Go Live in 5 Steps - Docs

This guide walks you through the fastest path to getting your digital menu in front of customers. Whether you choose PhotoMenu for polished food photography or 3D Menu Pro for interactive 3D models, the process follows the same five steps. Most restaurant owners complete the entire setup in under fifteen minutes.

Before you begin: Every new account includes a 14-day free trial with full access to all features on your chosen plan. A credit card is required at checkout, but you won't be charged until the trial ends. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time.

Step 1: Create Your Account and Start Your Free Trial

Head to the MenuGaze signup page and enter your name, email address, and a secure password. We recommend at least 12 characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.

After creating your account, you will be prompted to choose your product:

PhotoMenu is the right choice if you want a clean, fast-loading digital menu built from professional-quality food photos. Our AI automatically removes backgrounds and enhances colors, so your dishes look their best without any editing on your part.
3D Menu Pro is for restaurants that want to stand out with interactive 3D models. Customers can rotate, zoom, and inspect each dish from every angle. The AI pipeline handles everything: background removal, photo enhancement, 3D model generation, and optimization.

Once you select a product, choose a subscription tier. All tiers include a 14-day free trial. You can review the exact pricing and item limits on the product comparison page.

Tip: If you are unsure which product to pick, start with PhotoMenu Starter. You can always upgrade to 3D Menu Pro later, and your existing menu items and photos carry over.

Step 2: Set Up Your Restaurant Profile

After signing in for the first time, you will land on your dashboard. The first thing to do is complete your restaurant profile. Click on Settings in the sidebar and fill in:

Restaurant name — This is what appears at the top of your public menu and in your menu URL. Choose the name your customers recognize.
Cuisine type — Helps categorize your restaurant for visitors browsing menus.
Address — Displayed on your public menu so customers can find you. This is optional but recommended.

Your restaurant name also determines your public menu URL. MenuGaze automatically generates a URL slug from the name. For example, if your restaurant is called "Sakura Sushi Bar," your menu will be available at menugaze.com/menu/sakura-sushi-bar. You can customize the slug later from your settings page.

Tip: Keep the restaurant name concise. A shorter name produces a cleaner, easier-to-share URL. Avoid special characters that might not translate well into a URL slug.

Step 3: Add Your First Menu Items with Photos

Navigate to the Menu Items section in your dashboard and click Add Item. For each menu item, provide:

Name — The dish name as it should appear on the menu (e.g., "Margherita Pizza").
Description — A short, appetizing description. Focus on key ingredients and preparation style. Two to three sentences is ideal.
Price — Enter the price in your local currency. It is stored as cents internally for precision.
Category — Group items under categories like "Appetizers," "Entrees," or "Desserts." Customers see items organized by category on the public menu.
Photo — Upload a clear, well-lit photo of the dish. Supported formats are JPEG, PNG, and WebP, with a maximum file size of 10 MB. Our AI automatically removes the background and enhances colors.

If you are on 3D Menu Pro, uploading a photo also triggers the 3D model generation pipeline. The AI processes your image through background removal, enhancement, 3D generation, and optimization. This typically takes one to three minutes per item. You can track progress from the dashboard — the model status moves through PENDING, GENERATING, PROCESSING, and finally READY.

Tip: Start with three to five of your most popular dishes. You can always add more later. High-quality photos produce better results, especially for 3D model generation. See our Photo Tips guide for best practices.

Step 4: Generate and Download Your QR Code

Once you have at least one menu item, your public menu is live. To let customers access it easily, generate a QR code from the QR Code section in your dashboard.

MenuGaze generates a QR code that links directly to your public menu URL. You can:

Download the QR code as a high-resolution PNG image for printing.
Choose from recommended print sizes: table tent cards (4 by 6 inches), counter stands (5 by 7 inches), or window stickers (8 by 10 inches).
Customize the QR code label with your restaurant name or a call to action like "Scan to view our menu."

Tip: Print a test QR code first and scan it with your own phone to verify the link works correctly and the menu looks the way you expect. Test on both iOS and Android if possible.

Step 5: Share Your Menu URL or Place QR Codes on Tables

You are live! Now it is time to get your menu in front of customers. Here are the most effective ways to share:

Table QR codes — Print QR codes and place them on each table using table tent cards, stickers, or acrylic stands. This is the most common setup for dine-in restaurants.
Direct URL — Share your menu URL (menugaze.com/menu/your-restaurant) on social media, your website, Google My Business listing, or in text messages.
Takeout and delivery — Include the QR code on packaging, receipts, or flyers so customers can browse your full menu and reorder.

If you have the Ordering Suite add-on ($44.99/month), you can also assign tables in your dashboard and generate table-specific QR codes. When a customer scans a table QR code, they can browse the menu and place orders directly from their phone. See the Ordering Setup guide for details.

What is Next?

Your menu is now live and customers can start browsing. Here are some next steps to get the most out of MenuGaze:

Monitor analytics — Check your dashboard to see menu views, customer engagement, and your most popular items.
Add more items — Fill out your full menu over the next few days. Remember, your free trial gives you 14 days to explore all features.
Enable ordering — If you want customers to place orders from their phone, consider adding the Ordering Suite.
Upgrade your plan — If you hit the item limit on your current tier, upgrade from your billing settings to unlock more capacity.