bartender might not be too familiarized and in some cases these drinks are even harder to make.”
Whether you like these new trends, this is technology that is here to stay for a while.
Emilia Zubia 