After reading these comments I am very grateful that I have never seen any of this garbage. The main places here that use the QR menus are those reinvented food courts (don't know the hip new name). With those you order through the website, it texts you when the food is ready, and you go pick it up. Some of them make you pay at the website and other you pay when you pickup. The advantage is that that you get to spend more time together at the table socializing rather than dispersed standing in line at various restaurant stalls. The downside of course is that you then get text spams after leaving.
How do those PDF menus even work? Do they have a waiter come around and take your order? Do you order up front and the QR menu is just a convenience in addition to a large menu sign?
Depends on the chain. At one restaurant, the waiter still came to your table to take the order.
At another, the restaurant's entire menu was online and expected you to place the order through the website so that it was nearly indistinguishable from a carry-out/DoorDash order. The only difference was that you specified a table number in the order if you were dining in.
How do those PDF menus even work? Do they have a waiter come around and take your order? Do you order up front and the QR menu is just a convenience in addition to a large menu sign?