Frequently Asked Questions

GetFreeMenu is a completely free digital menu platform designed for restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and any food service business. It lets you create beautiful, mobile-friendly digital menus that customers can access by scanning a QR code at their table. Beyond menus, it includes a full table ordering system, a kitchen display, team management with role-based access, analytics and sales reports, and automatic translation into 19 languages. There are no subscriptions, no premium tiers, and no hidden fees — every feature is available to every user at no cost.

Yes, GetFreeMenu is genuinely 100% free with no premium tier, no usage limits on core features, and no surprise charges. Every restaurant gets access to the full platform — digital menus, QR codes, table ordering, kitchen display, team management, analytics, and 19-language translation. The service is sustained through unobtrusive advertising on public-facing menu pages. We believe that every restaurant, whether a neighborhood noodle shop or a family-run trattoria, deserves access to the same digital tools that large chains use, without the price tag.

Getting started takes just a few minutes. First, create a free account using your email address or sign in with Google. Next, add your restaurant by entering its name, a short description, and optionally your logo and cover image. Then, create menu categories (such as Appetizers, Main Courses, Desserts) and add items to each category with names, descriptions, prices, and photos. Once you are satisfied, share the QR code or direct link with your customers. You can update your menu at any time and changes appear instantly.

Not at all. GetFreeMenu is designed to be as simple as using social media. If you can fill out a form and upload a photo, you can build a professional digital menu. The dashboard walks you through each step with a clean, intuitive interface. There is no coding, no design software, and no complicated setup required. We also offer a fully interactive demo mode so you can explore every feature before creating an account.

The platform interface and all user-facing text are available in 19 languages: English, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian, Urdu, Russian, German, Japanese, Vietnamese, Turkish, Filipino, Thai, Korean, and Italian. Right-to-left languages like Arabic and Urdu are fully supported. Additionally, your menu content (category names, item names, and descriptions) can be automatically translated into all 19 languages using the built-in translation feature powered by LibreTranslate, so international visitors can read your menu in their own language.

Absolutely. The entire platform is mobile-first. You can create and manage your restaurant, edit your menu, view orders, manage tables, and check analytics from any smartphone or tablet browser. Your customers also enjoy a smooth mobile experience when scanning your QR code to browse the menu or place orders. No app download is required for either restaurant owners or their customers — everything runs in the web browser.

From your restaurant dashboard, navigate to the Menu tab. First, create at least one category (for example, "Starters" or "Drinks"). Then, click the add button within that category to create a new item. You can enter the item name, a description, a price, upload a photo, and select dietary tags. Items can be reordered within their category by drag and drop, and you can move items between categories at any time. All changes are saved immediately and reflected on your public menu page in real time.

Yes. Each menu item can have a photo, and your restaurant profile can include both a logo and a cover image. We support JPEG, PNG, WebP, and GIF formats. Images are stored securely and served through a global CDN (Content Delivery Network) for fast loading anywhere in the world. On the public menu page, customers can tap or click on item photos to see a full-size lightbox view. High-quality food photos significantly increase engagement, so we recommend adding images whenever possible.

When you open a menu item or category in the editor, you will see a Translations section with an auto-translate button. Clicking it sends your item name and description to our self-hosted LibreTranslate service, which translates the text into all 18 non-English languages simultaneously. The translation runs as a background job so it does not block your workflow — you can continue editing while translations are processed. Progress updates appear in real time, and completed translations are saved automatically. You can also manually edit any translation to fine-tune the wording.

Yes. Each menu item has an availability toggle in the editor. When you mark an item as unavailable, it appears dimmed on the public menu page so customers can still see that it exists but know it is currently not offered. This is useful for seasonal items, items that are sold out for the day, or dishes whose ingredients are temporarily out of stock. You can toggle availability back on at any time with a single click, and the change is reflected instantly on the live menu.

GetFreeMenu offers 25 dietary tags that you can assign to any menu item: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, spicy, halal, kosher, dairy-free, nut-free, organic, seafood, sugar-free, keto, paleo, egg-free, soy-free, low-carb, high-protein, raw, whole30, FODMAP-friendly, pescatarian, locally-sourced, zero-oil, alkaline, and Mediterranean. Each tag is displayed as a color-coded badge on the menu, making it easy for customers with dietary restrictions to find suitable dishes at a glance. You can assign up to three tags per item, and all tags are translated into all 19 supported languages.

Every restaurant on GetFreeMenu gets a unique QR code and a shareable link. When a customer scans the QR code with their phone camera, it opens your digital menu directly in their browser — no app download required. The menu is fully interactive, with category navigation, item photos with lightbox zoom, dietary tag filters, and the ability to switch between 19 languages. You can print the QR code and place it on tables, at the counter, in the window, or on takeaway packaging. The QR code never expires and always points to your latest menu.

Yes. If you set up the table ordering feature, customers can browse your menu, add items to a cart, include special instructions or notes, and submit their order — all from their own phone. Orders appear instantly in your dashboard and on the kitchen display. This reduces wait times, eliminates order-taking errors, and frees up your staff to focus on service. Each table has its own unique QR code so orders are automatically linked to the correct table.

You can create up to 30 tables per restaurant, each with a unique secret code and QR code. When a customer scans a table QR code, they see your full menu and can place orders. Orders flow into your dashboard where you can see them organized by table. Each order item can be individually confirmed or cancelled by your staff. When the customer is ready to leave, they tap a "Request Check" button, which alerts your staff. You can then check out the table, review the total, and print a receipt formatted for standard 80mm thermal printers. After checkout, you can reset the table to generate a fresh QR code for the next customer.

