We recently dedicated a post in which we offered some tips to increase the average ticket of our restaurant. We already mentioned then that increasing sales is one of the main objectives of our commercial strategy, and that one of the most effective techniques for this is upselling.

1- Upselling to increase sales in our restaurant

We could define upselling as a system to retain customers and obtain greater benefits through additional or incremental sales. Thus, a certain type of client can be opportunely recommended something of higher quality, which provides a better gastronomic experience, while increasing our profit margin.

2- Staff training to increase sales in the restaurant

To apply upselling, it is essential that the personnel who carry it out have adequate training in relation to the following aspects:

Product knowledge

The staff must know in depth the products offered by the premises, in order to provide honest recommendations that effectively improve the dining experience of the diners.

Perfect pairings

Ideally, waiters should also know the appropriate pairings that allow them to suggest the most profitable accessories.

Product profitability

It is important that the staff is very clear about the degree of profitability of each of the products they are offering, that is, that they know which ones provide a greater profit margin to the restaurant, and thus can assess what should be proposed to diners.

Suggestive sale

It will also be interesting that our staff has the ability to seduce with tempting descriptions of the specialties that we are interested in recommending, as well as that equally attractive explanations are available in the letter. Waiters should be very tactful, and make suggestions at the right time by way of recommendation, which should not be persistent at any time.

3- Social networks to increase sales in the restaurant

Likewise, we can include upselling in our social media strategy, trying to ensure that the photographs in which the most profitable products for our business appear have a greater presence in them, thus inviting their consumption.

4- Highlight the most profitable dishes on the menu to increase sales

Highlight the most profitable dishes on your restaurant menu, with photos and descriptions that encourage the number of orders. For this you can use the engineering menu

5- Larger portions or complement the order

Consider offering larger servings for a slight price increase, or proposing other dishes that complement the first at a discount.

6- Desserts, coffees and cocktails

Desserts and coffees constitute a fundamental chapter in the upselling strategy since they are usually one of the most profitable parts of the menu.

It is generally recommended to offer desserts or coffees after having left the table without plates
Let the waiter seduce with an attractive description of the dessert
Have a wide variety of desserts for all tastes
Propose desserts to share

Regarding cocktails, we advise you to read our article Six refreshing cocktails to offer in your restaurant, where you will find some ideas regarding types of easy cocktails to prepare.