[NFC Project] Create a Home Drinks Menu For Guests To "Order"

Making guests feel welcome at home often comes down to small, thoughtful details. Learn how to use a small NFC tag to link to a digital drinks menu, giving your friends a simple, fun way to see what's on offer. It's a fun way to start a conversation and a neat little trick for any host.

Welcoming friends / guests to my home often starts with the simple question, "What can I get you to drink?", followed by a list of what you have in the fridge or on the shelf. It works, of course, but I've recently tried a different approach that I think is a rather nice improvement.

The idea is to use a simple NFC tag to bring up a home drinks menu on your guest's phone. It’s a fun mix of technology and classic hospitality.

‍

What You'll Need

NFC, or Near Field Communication, is the same technology used for contactless card payments. It's a simple way for devices to talk to each other over a short distance. For this project, we're using it to share a link to a webpage.

The setup is really straightforward.

  1. Create a Menu Page: First, you'll need a simple page on your blog or website. Just list out the drinks you have available—beers, wines, spirits, soft drinks, and maybe a cocktail if you're feeling ambitious. The goal is to make it clear and easy to read.
  2. Get an NFC Tag: You can buy these online for very little. They are usually small, often with a sticky back, and don't need any batteries or power.
  3. Programme the Tag: Using a free NFC app on your smartphone, you can write the web address of your menu page onto the tag. It only takes a few seconds—you just hold your phone over the tag and follow the app's instructions.
  4. Place the Tag: This is the fun part. You could stick the tag to the bottom of a specific coaster, on your bar cart, or on a little wooden block. When a guest puts their phone down on it, they'll get a notification. A quick tap, and your menu pops up.

‍

‍