Restaurant menus and COVID-19: implications for technology adoption in the post-pandemic era

Purpose This paper aims to systematically explore the experiences of restaurant patrons with quick response (QR) code menus during the pandemic to extract insights pertaining to the acceptance of technology adoption in service settings for the post-COVID era. Design/methodology/approach COVID-19 has enormously impacted consumer perceptions toward technology adoption in restaurants. Identifying these impacts requires qualitative inquiries because qualitative techniques, unlike quantitative methods, enable researchers to seek insights into the phenomenon without a predetermined stance. This study applied a qualitative research method. The qualitative data was obtained through in-depth interviews and a focus group. Thematic analysis was conducted. Findings This study identified perceived attributes of QR code technology by patrons: positive attributes such as easy to learn, quick and contactless; and negative attributes such as effortful and reliance on a smartphone. Also, the results distinguished perceived advantages of utilization of QR codes as restaurants’ menu: advantages such as hygienic, environmentally friendly due to no printing and contactless; and disadvantages such as poor menu design and lack of interaction. Practical implications This research presents patrons’ views on QR code menu utilization at restaurants under the pandemic conditions. Contradictory responses on the same features of technology reveal a lack of menu design in the utilization of QR codes. Restaurant practitioners can extract insights about how to better use technology like QR codes, cost-effective and environmentally friendly, in their operations in the postpandemic era. Originality/value This study included both deductive and inductive approaches. An inductive approach that progressed from theory to data was applied while forming interview questions. A deductive approach was used to inform theory with the findings of the data. The value of research derives from differentiating technology attributes (QR codes) and utilization domain (restaurant menu) in the realm of acceptance of technology in the consumer context.