Yes. When you check out a table, the checkout dialog includes a Print Receipt button. Clicking it opens a print-ready page formatted specifically for 80mm thermal receipt printers, which are standard in the restaurant industry. The receipt includes your restaurant name, address, phone number, the table name, date and time, an itemized list of all ordered items (excluding cancelled items), the grand total, and a thank-you message. The print dialog opens automatically so you can send it to your connected printer with one click.

Yes. Each table card in your dashboard has a Print QR button. Clicking it opens a clean, print-ready popup that includes your restaurant name, the table name or number, a large QR code, and a "Scan to order" hint for customers. The page is designed to look professional when printed and can be laminated or inserted into a table stand. You can also copy the direct link to share digitally, for example in a social media post or a delivery app listing.

Yes. GetFreeMenu supports team collaboration with up to 8 members per restaurant, including the owner. You can invite anyone by their email address from the Team tab in your dashboard. Invited users receive a notification when they log in and can accept or decline the invitation. If the person does not have an account yet, the invitation will be waiting for them when they sign up. Each team member is assigned a role that controls exactly what they can see and do within your restaurant.

There are five roles: Owner, Manager, Chef, Waiter, and Viewer. The Owner has full control over everything. Managers can manage the menu, QR codes, tables, kitchen, analytics, and view restaurant details and team members. Chefs have access to the kitchen display and can view the menu. Waiters can manage tables (take orders, checkout) and view the menu and QR codes. Viewers have read-only access to details, menu, QR codes, and analytics. This granular permission system ensures that each team member only sees what is relevant to their responsibilities.

The kitchen display is a dedicated view at the Kitchen tab in your dashboard. It shows all pending order items across all tables in a single, easy-to-scan list, sorted by waiting time so the oldest orders appear first. Each item shows the quantity, item name, table name, price, and any special notes from the customer. Kitchen staff can quickly confirm or cancel individual items with large, easy-to-tap buttons designed for busy kitchen environments. The display auto-refreshes every 15 seconds so it always shows the latest orders without manual intervention. It is designed to be displayed on a tablet mounted in the kitchen.

Yes. Multiple team members can be logged in and working simultaneously. For example, a waiter can be managing table orders on a phone, while the chef monitors the kitchen display on a wall-mounted tablet, and the manager reviews analytics on a laptop. All data syncs in real time through the server, so everyone sees up-to-date information. The role-based access system ensures each person only sees the features relevant to their job, keeping the interface clean and focused.

The Analytics section of your dashboard has three views. Live Sales shows real-time data for the current day, including total revenue, number of orders, pending orders, average order value, and a live feed of recent orders that updates every 15 seconds. View Tracking shows how many times your menu has been viewed, with breakdowns by today, this week, this month, and all time, plus a daily bar chart. Daily Sales Reports provide detailed end-of-day summaries including revenue, order count, per-item breakdowns, hourly sales distribution, and complete order details.

Daily sales reports are generated automatically based on your restaurant's timezone, which is determined from the country you set in your restaurant profile. At the end of each business day, the system compiles all completed orders into a comprehensive report. The report includes summary statistics (total revenue, total orders, average order value, items sold, confirmed items, cancelled items), an item-by-item breakdown sorted by revenue, an hourly sales chart showing when your busiest periods were, and full order details. Reports are stored securely and you can access any past date from the date picker.

Yes. Each daily sales report has a Download PDF button that opens a print-ready page formatted for A4 paper. The printable report includes all summary cards, the item breakdown table, and the order details table. You can print it directly or save it as a PDF using your browser's print dialog. This is useful for record keeping, sharing with partners or accountants, or simply reviewing the day's performance on paper. The report is styled cleanly for professional printing.

Yes. Menu view tracking uses simple atomic counters in our database. We count the total number of views per day for each restaurant, but we do not store any personally identifiable information about the viewers. We do not track IP addresses, device fingerprints, or browsing behavior of your menu visitors. Each browser session counts as one view (tracked via session storage on the client side), so refreshing the page does not inflate your numbers. This approach respects customer privacy while still giving you useful engagement metrics.

Yes. GetFreeMenu takes security seriously. All data is transmitted over HTTPS with TLS encryption. Passwords are hashed using Argon2, which is considered one of the most secure hashing algorithms available. Authentication uses JSON Web Tokens (JWT) with short expiry times and secure refresh token rotation. Our API is protected by rate limiting at both the application and edge layers to prevent abuse. We use AWS infrastructure with private S3 buckets, CloudFront CDN with Origin Access Control, and restricted CORS policies. All API endpoints validate input data and enforce role-based access controls.

We collect the minimum data necessary to provide the service. For restaurant owners, this includes your email address, password (stored as a secure hash, never in plain text), and the restaurant information you enter (name, description, menu items, etc.). For customers viewing menus or placing orders, we collect order details (items selected, quantities, notes) linked to the table session, but we do not require customers to create accounts or provide personal information. We use Google Analytics for aggregate site usage statistics. Our full privacy policy is available at the Privacy page with complete details on data handling, retention, and your rights.

Yes. You have full control over your data. You can delete individual menu items, categories, and restaurants from the dashboard at any time. If you want to delete your entire account and all associated data, you can contact our support team and we will process the deletion. When a restaurant is deleted, all associated data is removed, including menu items, categories, tables, orders, team member associations, and uploaded images. We respect your right to data portability and erasure in accordance with applicable privacy regulations.

No. Your customers never need to sign up, log in, or download an app. They simply scan the QR code at their table or follow a direct link, and your menu opens instantly in their phone's browser. If table ordering is enabled, they can browse the menu, add items to their cart, and submit an order — all without providing any personal information. This zero-friction experience means faster adoption, happier customers, and no barriers to using your digital menu.