You already know that the restaurant sector has thin profit margins especially with the inflation and rising food costs all over the world. 

So, it would be smart to think about increasing your restaurant sales and pumping money into that bank account. 

Things are pretty simple and clear: satisfying your customers’ needs so they keep spending money in your venue. 

There are many options to increase your sales including up-selling but many other techniques that increase your customers’ loyalty and their spending in addition to your market share.

How to increase your restaurant sales

Turn your customers into promoters through word of mouth

Your customers are your best advocates. Make them happy and they will return the favor to you! 

When they are satisfied with your service and food and most importantly feel appreciated through customized loyalty programs, they will spread the word about your restaurant and distinguished service so you reach more people driving your sales up. 

Recommend new dishes to your existing guests, let your employees welcome them with warmth and customize the service offered based on the CRM and the data stored in the system about their previous ordering history and their preferences.

Use suggestive selling through menu engineering 

Your menu design has a big impact on sales. The way you use menu engineering tool and place your platters boosts profitability through boosting your most profitable items. 

This tool enables you to learn and track your customers preferences along with their most ordered platters and the ones that yield the most profit. The menu engineering tool designs your menu in a way to boost high profitable platters to your customers and indirectly urges them to choose certain items driving your sales figures up. 

The menu design also suggests upselling techniques through the placement of platters and the add-ons offered. It triggers customers to buy more food they would usually order over the phone. 

Seeing images next to the platter descriptions boosts customers’ appetite and makes them want to order more. Even when they see dessert pictures when they’re hungry, they memorize the pictures to order them after they finish eating their meal.

Of course, your employees should always be present to answer any concern and to assist your customers but the menu engineering is a sufficient tool to provide them with all the necessary information.

Make irresistible promotions and offers 

Who can turn down an offer with delicious food that you crave and very competitive prices?

Offers and promotions are your chance to attract new customers as well as increase the footfall of your existing ones. 

Mc Donald’s Philippines launched an exclusive BTS meal after the South Korean pop boy band that includes special sauces of cajun and sweet chili with 10 nuggets. 

The promotion resulted in a 1000% increase in daily nuggets sales compared to the regular days. 

This promotion was specially successful because the fast food chain didn’t actually add any new meal nor create a new platter. They simply worked on their packaging with new sauces. 

Use your SEO to improve your google search results 

You sure have a specific cuisine and something to distinguish you from your competitors. Using keywords that best describe you on your website content increases your chances of being noticed and found.

When customers want to search for a restaurant online, they are more likely to use keywords that match your used keywords in your website content to increase your visibility and hence the reach and your sales. 

Keywords that include your specialty and your location with descriptive words are always a good way to be found. 

If your specialty is pepperoni pizza in Beirut, then opt for the best pepperoni pizza in Beirut. 

Offer smaller meals

People are more tempted to order smaller meals that offer more variety as snacks or bites to share with their friends or family. 

The global snack food is projected to grow 3.37% during the forecast period 2021 till 2026. 

Use this opportunity to offer smaller versions of your burgers, sandwiches, salads, and main platters to be shared. You can do the same for your desserts offering a combo platter of smaller versions of your desserts. 

This way, you urge customers to order more platters to be shared and gain more variety while paying more money.

Boosting your sales especially in times of rising food and raw material costs is essential for your sustainability and growth. There are many options available but what matters the most is to satisfy your customers.