How to increase your restaurant sales in 2024

There are several ways to increase sales at a restaurant. One effective method is to improve the menu and offer new and exciting dishes that are not available at other restaurants.

Another way is to introduce specials, discounts or promotions that will attract customers and create buzz around the restaurant. It is also important to provide exceptional customer service and create a welcoming atmosphere that will encourage customers to return.

Utilising social media platforms to promote the restaurant and engage with customers is also a great way to increase sales. By offering high-quality food, great service, and unique experiences, a restaurant can increase its sales and build a loyal customer base.

Your restaurant will only be able to achieve growth by increasing its sales. The food and beverage industry is a very crowded and competitive one, so you must try to remain one step ahead of others.

There have been many modifications made to old sales strategies to ensure they still work today, but lots of them have become more challenging since 2020.

Ways to increase restaurant revenue?

Throughout this article we are going to give you 6 tactics that will improve your revenue, both immediately and in the long-term.

Establish target goals

You should establish a baseline for future improvements before diving into how to boost restaurant sales. Normally, if you’re an established business, you would use internal sales numbers or averages from your industry for your internal sales numbers.

This data has, however, become moot due to COVID-19. Your success is harder to measure over time as a result. Even so, collecting at least a week’s worth of sales data before moving forward is beneficial.

Offer delivery and curbside pickup

As a result of social distancing rules that have been in place for much of the past few years, most restaurants were forced to downsize their floor plans, limiting the number of patrons they could serve. Offering curbside pickup and delivery allows you to serve more customers while maintaining social distance. Here are the things you’ll need to get started:

• Online ordering system that allows users to place orders remotely
• Telephone-based virtual terminal solution for taking orders and payments
• Contactless payment system that accepts payments at the curb and on the go

Boost your marketing efforts to increase sales

Budgets for marketing are often the first to be slashed in lean times. The impact of marketing has never been more profound than it is today, with so many restaurants going under. The overall consumer demand might be lower, but the number of competitors is also smaller. In this way, you can create marketing messages that stand out from the rest. Your outreach efforts need to be stepped up now, rather than scaled back:

• Diversify your advertising channels by increasing your spending
• Participate more in social media platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram

Adopt a loyalty program

Adding a loyalty program is a popular and effective way to boost sales at a restaurant. By offering rewards to repeat customers, a loyalty program can encourage them to visit more often and spend more money each time they come in. A well-designed loyalty program can also help increase customer engagement and satisfaction, which can lead to positive word-of-mouth and increased customer loyalty.

Some effective loyalty program strategies include offering points for every purchase, providing exclusive discounts or promotions to members, and offering freebies or gifts for hitting certain milestones or reaching certain point thresholds. By implementing a loyalty program, a restaurant can not only boost sales in the short term, but also build a loyal customer base that can help sustain long-term success

Extend operating hours

Increasing your hours can also help counteract the negative effects of having less “usable” floor space. Although this requires additional costs – such as wages and utilities – you can also increase sales while still maintaining social distance.

If traffic is low during lulls, you might try attracting more visitors in different ways. During lunchtime, for instance, you may want to consider offering lower prices or meal deals. Don’t forget to advertise your newspecial offers to your patrons so that they know about them.

Promote menu items

Increasing covers in restaurants is McDonald’s specialty. In traditional table service restaurants, this simple strategy boosts average sales per server by asking customers whether they want fries with that or a larger order.

Make sure your staff is trained to sell desserts, coffee, wine pairings, and other add-ons tactfully to boost the bill for each guest. Customers who can’t decide what to order can be recommended higher-priced items by the waitstaff. This upselling tactic allows you to maximise profits regardless of whether your patrons dine in, pick up, or request delivery.

Secure a social media presence

Securing a social media presence is crucial for restaurants in today’s digital age. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can help restaurants to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and promote menu items and specials. By creating a social media presence, restaurants can reach a wider audience, interact with customers in real time, and share their unique story and personality with the world.

Social media can also be a valuable tool for collecting customer feedback, which can be used to improve the restaurant’s offerings and overall experience. To secure a social media presence, restaurants should create profiles on the most popular platforms, post regularly and consistently, and engage with followers through comments and direct messages.

It’s also important to use high-quality visuals and graphics to make posts visually appealing and shareable. By leveraging the power of social media, restaurants can establish a strong online presence, attract new customers, and build a loyal fan base that can help to drive sales and grow the business.

Streamline your operations

It is common for restaurant owners to focus on increasing throughput (i.e., turnover) to serve a larger number of customers in a shorter amount of time. Due to the decline in in-person visits to restaurants, this strategy is more difficult to implement. You can increase your establishment’s “efficiency” in other ways, such as:

• Making inventory management and food preparation easier, quicker, and cheaper by limiting the number of menu items
• Ensure your restaurant meets all local health codes and food inspection requirements. Updated guidelines for the restaurant industry have been published by the Government of Canada.
• By leveraging payment integration, reporting and reconciliation can be simplified. You no longer have to manually enter sales data into the accounting and inventory management tools you already use once you enable the feature. By saving time, you can focus on more important
• More payment options – including gift cards, vouchers, online orders, and rewards cards. It may help boost sales if you offer more payment options to your customers.
• Adhering to the latest PCI data security standards in your payment environment. In addition to preventing fraud and abuse from eating into your profits, becoming PCI-compliant can help increase sales.

Participate in your city’s Restaurant Week

Participating in your city’s Restaurant Week is a great way for restaurant owners to increase exposure, generate new business, and showcase their menu and offerings. Restaurant Week typically offers a special prix fixe menu at a discounted price, giving customers the opportunity to try new restaurants and dishes that they may not have otherwise considered.

