Restaurant menu glossary: QR menus, tickets and allergens
Terms you will meet when you digitise a restaurant or bar menu, explained without jargon. Each term has its own link so you can cite it.
- A menu guests open by scanning a QR code with their phone camera. It can be a PDF, a web page or a full ordering system.
- Any menu read on a screen. It doesn't necessarily include ordering or translation.
- Table ordering
- Guests send their order from their phone without waiting for staff; it reaches the kitchen or bar in writing.
- Kitchen ticket
- The note with table, dishes and remarks that the kitchen receives. In digital systems it appears on a screen.
- KDS (kitchen display system)
- A screen in the kitchen that shows orders instead of printed tickets.
- Allergen
- A substance that can cause an allergic reaction. EU law requires information on 14 of them (Annex II of Regulation 1169/2011).
- The 14 allergens
- Cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin and molluscs.
- Food intolerance
- A non-immune reaction to a food, such as lactose intolerance. Just as important to inform guests about.
- Traces / may contain
- Small amounts of an allergen that can end up in a dish without being an ingredient. Labelling is voluntary; be precise if you use it.
- Cross-contamination
- Unintended transfer of an allergen from one food to another via utensils, oil, surfaces or hands.
- Gluten-free
- A claim allowed only at 20 mg/kg of gluten or less (Implementing Regulation (EU) 828/2014).
- Allergen matrix
- A table with dishes in rows and allergens in columns, used as a written record.
- Hreflang
- A tag telling Google which version of a page is for which language.
More resources
The EU allergen guide, the free allergen matrix template and the sign generator are linked under “Related guides”.
How it works
- Upload your menu as PDF, Excel or text (or send it to us and we upload it for free). Review it and publish.
- MenuDoro translates it into 10 languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Greek and Chinese.
- Print one QR code per table. Guests scan it with their camera, no app to download, and see the menu in their language.
- They order from their phone. The ticket reaches the kitchen screen in your language, with table and dishes in writing.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I quote these definitions?
- Yes, with a link to this page. Each term has its own anchor (#).
- Missing a term?
- Write to us and we'll add it if it's useful for restaurants.
Price
One plan per restaurant: €79.90 a month, or €598.80 a year (€49.90 a month). VAT included. No commission per order, unlimited tables, no lock-in. The first month is free and we don't ask for a card.
Related guides
No made-up numbers: MenuDoro is a new product and this page describes what it does today. Updated: 2026-10-13.