Discover Valuable Tips to Boost Your Restaurant Sales

Start by setting clear goals, such as analyzing customer data, peak hours, and menu favorites. Regular inventory checks are vital to avoid running out of supplies during busy times.

Set Goals for Your Restaurant

Be well-prepared for quieter periods by setting clear and achievable goals in advance. Whether you're running a new restaurant or an established one, it's essential to compare your performance with industry statistics to ensure you're on the right track.

For example, the average turnover rate as of July 2023 is 75 to 79.7 percent. You can check the industry, state, and national statistics at the National Restaurant Association.

Take the time to analyze your recent sales data, such as customer behavior, menu pricing, and overall operations, allowing you to gain insights into your progress. Use your internal data and industry statistics to determine how to advertise your establishment, make productive menu decisions, and improve customer experience to fill empty tables and increase sales.

Additionally, consider performing a SWOT analysis focusing on your target customers from the past week or two. This strategic approach will help you identify Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats, enabling you to make informed decisions to enhance your restaurant's performance during quieter times.

Use Tools to Analyze Data

Get ready for slower periods by adopting effective tools and techniques to support your restaurant.

Consider using platforms like Eat App, which offers a user-friendly dashboard packed with advanced reports including essential guest and reservation details.

You can conveniently export data in multiple formats to suit your needs. Furthermore, explore options like Como and Upserve, which are designed to streamline data analysis and seamlessly integrate with a wide range of POS machines.

This combination empowers you to execute targeted marketing campaigns based on personalized analytics, effectively boosting your restaurant's performance during slower times.

Stay on Top of Inventory

Reduce food waste, and manage your restaurant's inventory efficiently, so you can minimize food waste, save money, and improve productivity in the kitchen.

In today's competitive restaurant industry, succeeding during slow periods is critical. We have you covered with insights on attracting new customers, building customer loyalty, and using social media effectively. Whether you're an experienced restaurateur or just starting out, our valuable tips will equip you with strategies to boost your restaurant sales and thrive during challenging low-traffic times.

To successfully navigate quiet periods and attract more customers, consider applying several online tips.

Online Strategies

Master Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Use relevant keywords, high-quality content such as blog posts, and reputable backlinks to reach your target audience effectively. For example, you may want to include the keyword “best pizza shops in Chicago” or “pizzerias in Austin” in a blog post about where to find the best pizza in your area.

It should be added naturally to the content without keyword stuffing. Furthermore, the links should connect to reliable external links that are not direct competition. Those links should also be to reputable websites and businesses.

Harness Social Media

45 percent of Americans discover restaurants through social media. Leverage platforms such as Instagram by posting stories and reels and utilizing paid Instagram ads.

Moreover, you want to regularly update your accounts with menus, food photos, and events, and engage with customers who leave comments on your pages. Professionally address bad reviews, and use Reels and Stories for behind-the-scenes content.

Add a "Book Now" button on Facebook for easy reservations. These tactics increase visibility and customer engagement, boosting sales.

Optimize Google My Business

Ensure your Google My Business listing is well-optimized to attract potential customers who are searching for your type of restaurant online. Review NAP information such as your business name and address, add a category and description for your establishment, highlight menu items, upload photos, and update hours as needed.

Furthermore, stay active by sharing posts and responding to customer reviews.

Try Digital Advertising

Invest in PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and even X Business Promoted Ads (Twitter Promotions). Use relevant. high-ranking keywords to reach more customers. Avoid using too many keywords on each add, or you may be penalized for “keyword stuffing” or spam.

Offline Strategies

Additionally, you don't want to overlook offline strategies to expand your customer base.

• First-Time Discounts: Attract newcomers by offering special discounts, and promote these offers both in-store and online to maximize their visibility.
• Bulletin Boards: Utilize public bulletin boards, often found in places like grocery stores, to display your restaurant flyers and attract local customers.
• Newspaper Advertising: Consider placing advertisements in local newspapers to reach a potentially untapped audience.

For the best results, it's advisable to combine both online and offline techniques to effectively boost your restaurant's sales during quiet periods.

Encourage repeat visits by creating a customer loyalty program. One example is to offer a reward for a specific number of visits, such as seven in one month. Reward customers who achieve that amount with a discounted meal or free beverage.

You can also offer rewards to customers who refer others, encouraging word-of-mouth advertising. Another idea is to offer a promotion or discount to first-time customers, enticing them to try your establishment.

Another idea is to offer a point system based on how much your customer spends in a month. At the end of the month, the points can be converted into a discount off their next order or branded merchandise such as a T-shirt or bagged coffee.

Consider partnering with apps such as Belly to attract new customers while keeping your loyal customers. You can also use traditional punch cards, offering customers the excitement of physically keeping track of their progress.

Remember to tailor these incentives to fit within your budget and align with the type of restaurant you operate. The key is to make it easy and rewarding for your customers to engage with your establishment.

Enhance restaurant sales by focusing on upselling, a strategy that can significantly increase revenue by up to 10%.