As a restaurant owner, participating in Restaurant Week can help you reach a wider audience and attract new customers, as well as provide an opportunity to engage with existing customers and create a positive buzz around your establishment. By taking part in Restaurant Week, you can also build relationships with other local businesses and food industry professionals, and gain valuable insights into current food and dining trends in your area.

Overall, participating in Restaurant Week can be a valuable investment for restaurant owners who are looking to increase their exposure, attract new customers, and promote their business.

Throw a themed event

Throwing a themed event can be a fun and effective way to attract new customers and increase sales for a restaurant. A themed event can create a unique and memorable experience that encourages customers to visit and try out the restaurant’s offerings. By tying the event to a specific theme, such as a holiday, cultural celebration, or even a popular TV show or movie, restaurants can create excitement and anticipation among customers.

Themed events can also be a great opportunity to showcase special menu items, drinks, and promotions that are exclusive to the event. To throw a successful themed event, it’s important to plan in advance, promote your restaurant event on social media and other marketing channels, and ensure that the theme is integrated into all aspects of the event, including the decor, music, and activities. By creating a fun and engaging atmosphere, restaurants can leave a lasting impression on customers and generate buzz that can help to attract new business in the future.

Host pop-up experiences

Hosting pop-up experiences in your restaurant can be a great way to generate buzz, attract new customers, and create a unique and memorable dining experience. Pop-up experiences typically involve collaborating with other businesses or chefs to create a one-of-a-kind event, such as a themed dinner, cooking class, or wine tasting.

By hosting pop-up experiences, you can offer customers something new and exciting that they may not be able to find at other restaurants in your area. Pop-up experiences can also help you to showcase your restaurant’s versatility and creativity, and can provide an opportunity to experiment with new menu items or cooking techniques.

Collaborating with other businesses or chefs, you can also build relationships and expand your network, which can lead to future collaborations and partnerships. Overall, hosting pop-up experiences can be a fun and effective way to attract new customers, build your brand, and offer a unique dining experience that your customers will remember for a long time.

Create a restaurant newsletter

Creating a restaurant newsletter is a great way to keep your customers engaged, informed and excited about your restaurant. A newsletter can include updates on new menu items, specials, events, and promotions, as well as information on the restaurant’s history, philosophy, and behind-the-scenes stories. By providing valuable content to your subscribers, you can keep your restaurant top of mind and foster a sense of community and loyalty among your customer base.

A newsletter can also be an effective tool for driving traffic to your website or social media channels, which can help to increase your online visibility and attract new customers. When creating a restaurant newsletter, it’s important to make sure that the content is relevant, engaging, and easy to read.

You can also consider using eye-catching images, videos, and graphics to make your newsletter visually appealing and more engaging. Overall, creating a restaurant newsletter is a great way to stay connected with your customers, build relationships, and promote your restaurant in a fun and effective way.

Consider private dining

Offering private dining can be a great way to boost sales in your restaurant. Private dining allows customers to enjoy a more intimate and exclusive dining experience, and can be a popular choice for special occasions, business meetings, and other events. By offering private dining, you can generate additional revenue and cater to a high-end market that is willing to pay for a premium experience.

Private dining can also help to promote your restaurant by word of mouth, as satisfied customers are likely to recommend your restaurant to others. When considering private dining, it’s important to make sure that you have a dedicated space that can accommodate large groups, and that you have the staff and resources necessary to provide a high level of service.

You should also consider offering a customized menu or special features to make the experience more unique and special for your guests. Overall, private dining can be a great way to add a new revenue stream to your business and cater to a high-end market that values exclusivity and personalized service.

Increase speed of service

Increasing the speed of service in a restaurant is essential for providing a great customer experience and maximizing revenue. A fast and efficient service can help to reduce wait times, increase table turnover, and ultimately lead to more satisfied customers. To increase the speed of service, restaurants can consider a number of different strategies, such as streamlining the menu, optimising the kitchen workflow, or investing in new technology such as mobile ordering or self-service kiosks.

Additionally, cross-training staff to perform multiple roles can help to reduce bottlenecks and speed up the service process. It’s also important to make sure that the restaurant is adequately staffed during peak hours, so that orders can be processed quickly and accurately. By focusing on increasing the speed of service, restaurants can improve the overall customer experience, attract new customers, and increase revenue by serving more customers in a shorter amount of time.

Partner with popular delivery services

Partnering with popular delivery services can be a smart move for restaurants looking to increase sales and expand their customer base. By partnering with delivery services such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, or DoorDash, restaurants can offer customers the convenience of ordering their favorite meals online and having them delivered directly to their door.

Delivery services can also help to increase a restaurant’s visibility and attract new customers who may not have been aware of the restaurant previously. Additionally, partnering with delivery services can help to streamline operations and reduce the workload for restaurant staff, as the delivery service takes care of the logistics of order fulfillment and delivery.

When partnering with delivery services, it’s important to make sure that the restaurant’s menu and pricing are up-to-date and that the delivery process runs smoothly. Overall, partnering with popular delivery services can be a great way to tap into the growing demand for food delivery and expand your restaurant’s reach in a cost-effective way.

Conclusion

Restaurant owners can increase sales and revenue in a number of ways. First, they can optimize their menu to offer items that are popular and profitable, while also experimenting with new dishes to keep things fresh and interesting. Restaurants can also leverage technology to improve the customer experience, such as by implementing mobile ordering, contactless payments, and loyalty programs.

Partnering with delivery services can expand a restaurant’s reach and attract new customers, while private dining and themed events can generate additional revenue and create unique experiences for customers. Increasing the speed of service can help to reduce wait times and increase table turnover, which can lead to more sales and higher revenue.

Finally, securing a social media presence can help restaurants to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and promote menu items and specials. By implementing these strategies and staying attuned to customer preferences and trends, restaurant owners can increase sales and revenue and grow their business over time.