When it comes to using new technologies in restaurants, few operators experiment more than BJ Emerson, vice president of technology for 55-unit Tasti D-Lite, and Joe Sorge, chief executive of Milwaukee-based Hospitality Democracy, owner of five restaurant concepts.

Just as they did with Twitter and Foursquare when those platforms emerged as useful tools for restaurant marketing, Emerson and Sorge continue to tinker with QR codes while also taking the time to teach their guests how to use them. They hope that their willingness to experiment and educate ultimately leads to greater adoption of QR codes and whatever technology comes next.

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The two operators shared some tips for trying out QR codes with Nation’s Restaurant News:

• Consume before you produce. “To anyone doing QR codes, I would say, No. 1, be a user,” Emerson said. “Get a QR code reader and just start scanning some codes so you can see how it works.”

Dozens of code readers are available for free at the iTunes and Android app stores for downloading onto smart phones, and several QR code generators can be found online for free. For restaurateurs looking for QR codes to scan, a recent report by researcher comScore found that most codes are scanned at home in magazines and brochures, so go check the mailbox.

• Invest in mobile-friendly sites. Emerson suggested that any websites linked to a QR code be mobile-friendly and not run on Flash. A standard website not optimized for mobile will still work, he said, but the one-touch navigation of a mobile-friendly site is likely to keep users engaged longer. Also, since Apple iPhones are the most popular smart phone — and don’t support Flash — it makes sense not to use that platform.