Ask: Train your staff to offer additional items like sides or drinks simply by asking customers if they'd like to add anything to their order.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Create a sense of urgency and demand by featuring limited-time offers on your menu. For instance, you can offer seasonal menu items that are only out for a few months before rotating them with another item, such as pumpkin spice beverages or desserts from September through November.

Customers who enjoy these items are going to visit often between these months to ensure they can order their favorite item before it is gone for the season.

Be Prepared: Ensure your staff is well-prepared to make recommendations when the opportunity arises, such as when customers seem undecided or are looking for suggestions. One example is recommending a chef’s special or favorite dish or an expensive menu item such as dish or cocktail.

Inform: Encourage upselling by guiding customers toward higher-priced items, framing it as friendly advice rather than a sales pitch. For example, staff can tempt customers to try a gourmet dish by describing the ingredients and how it’s prepared.

A three-course can be described as a combination, offering customers the opportunity to order three meals at one set price.

Samples: Boost orders by offering customers samples of more expensive beverages such as seasonal lattes, homemade teas, and specialized cocktails, sparking their interest and encouraging them to try something new.

Training: Provide comprehensive training for all staff members to ensure they can effectively use upselling techniques, learning from your top-performing sales employees. One idea it to allow each employee to try a new item and become familiar with the ingredients and preparation.

Next, they can choose their favorite menu and come up with a creative but detailed way to describe it to customers, highlighting why it’s their favorite dish. Websites such as Toast offer several techniques for training your staff to upsell menu items.

POS Integration: Make use of your point-of-sale (POS) system to identify your most popular menu items. Use this data to prompt servers to suggest add-ons to customers, and track each server's performance to foster healthy competition.

Mastering the art of upselling is crucial for your restaurant as it has the potential to increase sales by up to 30%. Leveraging your POS system can make the implementation of these techniques easier and more efficient, allowing you to track results and fine-tune your strategy as needed.

When it comes to tips to boost your restaurant sales, an important aspect is enhancing the efficiency of your employees to provide faster customer service. This is because your revenue largely depends on how quickly you can turn tables during peak hours.

One effective strategy is to equip your servers with POS mobile devices. Customers who are dining during slow periods do not want to wait too long for service. These devices allow them to send orders directly to the kitchen, reducing the need for them to run back and forth between tables.

This strategy also enables your staff to serve more tables in a shorter amount of time, ultimately boosting your restaurant's sales from customers are are satisfied with not having to wait long for their meal. These customers may spread the word of your business, encouraging other customers to stop in for efficient service.

Use social media to boost restaurant sales. Create and update pages on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Share menus, food photos, and events, and engage with customers who leave comments on your pages. Professionally address bad reviews, and use Reels and Stories for behind-the-scenes content. Add a "Book Now" button on Facebook for easy reservations. These tactics increase visibility and customer engagement, boosting sales.

Increase restaurant sales with convenient ordering options. For example, offer online ordering on your website to highlight menu items visually. Partner with popular delivery services, such as GrubHub, Slice, and Uber Eats, to streamline orders and attract customers. Embrace the food delivery trend by offering commission-free delivery to homes. Run online promotions, like buy-one-get-one specials, during big events, such as Super Bowl Sunday or the World Series.

Enhance profitability while learning how to reduce food waste in restaurants through smart menu engineering and pricing strategies.

Keep in mind that some ingredients, like perishable items, contribute to more food waste, especially in food that is rarely ordered or finished. Consider using ingredients that can be used in various dishes, keeping the ingredients from going to waste. One example is cheese, which can be used as a topping, filling, or standalone dish.

Furthermore, remove items that are rarely ordered from the menu, allowing the ingredients to be used in other meals or removed altogether. For items that are rarely finished, it’s best to rethink and adjust portion sizes as needed.

You can also take an eco-friendly approach to reduce food waste, such as partnering suppliers who take back packaging for reuse.

Finally, you want to educate your staff on what can be recycled, discarded, and sent back to suppliers.

Improve restaurant operations with technology while reducing food waste. It also shows your customers you are dedicated to staying up-to-date with daily operations.

Restaurant automation is one example, such as allowing customers to use a standalone or self-ordering kiosk to minimize lines. You can also offer QR code table payments to allow customers to pay without calling for a waiter or standing at the counter.

For pick-up and delivery options, ensure your website and social media feature online ordering for added convenience. It’s also a good idea to add online reservations for dine-in customers who want to visit later without customers.

You can also look into machines that help with preparing or cooking food, giving chefs more time to focus on the meals that need to be cooked by hand.

Use a POS device to monitor food waste. Determine the source of food waste and take the steps to fix it, such as offering smaller portions for customers who cannot finish their meal but do not want to take it home.

When updating the menu in your restaurant, be sure to include your digital menu for those who prefer to do their ordering through an app or website.

Elevate restaurant sales with branded merchandise. Utilize your unique branding for items like mugs, tees, hats, and pet clothes, enabling customers to show support and spread the word about your restaurant. Sell these products both in your establishment and online, even offering them as add-ons to takeout orders. If you have your own beer, coffee, or tea, package and sell it to generate an additional revenue stream while effectively promoting your brand. This diversifies your income and showcases your restaurant's personality through merchandise sales.

