To increase restaurant sales, focus on four levers: (1) sell directly through your own ordering channels to skip 20-30% third-party commissions, (2) raise average check size with menu engineering, upselling, and cross-selling, (3) drive repeat visits with loyalty, gift cards, and email/SMS campaigns, and (4) expand reach through SEO, social media, and local events.
This guide breaks down 11 proven strategies — each with expected revenue impact and step-by-step implementation — used by restaurants generating $107K to $1.1M in direct online sales with UpMenu (see our case studies).
Key Takeaways: How to Increase Restaurant Sales
- Sell direct, skip the commissions: Replacing third-party apps with your own online ordering system can retain ~$4 050/month for a restaurant doing 300 orders at $45 average (cutting 20-30% commissions).
- Raise average check size with menu engineering and upselling: A well-engineered menu can lift sales by 15%; effective upselling adds another 30%.
- Lock in repeat business with loyalty + email/SMS: 80% of companies measuring loyalty ROI report it positive, with 4.9X revenue vs cost.
- Run Limited-Time Offers (LTOs) and seasonal menus to create urgency, move excess inventory, and bring back lapsed guests.
- Own your local discovery with Google Business Profile + SEO: 1 in 3 diners finds restaurants through Google (SevenRooms 2025 research).
Lever 1: Sell Directly (Skip the Commissions)
The fastest path to more sales is owning your customer relationship. Selling through your own website, branded mobile app, and pickup/delivery channels lets you keep 100% of the order value — and the customer data — instead of paying 20-30% to third-party platforms.
Build your own online ordering system
Selling directly from your own website is the fastest way to increase restaurant net revenue because you eliminate third-party commissions of 20-30% per order.
A restaurant doing 300 monthly orders at $45 average value keeps $13 500 on a direct channel versus ~$9 450 after Uber Eats or DoorDash commissions — that’s $4 050/month, or ~$48 600/year, in retained margin.
Most restaurants default to third-party apps because they’re visible, not because they’re optimal. A branded online ordering system on your own website gives you the visibility AND the margin.
UpMenu clients like Lil Ava’s Pizza generated $1.1M in direct online revenue, and Michelangelo 301 reached $863K using their own ordering channel.
How to cut delivery fees by up to 30%
So, what’s the way out? We found that the best solution is to start selling food online directly through your own website – this way, you increase customer loyalty and boost your online presence.
Our clients have reported massive growth in total revenue over and over again. Even though the business might have slowed down at the very beginning, this has proven to be the best long-term strategy for restaurant growth.
| Cost / Revenue Factor | Selling online from your own website with UpMenu | Selling online through third-party ordering services like Uber Eats or GrubHub |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | 0% (flat fee subscription $49–$169) | 20–30% |
| Monthly orders | 300 | 300 |
| Average order | $45 | $45 |
| Expected monthly revenue | ~$13,500 | ~$9,450 ($4,050 paid in commissions) |
| Expected yearly revenue | ~$162,000 | ~$113,400 ($48,600 paid in commissions annually) |
Launch a branded mobile app
70% of consumers prefer to order directly from restaurants rather than third-party apps (Hospitality Tech), and most of those direct orders happen on smartphones.
A branded mobile app puts your restaurant in your customer’s pocket — saved orders, push notifications for promos, and a one-tap reorder flow drive repeat business that web ordering alone can’t match.
The historical blocker for small restaurants was app development cost (often $50 000+). Flat-fee solutions like the UpMenu Mobile App eliminate that barrier — you get an iOS + Android app under your brand for a fixed monthly fee, with no per-order commission.
Boost takeout & delivery sales
Online ordering is the foundation, but takeout and delivery have their own conversion levers. Customers ordering for pickup or delivery expect fewer steps, clearer ETAs, and packaging that travels well — and they reward restaurants that nail all three with bigger orders and more repeat visits.
Three quick wins:
- Takeout bundles: A “Family Dinner for 4” or “Lunch for the Crew” set at a slight discount to the sum of items dramatically lifts average ticket size without devaluing individual menu items.
- Cross-sell at online checkout: Suggesting drinks, sides, and desserts during the cart flow can add 15-25% to AOV — see add-on flows in your online ordering system settings.
- Branded, durable packaging: A meal that arrives hot, intact, and looks like an experience — not a leak — gets reordered.
Full guide: How to increase food delivery sales.
Lever 2: Increase Average Check Size
Bringing in more guests is one path. Getting each guest to spend more is another — and often easier.
