Action Plan to Increase Sales in a Restaurant

If you want to see results fast, you need to be on top of your game in all areas, from menu creation and technology use to implementing marketing strategies that will get you noticed.

1. Freshen up your restaurant menu

Your menu is the first thing clients see, both online and in location and it is the reason clients choose your restaurant. If you want people to choose your place over your competition, ensure your menu is:

Intuitive: organize your menu in categories to make it easier to browse, such as appetizers, mains, sides, desserts, and beverages. Pro tip: place your high-profit margin items at the top and end of each category because clients tend to look there first;
Short: if people have to spend too much time deciding on what to eat, they may grow dissatisfied, and it will also halter your table turnover. Focus on a small menu with high-quality dishes;
Full of pictures: we eat with our eyes first, so serve customers with some images they won’t be able to resist;
Adorned with mouth-watering descriptions: tempt people into ordering by listing the flavors, the texture, the origin of ingredients, and the special way they were cooked.

2. Price your menu items just right

One of the important steps of an action plan to increase sales in a restaurant is pricing menu items in a way that increases profit, while still providing good value for money.

Check out these tips for efficient menu pricing:

Calculate your Costs of Goods Sold, food cost for a recipe, and food cost for a meal: we have a detailed article for this that makes pricing menu items a breeze;
Check out your competition: what prices does your direct competition practice? How do clients react to those prices?
Make your portions smaller: if you want to increase your profit, you can always make your portions smaller, yet still fulfilling for customers.

3. Make upselling part of your strategy

Persuade your customers to spend more by providing helpful recommendations, not by making them feel obligated to order more. After all, if you provide a great experience, you can turn them into loyal clients.

Try these upselling techniques:

Allow customers to customize their dishes with sizes and add-ons: toppings not only have a high profit margin, but they also allow clients to create their perfect menu item;
Suggest beverage pairings: train your employees to become masters at food and beverage pairing so they can make recommendations clients will appreciate;
Offer desserts and coffee at the end of a meal: customers may want to end their experience with a sweet treat.

4. Sell your delicious food online

If you’re not already selling your food online, you are losing out on a big revenue stream. Every action plan to increase sales in a restaurant includes expanding your business online, where a big audience is waiting.

Don’t waste money on third-party delivery platforms that charge big fees and don’t promote your business. Instead, opt for the free online ordering system from GloriaFood that not only streamlines your online ordering process but also comes with additional marketing features:

Kickstart module to attract new customers;
Autopilot module for email marketing campaigns that keep clients engaged;
Promotions module that helps you increase your average order value;
Reports module that allows you to monitor your sales in real-time.

Increase your restaurant’s revenue by selling food online Install an online ordering system to your website for free

5. Utilize promotions

Getting people to spend more at your restaurant is easy if you use promotions. Here are a couple of examples:

Free delivery for orders over $70;
Combo meals with a main, a side, and a drink;
Free item for orders over $80.

By conditioning clients with a minimum order amount, you encourage them to add more items to their cart so they can take advantage of the offer. You can set up all the promotions listed above and more in just a few seconds:

6. Get a sales-optimized website

In this technologized world, your restaurant’s success starts online. The more people learn about your business, the higher the number of new clients. A website is perfect for that. To inspire trust and protect your customers’ data, make sure you buy an SSL certificate for your website.

Alternatively, get a sales-optimized website to attract more clients. If you use the intuitive restaurant website builder from GloriaFood, you will enjoy:

SEO-optimization: to help you rank on the first page of Google with no effort;
Customization: the website is delivered to you already customized with name, logo, and colors;
Higher conversion rate: the website leads clients to the menu button and makes it easy for customers to order in just a few clicks.
SSL certificate included: no need to purchase a separate service to protect your customers’ data.

7. Offer loyalty programs

This action plan to increase sales in a restaurant also focuses on increasing the number of returning clients. After all, there is a limited amount of people in your area, so you need people to keep coming back to increase revenue.

A great way to do so is to reward clients for their loyalty. For example, with the Promotions module from GloriaFood, you can set up offers that only become available when people spend a certain amount or place a specified number of orders.

8. Take advantage of technology

The more efficient the processes are at your restaurant, the more productive your employees are. Consequently, every order is prepared perfectly, and the customer experience is top-notch. Consider adding the following technology to your business:

Inventory management system: to better use all the ingredients and prevent food waste;
Online ordering system: to make it easier and faster to accept online orders;
Kitchen display system: so the orders get automatically transmitted to the kitchen staff;
Restaurant point-of-sale system: to allow customers to pay fast and have a better view of your sales;
Employee scheduling system: to ensure fairness for all staff members.

Leverage technology to get ahead of the competition Increase sales with a free online ordering system

9. Master marketing

Become a well-known name in your community by implementing an effective marketing strategy. Here is what it should include:

Google Business Profile: claim your business and fill in all the required information to make your restaurant more visible on Google. Don’t forget to include a direct link to your menu so hungry clients can order;
Create an account on review sites: reviews are becoming the currency for businesses nowadays. Encourage customers to leave more positive reviews to grow your reputation;
Be present on all social media platforms relevant to your audience: Facebook for the older generations and Instagram and TikTok for the younger ones. Post often, use images to attract and link to your menu and website to increase conversion;
Organize contests: If you want to instantly reach a bigger audience, organize a simple contest where you ask people to like a post and leave a comment to win a free meal.

10. Offer clients an unforgettable experience

In a world full of restaurants, clients are looking for more than just food when they are choosing a place to dine out. You can convince them to choose your place by organizing a variety of irresistible events, such as:

Live music
Trivia nights
Cooking lessons with the chef
Food tasting
Raffle party

Final Words

Follow this action plan to increase sales in a restaurant and you will surely see results shortly. Moreover, you can also ask your clients on social media what they would like to see more of at your restaurant. This way, you increase engagement and you find new ways to increase restaurant revenue.

Otilia Dobos

Otilia Dobos prides herself on well-documented, easy to understand and SEO-optimized content, both short and long form.

Easy Action Plan to Increase Sales in a Restaurant