Take Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, for example. In addition to beverage and food items, you can also purchase branded travel mugs and bagged coffee to enjoy at home. Dunkin Donuts also offers the option of ordering the merchandise online.

In addition, Sweet Frog is a frozen yogurt establishment that sells branded apparel, bracelets, and even plushes.

Help your sales improve with SMS and email marketing, such as tempting customers with a coupon for a free meal or beverage and promotions on select menu items. A well-timed, thought-out email or SMS message can attract new customers while reminding current customers of your establishment. Of course, there are a few things to keep in mind before sending out emails and SMS messages to your customers.

1. Legal Aspects: The CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) law in the United States cracks down on spam by ensuring the subject line matches the content, a physical address is included in the email, and customers can opt-out at any time. In addition, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) European union law protects privacy and personal data, including customers consenting to personal data being collected. It’s vital to obey the law relevant to your country when sending out SMS messages and emails.

2. Email Sign-Ups: Make it easy and convenient for interesting customers to sign up for emails and SMS messages. This includes sign-up forms, in-store promotions, and guest feedback forms. Remember, customers should have the option to sign-up without feeling obligated to do so.

3. Maintain Your List: Maintain your email and SMS lists by asking customers to validate their email or phone number through a validation tool, regularly removing inactive contacts, and providing easy-to-find unsubscribe links. Use your website, social media, and in-store promotions to naturally grow your list and ensure it’s full of actual customers.

4. Divide and Conquer: Divide your lists based on demographics, customer behavior, and specific preferences. For example, you can send out a survey to determine which of your customers prefer vegan and vegetarian items. Then, only send them emails and SMS messages that tailor to those specific options.

5. Keep Track of Metrics: Track metrics such as engagement, conversion, and unsubscribe rates to determine what aspects of your marketing campaign need to be improved.

As your list grows, keep up engagement by looking into email templates on websites such as Stripo.

Seeking expert advice to enhance your restaurant sales? Explore our FAQ for valuable insights on optimizing menu prices and utilizing your restaurant's website to boost business. Discover strategies to maximize profitability and improve your online presence, attracting more customers to your establishment.

What Steps Should I Take to Optimize the Menu Prices?

There are a few factors to consider when adjusting your menu prices.

1. Keep track of your total food costs. Ensure menu prices cover the total cost of ingredients, labor, and even overhead expenses such as rent and utilities.

2. Reguarly evaluate sales data to determine which menu items are popular, adjusting the prices as needed.

3. When there are slow periods or ingredient changes, consider modifying prices accordingly.

4. Be transparent when updating menu prices to avoid confusion or disappointment among customers.

5. Discuss price changes with staff and provide training for addressing customer concerns.

6. Consider promotions such as specials and discounts to appeal to customers as prices are adjusted.

7. Keep track of competitors' prices, offering competitive pricing as needed.

How Can I Use My Restaurant's Website to Generate Sales?

Your website should have all the necessary pages to answer your customer’s questions, starting with basic information such as your restaurant’s name, address, phone number, email address, business hours, and travel directions. You also need an online menu and, if applicable, the option to place an order online. There should also be links to your restaurant’s social media pages.

You can enhance your website with expanding beyond the basic information and online ordering. For instance, you may want to include photos of the interior and menu items, a blog highlighting various dishes and special events, a place to leave and read reviews, and an FAQ section.

Remember, relevant, naturally-used keywords are a must when optimizing your website. Most customers only look at the first search results page, so choose your keywords wisely.

TAKEAWAYS

• Use a POS system and platforms like Eat App, Como, and UpServe to keep track of data and create targeted campaigns.

• Keep track of inventory and re-stock fresh ingredients as needed. Focus on proper storage and the "first-in-first-out" rule.

• Use SEO techniqes on websites, social media, Google My Business listings, such as relevant keywords, quality content, and repuatable links, to increase rankings and reach your target audience. Include basic information, points of contact, and even driving directions.

• Utilize social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, focusing of behind-the-scenes content, addressing negativie reviews, and a "Book Now" button for reservations.

• Use PPC campaigns and relevant keywords to boost visibility, including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads.

• Reward loyal customers with discounts and freebies for a certain amount of visits, referring other customers, and a point system based on monthly spendings.

• Train employees to upsell with seasonal items, describing certain dishes, and encouraging higher-priced items.

• Upgrade technology to boost productivity, such as a POS mobile device to send orders directly to the kitchen, self-ordering and payment kiosks for customers, and digital menu and ordering options for those at home. Furthermore, partner with third-party services such as GrubHub, Slice, and Uber Eats to offer takeout and delivery options.

• Offer branded merchandise such as travel mugs, apprel, and bracelets for customers to purchase in-stores and online. This can also include coffee and tea products to make and enjoy at home.

• Use email and SMS marketing to entice customers while obeying the laws, providing opt-out, and catering to various demographics.