February 20, 2026 •

News Staff

(AI-generated/Adobe Stock)

Never mind having a relaxing night out with your significant other — new research shows restaurant customers may want something besides QR code ordering to interrupt their unforgettable dining experience. It’s augmented reality (AR).

A new study, led by Soobin Seo of Washington State University’s Carson College of Business, appears to suggest restaurants could drive customer interest — and their willingness to tell others about a particular eatery — by adding AR elements to their digital menus.

Some caveats, per le Gizmodo: The research focused solely on restaurants disclosing their farm-to-fork supply chains through AR and how that impacted the chances a diner would visit the restaurant, then blab to others. AR menu users were more willing to visit and yak, but the average self-selected response was roughly only .5 higher than people given QR codes or paper menus. All of which to say, we may be stuck with QR codes for a while longer. Sigh.