The four techniques below — menu engineering, upselling, cross-selling, and limited-time offers — typically lift the average check size by 15-30% without adding a single new customer.
Optimize your menu with menu engineering
Menu engineering — strategically positioning, describing, and pricing items — can lift restaurant sales by up to 15%.
Three high-impact tactics:
- Place high-margin dishes in the eye-magnet zone (top-right corner on print menus, top of category on digital menus).
- Use descriptive, sensory copy (“slow-braised,” “house-cured,” “locally-sourced”) — descriptive items sell up to 30% more (Cornell study via Restaurant Marketing Labs).
- Remove underperformers to streamline guest decisions and reduce food waste.
Full framework: Menu engineering guide.
Upsell with add-ons and combos
Upselling adds, on average, 10-30% to sales. The technique is simple: at every order touchpoint (server prompt, online checkout, kiosk screen), offer an upgrade or pairing.
Three high-converting upsell flows:
- Combo upgrade: “Add fries and a drink for $3” on a single-item online order.
- Premium swap: “Upgrade to premium chicken for $2” — frames it as a value-add, not a price increase.
- Bigger size / extra topping: “Make it a large for $1.50” — lowest-friction upsell, works across QSR, casual, and pizza.
Configure these prompts in your online ordering system checkout — they pay for themselves in 1-2 weeks. Full guide: Upselling techniques for restaurants.
| Revenue Factor | No Upselling | Upselling |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly orders | 300 | 300 |
| Average order | $15 | $25 |
| Expected monthly revenue | ~$4,500 | ~$7,500 |
| Expected yearly revenue | ~$54,000 | ~$90,000 |
Cross-sell complementary items
Cross-selling means recommending a different but complementary item alongside what the customer’s already ordering — a glass of wine with a seafood pasta, or chips with a sandwich. Done well, cross-selling can lift sales by up to 20%.
Where cross-sell works hardest:
- Online checkout “people also ordered” widgets — same mechanic Amazon uses, surfaced on 1 in 3 orders.
- Server training: “Sparkling or still water?” / “Anything to start while you decide?” — non-pushy phrasing, ~10% acceptance rate.
- Menu pairing callouts: Italian restaurants pair specific wines with each pasta; steakhouses suggest the side that “goes with” each cut.
Cross-selling differs from upselling: upsell pushes a higher version of the same item, cross-sell adds a different item to the basket. Both belong on your menu and in your staff training.
Run limited-time offers (LTOs) and seasonal menus
Limited-time offers create urgency — a reason to order now, not later. Done right, LTOs boost sales without permanent discounts and keep your menu feeling new.
What works:
- Seasonal menu items (Pumpkin Spice Latte effect): tied to a holiday, weather, or local event.
- One-day flash deals: “Wing Wednesday $0.50/wing 5-7pm” — drives traffic on slow days.
- Weekend bundles: “Family Pizza Night — 2 large pies + sides + dessert, $39, Friday-Sunday only.”
- Limited-quantity drops: “Only 50 portions of chef’s tasting menu this Saturday” — scarcity + exclusivity.
The mechanics work because urgency converts undecided browsers into buyers. Promote LTOs across email, SMS, social media, and your online ordering homepage banner. Bonus: they’re a natural test bed for new menu items before adding them permanently.
Lever 3: Drive Repeat Business
Acquiring a new customer costs 5-7x more than keeping an existing one. The five tactics below — loyalty programs, targeted email, SMS, promotions, and gift cards — exist to make sure your second, third, and tenth visits happen.
Launch a loyalty program
A loyalty program turns one-time guests into regulars and lifts customer lifetime value — 80% of companies measuring ROI on loyalty report it positive, with an average of 4.9x revenue versus cost (Antavo 2023 Global Customer Loyalty Report).
Points-based rewards or tiered systems work well; the key is making it easy to join (single tap, no app required) and easy to redeem (auto-applied at checkout). UpMenu Loyalty handles both — customers earn points on every order, balances are tracked automatically, and rewards apply at checkout without a code.
See how UpMenu clients use loyalty in our case studies (Yami Sushi €107K, Lil Ava’s Pizza $1.1M, Michelangelo $863K — all driven primarily by direct + loyalty).
Full guide: How to build a restaurant loyalty program → UpMenu Loyalty Program.
Run targeted email campaigns
Targeted, automated emails generate 12x more revenue per email than mass sends. For restaurants, the highest-ROI flows are: post-order thank-you with a return discount, “we miss you” re-engagement for guests who haven’t ordered in 30+ days, and birthday rewards.
