How to master upselling techniques in restaurants

Skip the article and turn takeaways into action by scheduling a call with our team.

Upselling is a powerful tool for boosting a restaurant’s profits, and it’s a win-win scenario for both restaurants and customers. Restaurants can add some extra revenue while improving the customer experience—a virtuous cycle that leads to an improved bottom line via building customer loyalty in the long run. Upselling techniques in restaurants come in all shapes and sizes, which we’ll cover here.

Suggestive selling, bundling, and menu design are all valuable places to start when looking to work on restaurant upselling techniques. Well-trained staff can boost sales with authentic and human-centered practices that make the dining experience one customers want to repeat.

Why focus on upselling? Let’s start there.

Why upselling matters for profitability

Upselling increases the average order value, directly impacting revenue without raising costs. For example, a server suggesting a wine pairing or adding a dessert boosts a check size by a sizable margin.

Most operational costs, like labor, rent, and utilities, are fixed, so the additional revenue flows directly to the bottom line. Consistent upselling ensures profitability year-round, even during slower seasons, by maximizing spend per guest. The best part is that front-of-house (FOH) staff who upsell well make customers happy by leading them to good ideas.

So, what upselling strategies in restaurants are most effective?

Upselling techniques in restaurants

The return on investment from training staff to suggest items, promoting bundles, and revamping your menu can make for a major pay-off. These three main upselling techniques in restaurants can boost customer spend while improving customer satisfaction.

1. Suggestive selling

Suggestive selling is simply servers recommending high-value items or add-ons in a natural and customer-focused way. This can mean suggesting appetizers, high-profit menu items, or personalized recommendations based on previous orders. Essentially, your waitstaff can play culinary matchmaker, pairing guests with tasty upgrades that make their meal unforgettable.

Train your FOH team to toss out friendly, tailored suggestions that fit the vibe. If a customer orders a steak, suggest a red wine to go with it, or recommend side dishes like truffle fries to go with a gourmet burger.

The timing of suggestive selling is crucial. Suggest add-ons like drinks or appetizers early in the meal and save dessert recommendations for the post-entree glow. Train staff to pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues, like pauses in ordering, as an opportunity to make suggestions.

The server should come across as a helper to customers instead of a pushy salesperson, keeping friendly vibes alive. Use friendly phrases like “I recommend trying…” or “Our guests love pairing this with…” rather than “Do you want to add…?”

2. Bundling

Bundling combines multiple items into a single offering—think of it as a combo, but classier. This encourages guests to spend more while the perceived value of the bundle remains high. Some ideas to successfully bundle include:

• Build package deals: Design bundles that combine high-margin items into attractive packages, like a “date night special” with an appetizer, two entrees, and two desserts, or a “family meal deal” with entrees, sides, and dishes. This prix fixe menu concept is especially effective because customers can plan ahead, knowing exactly how much they’ll spend, and will work it into their budget.
• Balance your food costs: Including satisfying but profitable items like potatoes in a bundle deal keeps customers satisfied and profit margins high. Plan bundles based on food cost of around 30% of the sale price, offsetting more expensive items like premium cuts of meat with less costly sides.
• Push discounts: You can price bundles to reflect a slight discount on individual menu items, incentivizing customers to choose them. Limiting options to a handful of sides can keep kitchen workflows smooth and ensure ingredient freshness. Clearly communicate the savings or convenience of the bundle to customers both in advertisements and in the restaurant. Saying “Our combo saves you $5 compared to ordering separately” can be the encouragement customers want.
• Theme it up: Tailor bundles to seasons or themes. A summer BBQ bundle with ribs, cornbread, and iced tea can get customer attention in the warmer months, whereas a winter cozy combo with stew and hot cider works great in the cold season.

3. Strategic menu design

Menu engineering is one of the best-kept secrets in the restaurant industry. Done right, it taps into visual and psychological elements of the human brain to steer guests towards higher-margin items while encouraging upsells. A well-crafted menu acts as a silent salesperson, subtly influencing customer decisions.

Before designing or redesigning your menu, nail down exactly how much each dish costs, including every ingredient, down to the spices and sesame seeds. Then break your menu items into four categories:

• Stars (high-profit, high-popularity items)
• Puzzles (high-profit, low-popularity items)
• Workhorses (low-profit, high-popularity items)
• Duds (low-profit, low-popularity items)

You’ll want to emphasize your higher profit items. To do so, consider the following options:

• Place items you want to sell in the top-center or top-right, where customers’ eyes go first.
• Use boxes, borders, icons, or bold text to draw attention to high-margin items.
• Use descriptive language—vivid descriptions of ingredients and cooking methods make tummies rumble.
• Try decoy pricing, adding high-priced items next to mid-tier items you want to sell (e.g., a $70 wagyu steak next to a $25 chicken dish).
• Include pairing suggestions next to main courses, including drinks, sides, or toppings.
• Keep your menu small: 7-10 items per category is plenty.

