Which AI Assistants Can Build a QR Menu? ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok Compared
The Duckhub team builds AI-powered QR menu and online ordering software used by cafes, bars, and restaurants. We write practical guides based on what we see working across thousands of published menus.
ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok can all build and publish a real restaurant QR menu today, each through a two-minute connection to a menu platform. Terminal agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) do the same with an API key. The consumer Gemini app is the notable holdout: it drafts menu content well but cannot yet connect to menu software directly.
TL;DR
- The dividing line isn’t writing quality; every assistant drafts a decent menu. It’s whether the assistant can publish to a live QR menu.
- Can publish today: ChatGPT (plugin app), Claude (custom connector), Grok (custom connector), Claude Code / Cursor / Codex (API key).
- Can’t publish yet: the consumer Gemini app (no custom connector support at the time of writing); Gemini CLI is the workaround.
- All connections run through MCP, the open standard Anthropic released in November 2024, so capabilities are identical once connected.
What separates “writes a menu” from “builds a menu”?
The connection. Any chatbot produces menu text; a connected assistant operates the menu platform itself, creating categories and dishes as real records, setting photos, translating, and publishing to the URL your table QR codes point at. The bridge is MCP (Model Context Protocol), the open standard for giving AI assistants typed tools, released by Anthropic in November 2024 and since adopted by OpenAI, xAI, and most of the industry.
Duck Hub MCP allows ChatGPT, Claude and other AI assistants to create a complete restaurant menu directly inside Duck Hub. Because every assistant below connects to the same endpoint and the same 39 tools, the comparison isn’t about what they can do once connected (identical), but how each one connects and what that costs you in setup.
Comparison: AI assistants for building a QR menu
| Assistant | Can publish a live menu? | Connection method | Free tier works? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Yes | Plugins → search “Duckhub” → sign in | Yes |
| Claude (claude.ai) | Yes | Custom connector: https://mcp.duck-hub.com/mcp |
Yes (one connector included) |
| Grok | Yes | Connectors → New Connector → Custom → same URL | Yes |
| Claude Code / Cursor / Codex | Yes | API key (dk_live_) on the same endpoint |
Depends on the tool |
| Gemini (consumer app) | Not yet | No custom connector option at the time of writing | Drafting only |
| Gemini CLI | Yes, technical route | MCP server in settings.json with an API key |
Yes (open source) |
Bottom line: if you use ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok, you can go from “no digital menu” to “published QR menu” inside one conversation today. If you’re Gemini-first, draft there and publish through any of the above, or use the CLI route.
How does each assistant connect?
Each connection is a sign-in, not a configuration project. The specifics:
- ChatGPT: open Plugins, search for “Duckhub”, and sign in with your Duckhub account. The app is published in the directory, so there’s no URL or key involved. With ChatGPT’s scale (OpenAI reported roughly 800 million weekly users in October 2025), this is the most common route we see. Details: Can ChatGPT create a restaurant menu?
- Claude: Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → paste
https://mcp.duck-hub.com/mcp→ Connect and sign in. Works on every plan, including free. Details: Can Claude create a restaurant menu? - Grok: grok.com → Connectors → New Connector → Custom → enter the same URL → authenticate with your Duckhub login. Available to all Grok users.
- Claude Code, Cursor, Codex: add the endpoint with a
dk_live_API key from the Duckhub Integrations page; one command or a short config block per tool, documented in the MCP guide. This route suits developers and agencies managing several venues.
Every route ends in the same OAuth-or-key authorization, scoped to one venue you choose, revocable from the Duckhub dashboard in one click.
What about Gemini?
The consumer Gemini app currently has no way to add a custom MCP connector, so it cannot build a menu directly: it will happily draft categories, descriptions, and translations, but the output stays text you must move by hand. Given how fast assistant capabilities ship, this is a “not yet” rather than a verdict; we’ll update this page when it changes.
Two practical workarounds exist today. The simple one: draft in Gemini if that’s your tool, then paste the result into ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok connected to the platform (or into Duckhub’s own dashboard). The technical one: Gemini CLI, Google’s open-source terminal agent, does support MCP servers via its settings file, so a developer can wire it to the same endpoint with an API key and get the full toolset.
Which assistant should a restaurant owner pick?
Pick the one you already pay for or already use daily; the menu-building results are identical. The platform validates every tool call the same way regardless of which assistant makes it, nothing goes guest-visible until you approve publishing, and a rollback snapshot survives every publish. There is no menu-quality reason to switch assistants.
The tie-breakers that actually matter: ChatGPT has the simplest connection (a directory search, no URL). Claude’s free plan definitely includes the connector slot this needs. Grok suits owners already living on X. Terminal agents win for multi-venue automation. And if the assistant question is part of a broader “what AI should my restaurant use” decision, our best AI tools for restaurants guide covers the full stack beyond menus.
Whichever assistant you use: create a free Duckhub account, connect it via OAuth or API key, and build your QR menu by chat. Free plan, 0% commission.