Case: update a café menu while keeping the same table QR
A neighborhood café has 12 table signs and needs to replace a menu item. The exercise is to open the new menu from the original sign, with a result anyone can demonstrate on two phones.
Training case: the scenario and numbers are invented for practice. This is not a customer report or a promise of higher sales.
Prepare two actual menu pages
Download the practice kit below. menu-v1.html and menu-v2.html contain complete sample menus with visible version labels. Publish both on your own public HTTPS website and copy their final addresses. Opening an HTML file on your laptop is not the same as making it available to customers.
Use a domain outside sosu.su: SOSU blocks shortening its own domain and subdomains. Once the pages are published, allow about 15–20 minutes for the exercise; website setup time is additional.
Run the update on one proof
- Sign in and create a 302 link to the published menu-v1.html. Name it “Café tables” and keep the automatically generated code.
- Leave password, expiration, and click limit empty for this public exercise. Download the SVG and print one “Open the menu” sign.
- Scan it with two phones. Record the final address and Version 1 label.
- Edit that same short-link record and replace the destination with the public menu-v2.html address.
- Scan the original sign again in fresh tabs on both phones. Capture Version 2 and the changed dish.
- Test rollback by temporarily restoring the first destination, then return to Version 2.
Show the result, not a made-up success story
| Check | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Short URL | Saved address | Same address |
| QR file | Original SVG | Same SVG |
| Menu on phone | Version 1 | Version 2 |
| Replacement signs for this update | Not needed | 0 in this scenario |
A short recording can show the paper sign, first menu, destination edit, and second scan. Keep credentials and unrelated account records out of the recording.
Use your own costs
Practice calculation: 12 signs × an assumed $4 replacement cost = $48 in potentially avoided reprinting for one complete replacement. These are invented exercise inputs, not a supplier quote or measured profit. Replace both inputs with your actual print estimate.
A QR that already points to a stable menu page can also avoid reprinting when you edit that page. The short link is particularly useful when the file URL, website builder, or menu provider changes.
Know what this does not measure
This is a menu-viewing workflow, not a payment or ordering system. Check real prices and mobile readability before using it with customers. A menu click does not establish that an order was placed.
Result to verify
Both phones open Version 2 from the original paper sign. The short URL and QR file are unchanged. Fix any old-version result before printing the other 11 signs.
Sources and resources
Includes two menu versions, two workshop handouts, and a verification sheet. Host the HTML files on your own public HTTPS website outside sosu.su before testing a redirect: SOSU cannot shorten its own domain.
Download the practice kit (ZIP)