Training FOH teams for effective upselling

The success of upselling hinges on a well-trained FOH Team that can recommend items with confidence, enthusiasm, and authenticity. Upselling should feel like an extension of service and a boon to the guest experience rather than a forced sales tactic. So, how do you train a team?

1. Build deep product knowledge in your team

A good FOH team knows a restaurant’s menu intimately, meaning personal experience with each menu item, and not just theoretical knowledge. Continual education keeps staff in the loop and keeps work fun, too. Build knowledge with:

• Menu tastings: Host regular tastings where restaurant staff sample dishes, drinks, and specials so they can accurately describe them to guests.
• Pairing education: Train staff on food and drink pairings based on your drink or wine list to drive cross-selling. Let staff try different combinations themselves—this keeps morale high and gives them a sense of autonomy in their job.
• Storytelling: Share the backstory of premium items like how local ingredients are sourced or the inspiration for the dish to build an emotional connection.
• Allergen awareness: Ensure staff are well-versed in dietary restrictions so they can suggest upsells based on customer needs, like gluten intolerance.

2. Use role-playing and practice for upselling techniques

FOH staff need to be prepared to deal with a wide variety of scenarios when working with customers. Practicing potential interactions via roleplays can be valuable preparation for dealing with the real thing, even if it can feel a bit hokey at first. Try the following with your staff:

• Simulate scenarios: Hold role-playing exercises where staff practice upselling in realistic scenarios, like suggesting an appetizer to a hesitant guest or upgrading a drink order.
• Customer cues: Teach staff to read verbal and non-verbal cues. For example, a guest taking their time over the menu might be open to suggestions, whereas a decisive customer probably isn’t.
• Dealing with rejection: Role-play how to handle declines gracefully—“No, thanks” is an acceptable answer, and servers will likely hear it often.
• Promote authenticity: Upselling done right is about improving the guest experience, not pushing sales—train staff to make recommendations that feel genuine and helpful.

3. Motivate and reward staff to continue upselling and improve techniques

A motivated team can make all the difference in service and in sales. Keep staff morale high with things like:

• Rewards and incentives: Offer performance rewards and incentives for FOH staff who excel at upselling. This can be bonuses, gift cards, or recognition.
• Upselling targets: Set collective upselling targets, like a 10% boost in dessert sales, so the team shares a common goal.
• Team celebrations: Share wins and success stories during team meetings. Everyone loves to share their victories.
• Goal reinforcement: Hold pre-shift briefings to reinforce upselling goals, highlight specials, and share quick tips.
• Knowledge sharing: Let experienced staff tailor their upselling techniques to their personalities, and encourage them to mentor newbies.

Tapping Yelp Guest Manager for data-driven upselling

Yelp Guest Manager, a FOH management software solution, provides powerful insights into guest behavior. This enables a restaurant to refine its upselling strategies with precision by tracking preference, spending patterns, and visit history. Restaurants can personalize recommendations based on customer data, making repeat customers feel right at home.

Restaurateurs can use Guest Manager to log detailed guest information, like their favorite dishes, drink preferences, or important days like birthdays and anniversaries. So, when a regular walks in the door, staff can check their guest profile to tailor upsells.

For example, a server can say, “You seemed to enjoy the Pinot Grigio last time—want to try the Sauvignon Blanc?” Or if it’s a customer’s birthday, you can treat them with a free dessert. Note which guests are high spenders and target them with upscale suggestions—let customers who want to spend money do so.

Analyzing this information at a higher level leads to more informed decisions. Follow which items, add-ons, or bundles drive the highest check sizes, and encourage staff to promote them. Use this same data to find underperforming menu items, like side dishes that aren’t getting ordered, and turn them into an upselling opportunity. Track sales following social media campaigns to see how bundles or seasonal specials are going to determine the effectiveness of your marketing.

Overall trends can also help identify the right time to upsell. If you note that dessert sells more on the weekends, train staff to suggest desserts more then. Go with the flow.

Guest Manager makes successful upselling easy to notice, and its ease of use makes FOH service flow effortlessly. Want to see what it’s all about? Give us a shout for a free demo.