Dec 12, 2025
How to increase sales in restaurants with menu, marketing, and operations tips
Feeling the squeeze from rising costs? Boosting restaurant sales comes down to three things: getting more people in the door, increasing their average check, and making them want to come back.
The best strategies are about optimizing what you already have—your menu, your team, and your space. This guide is packed with practical advice you can implement this week to see a real impact.
We're skipping the fluff and getting right to the strategies that move the needle:
Every tip here is grounded in the reality of running a restaurant. A crucial piece of the puzzle is aligning sales and marketing for revenue growth. When done right, every effort works toward the same goal.
The goal isn't just a one-night sales spike. It’s about building a system where small, consistent improvements lead to long-term revenue growth.
Let's dive into some high-impact strategies you can start acting on right away.
StrategyArea of FocusImplementation EffortPotential ImpactServer Upsell TrainingFront-of-HouseLowHighMenu Item SpotlightingMenu EngineeringLowHighGoogle Profile OptimizationDigital MarketingMediumHighLaunch a "Locals Night"PromotionsMediumMediumEmail List Sign-up IncentiveDigital MarketingLowMedium
Focusing on just one or two of these areas can make a noticeable difference in your weekly numbers.
Your menu is your most powerful sales tool. It's a strategic document that can guide customer choices and directly boost your bottom line. Menu engineering is about figuring out which items are your all-stars and which are taking up space by analyzing each dish based on its popularity and profitability.
Every item on your menu falls into one of four categories:
Menu engineering is about making small, strategic tweaks—highlighting a Star, re-pricing a Plow Horse—that add up to significant profit gains.
Calculating the food cost for every item is the foundation of this strategy. For a detailed walkthrough, check our guide on mastering restaurant food cost to boost profits.
This visual shows how your operations, including the menu, work together to drive sales.
As you can see, your menu, online presence, and floor plan are all levers you can pull to grow revenue.
Once you’ve categorized your items, use some clever design tricks. Eye-tracking studies show diners look at the top-right corner of a menu first. This is prime real estate for your Stars.
Here are a few other tactics:
Your digital presence is your new front door. Up to 90% of diners check out a restaurant online before deciding where to eat. This isn't about launching a massive marketing campaign; it's about nailing the fundamentals. Solutions like Peppr Grow take all the guesswork out of building your digital brand by fully managing everything from SEO to ordering to marketing.
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the first impression for most customers. When someone searches for "best tacos near me," a well-managed GBP puts you at the top. This costs nothing but time and is one of the fastest ways to boost local visibility.
Here’s a quick GBP checklist:
A complete and active Google Business Profile gives customers the confidence to choose you over the competition.
The demand for takeout is here to stay. If your online ordering is clunky, customers will give up. Make it incredibly easy for someone to give you their money.
Third-party services like DoorDash offer visibility, but their commission fees—often a painful 20-30%—can crush your margins. The smart play is to build your own commission-free channel.
Gently nudge customers to order directly from your website. Offer a small incentive, like a 10% discount on their first direct order. A simple flyer in every third-party delivery bag is a brilliant way to convert those customers to your more profitable platform.
Your menu and marketing get people through the door, but your dining room is where the money is made. Optimizing your in-house experience isn't about rushing people out; it's about making your service smarter and your space work harder.
A well-trained service team is your most powerful sales force. True upselling isn't pushy; it's about making helpful suggestions that improve a guest's meal. Instead of a bland, "Want an appetizer?" train servers to make specific recommendations.
For example: "While you're looking over the menu, our crispy calamari is perfect for sharing and pairs great with the Sauvignon Blanc." This feels like an insider tip and can have a huge impact on check size.
Quick Win: During your next pre-shift meeting, pick one appetizer and one premium cocktail. Have your team role-play ways to suggestively sell them. Make it a weekly habit, and you'll see check averages climb.
Table turnover is a balancing act. The goal is to serve more guests during peak hours without making anyone feel hurried. A few small adjustments to your service flow can make a massive difference.
Start by timing a few tables during a busy service. You might find bottlenecks you never knew existed, like a slow bussing process.
Consider these tactics:
The restaurant business never stands still. Staying ahead is about making smart, proactive moves to keep your restaurant fresh and profitable. Figuring out what today’s diners want is half the battle.
You don't need to reinvent your concept. Weave trending flavors into your menu as specials or limited-time offers (LTOs). This lets you test the waters without the risk of a permanent menu overhaul.
Recent forecasts point to momentum in chicken and Mexican concepts. Chicken restaurants are projected to see a 6.9% sales bump, with Mexican spots at 6.2%. You can dig deeper into these restaurant sales projections on Nation's Restaurant News.
How to put this into practice:
Data shows that higher-income diners—those earning $100,000 or more—are fueling most of the current growth in restaurant spending. This doesn't mean you need to become a fine-dining establishment. It means a segment of your customer base is willing to pay more for a premium experience.
Your job is to give customers a clear reason to trade up. A premium cocktail, a dry-aged steak option, or a locally sourced cheese board empowers guests to increase their own check size.
Think about adding a top-shelf tequila to your bar or creating a "Chef's Special" with premium ingredients. This lets you capture more revenue from those ready to spend it, boosting your average check.
You can't improve what you don't measure. Running a restaurant on gut feelings is like navigating a dinner rush blindfolded. Your POS system is already collecting valuable data; you just need to know what to look for.
To increase sales, you need to track the numbers that directly impact your bottom line.
Here are three key KPIs:
Tracking these metrics moves you from making guesses to making informed decisions. If RevPASH is low on Tuesdays, it’s time to launch a promotion.
Most modern POS systems make this information easy to access. To see how to pull these numbers, check our guide on how point of sale reporting can boost restaurant profits. To effectively interpret the data, explore some data visualization best practices. This helps you spot trends without getting buried in raw numbers.
Let's cut to the chase with answers to the questions we hear most from independent restaurant owners.
Focus on your current customers and your menu. The fastest and cheapest wins come from bumping up your average check size. Train your servers on upselling high-margin items like signature cocktails and desserts. A small increase on each table adds up fast. Also, spotlight one of your high-profit "Star" menu items and have your staff promote it.
Avoid a massive overhaul that can alienate regulars. Plan a deep dive into your menu's performance once or twice a year to cut unpopular items. More frequently, introduce seasonal specials or a limited-time offer (LTO) every couple of months. It keeps things fresh, gives regulars a reason to return, and creates natural marketing urgency.
It's a tough call. They offer visibility but their 20-30% commission fees are brutal. The smartest move is a hybrid approach. Use the apps for awareness, but make it your mission to convert every customer to a direct order next time.
Stuff a simple flyer into every third-party delivery bag offering a 10% discount if they order directly from your website next time. Your goal should be to own the customer relationship, not rent it.
This simple step nudges them toward your most profitable channel, turning an expensive first order into a loyal customer.
Ready to take control of your restaurant’s efficiency and sales? Peppr offers modern online ordering and POS systems designed by restaurant people, for restaurant people. With tools to build you a new website, launch marketing campaigns, and provide the in-store hardware upgrades to boost your bottom line.
The best part? It's fully managed with 24/7 hands-on support from real experts.
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