It’s not easy to run a restaurant in 2025. The pressure is intensified by higher food prices, a shortage of staff and meager profit margins. In addition to that, guest expectations continue to rise, whether in real life or online.
If you want to know how to increase restaurant sales, you don’t need a celebrity chef or rebranding. What you want, then, are smart practical solutions that deliver results — whether your dining room is full or dealing with limited capacity.
Here are 25 ways to help you find new visitors, boost takeout orders and increase revenue per customer.
Optimize Your Online Presence
Claim and enhance your Google Local Business Profile
Google accounts for a whopping 30% or more when it comes to how diners find restaurants. Ensure your listing also includes current hours, good-quality photos and links to your online ordering or reservation system.
Optimize your site with SEO keywords
Use location-based keywords on your pages such as “best Mexican food in Karachi” or “vegan lunch Islamabad.” This makes your restaurant show up when people search locally.
Encourage social media followers to book direct links to your website.
Whether on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, always add clickable links to your reservations or ordering system in your bio and your posts.
Boost Engagement on Social Media
Post regular, high-quality content
Post behind-the-scenes videos, chef specials and customer stories. Reels and Stories are also much more effective at helping to increase visibility than static photos.
Run contests and giveaways
Contests are amazing for onboarding new customers. Give away a free meal in return for tagging friends or sharing a story, and see your followers rise.
Partner with micro-influencers
Local food producers might actual bookings. Instead, find those that already love your food and allow them to highlight your dishes as they truly are.
Increase Sales Inside Your Restaurant
7. Upsell and cross-sell effectively
Train your team to suggest appetizers, desserts, or drinks that pair well with a main course. Small upgrades increase the check size by up to 30%.
8. Use menu design to guide choices
Highlight profitable dishes with bold fonts, boxes, or photos. Remove currency signs and use round numbers to subtly encourage spending.
9. Offer in-house only promotions
Try weekday deals like free dessert with a main course from Monday to Wednesday. This can fill tables during slower nights.
10. Improve table turnaround time
Speedy service means you can serve more guests. Let people pre-order when booking or while waiting. Quick prep = higher profits.
11. Offer reservation upgrades
Let guests pre-purchase birthday cakes, flowers, or cocktails during online booking. These small add-ons boost revenue and guest experience.
12. Create unique experiences
Sell premium options like chef’s table, wine pairing dinners, or live jazz nights. Diners are willing to pay more for memorable evenings.
Drive More Takeout & Delivery Orders
13. Keep offering delivery and pickup
Even if your dining room is open, many guests still prefer takeout. Promote it through social posts, SMS, and receipts.
14. Offer bundled takeout meals
Create family-size packages or multi-course bundles for online ordering. These travel-friendly meals encourage bigger spend per order.
15. Add online ordering on your website
Don’t rely only on apps. Accept orders directly to avoid commission fees and get more control over customer experience.
16. Upsell on delivery platforms
Suggest drinks, sauces, or desserts when a guest checks out online. These add-ons often go unnoticed but significantly grow revenue.
17. Cross-promote dine-in and delivery
Send delivery guests a coupon to dine in, and offer in-house guests a promo code for their first online order.
Increase Sales Inside Your Restaurant
Upsell and cross-sell effectively
Teach your staffs to recommend appetizers, desserts, or drinks that go well with an entrée. Small enhancements expands the check size to 30%.
Menu design can shape people’s choices
Use bold fonts, boxes or a photo to emphasize your high-margin dishes. Take away currency symbols and round off numbers to sneakily nudge people to splurge.
Offer in-house only promotions
Look for weekday deals, like free dessert with an entrée from Monday to Wednesday. This can pack tables on a slow night.
Improve table turnaround time
Fast delivery means you can keep your guests coming. Allow individuals to pre-order when booking or waiting. Quick prep = higher profits.
Offer reservation upgrades
Allow guests to pre-order birthday cakes, flowers or a cocktail during the online booking process. These incremental additions help to increase revenues and the in-restaurant experience of guests.
Create unique experiences
Sell premium options such chef’s table, wine pairing dinners, or live jazz nights. People are willing to pay for memorable nights out.
Get More Takeout & Delivery Orders
Keep offering delivery and pickup
Even if your dining room is open, a lot of guests are continuing to go for takeout. Get the word out by sharing with SMS, social posts, and receipts.
Offer bundled takeout meals
“If you’re a family, doing a large family size pack, then people coming in taking five courses, that’s good for online,” he said. The meals are designed for travel, and are intended to drive a higher spend per order.
01 Longo's Add online ordering to your site.
Don’t rely only on apps. Accept orders directly Cut your overhead, eliminate commission fees and control customer experience.
Upsell on delivery platforms
Recommend drinks, sauces or desserts when a guest checks out online. These add-ons are typically overlooked yet can add up to some significant revenue.
Cross-promote dine-in and delivery
Send your delivery guests an invitation to dine in, and give your in-house guests a promo code.
Attract New Customers
Leverage geo-targeted ads on Facebook and Google
Target people around you, who are ready to eat out. Center on high-intent keywords, such as “best breakfast near me.”
Join restaurant week events
Participation in city-wide promotions raise your brand’s visibility and enables you to acquire new customers.
Sell digital gift cards
Gift cards lure in new customers, and 60 percent of those redeeming a gift card wind up spending more than its value. Offer them online and in-store.
Build Loyalty and Repeat Business
Start a loyalty program
Provide incentives with points that reward heavy diners for orders. Let them cash in points for free items or exclusive experiences.
Send personalized emails
Leverage customer data for more personalized email marketing campaigns. Advertise special events, new menus, or private tastings to a past customer base.
Use SMS for fast promotions
Open rates are high for text messages. Utilize SMS to send last-minute deals, new location openings, or holiday specials to encourage immediate reservations.
Increase Sales From The Intelligent Use of Space
Monetize special tables or areas
Add a premium for window seats, rooftops, cozy corners. An easy view lift could make a real difference to earnings per table.
Car picnics or al fresco Without a blanket or a pair of ticks, car picnics take on a new level of practicality — and it’s not bad for going to the beach, either.
Still facing capacity limits? Provide car-side or pop-up patio service. Guests enjoy the novelty, and it brings in new revenue streams.
Final Thoughts
How to increase restaurant sales is not only a matter of filling tables. It’s all about delivering superior service, leveraging technology smartly, and forging long-term guest relationships—online and off.
Begin with a few of these techniques, monitor your results and evolve over time. Whether you run a fast-casual spot or a fine dining venue, achieving these tiny tweaks will result in massive returns.
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