Configure these in your email marketing software — once set up, they run on autopilot.
More inspirations: Restaurant email marketing ideas.
Use SMS and push notifications
48% of consumers prefer connecting with restaurants via text, especially for time-sensitive messages (SevenRooms 2025 US Trends). Push notifications from your branded mobile app are even more direct — and free.
Highest-impact restaurant SMS marketing use cases:
- Same-day flash promos (“Tonight only: free dessert with any entrée — show this text”).
- Reservation reminders to reduce no-shows.
- Last-minute table availability (“2 spots opened up tonight at 7:30pm — reply YES to grab them”).
| Campaign Type | Number of Sent Messages | Number of Orders | Average Order Value | Cost | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMS | 438 | 18 | $25 | $155 | $295 |
| 1,562 | 83 | $25 | $138 | $1,937 | |
| Push notification | 1,781 | 21 | $25 | Free | $525 |
Sell gift cards
Gift cards work on two levels: they’re an instant cash injection (the buyer pays now, the recipient redeems later — sometimes never), and they’re a guaranteed acquisition channel (the recipient might be a new customer).
Nearly 60% of gift card recipients spend more than the card’s face value — meaning every $50 card you sell typically generates $70-$80 in actual ticket value when redeemed.
Sell gift cards in 3 places:
- On your website with a dedicated “Gift Cards” page (powered by UpMenu Gift Cards).
- At the table / counter (impulse purchase, especially during holiday season).
- On your online ordering checkout as a featured “Buy a gift card” suggestion.
Holiday spike: November-December typically accounts for 30-40% of yearly gift card sales — make sure your gift card UX is ready.
Lever 4: Expand Your Reach
Once your direct channels are working and your repeat machine is in motion, focus on bringing new people through the door. Google Business Profile, SEO, social media, and events are your four highest-ROI discovery channels.
Run promotions and discounts
Well-executed promotions are one of the fastest sales accelerators in the restaurant playbook — they attract new diners, bring back lapsed ones, and move volume on slow days.
Five promotion structures that consistently drive results:
- Happy Hours: Introduce special discounted pricing during select hours, enticing customers to visit during off-peak times and boosting overall restaurant sales.
- Two for One: Offer a “buy one, get one free” promotion to encourage customers to bring a companion, increasing the number of diners and driving more sales.
- Next Purchase Discount: Offer customers a discount or coupon for their next visit to incentivize repeat visits and foster customer loyalty.
- Combo Meal Discount: Create bundled meal deals or combos at a discounted price, offering customers a convenient, cost-effective dining option that can drive higher per-transaction sales.
- Discount by Food Category: Offer restaurant discounts on specific food categories or items to highlight certain menu items or encourage customers to try new dishes, expanding their choices and generating more sales.
| Promotion Type | Extra Orders per Day | Extra Daily Income |
|---|---|---|
| Happy hours | 25 orders × $45 average order value | $1,125 |
| Two for one | 45 orders × $45 average order value | $2,025 |
| Next purchase discount | 10 orders × $45 average order value | $450 |
| Combo meal discount | 38 orders × $45 average order value | $1,710 |
| Discount by category | 24 orders × $45 average order value | $1,080 |
Full ideas database: Restaurant promotion ideas.
Optimize your Google Business Profile
A complete, optimized Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is your single most valuable free local marketing asset.
It controls how your restaurant shows in Google Maps and “near me” searches, where roughly 1 in 3 diners discover and book restaurants (SevenRooms 2025 research).
Five high-impact GBP optimizations:
- High-quality photos (10+ images: food, interior, exterior, team).
- Direct links to your reservation and online ordering pages (saves users from third-party platforms).
- Up-to-date hours and menu (mismatches drop ranking).
- Q&A section actively managed (you answer FAQ first before random users do).
- Reviews — request actively, respond to every one (especially negative — public response boosts trust signals).
Step-by-step setup: Google Business Profile for restaurants — complete guide.
Build local SEO with content
Local SEO is the long game that compounds — done right, it generates a steady stream of new customers searching “restaurants near me” or “best [cuisine] in [city]” for years.
One UpMenu client saw a 20% uptick in website traffic and a 69% revenue boost within three months of focused local SEO work. The fundamentals:
- Target hyper-local keywords (“vegan brunch Austin,” “late-night pizza Brooklyn”).
- Publish blog content monthly (location pages, menu deep-dives, neighborhood guides) — gives Google fresh signals.
- Build review velocity on Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google — review count and recency are major local ranking signals.
- Earn local backlinks (chamber of commerce, local press, neighborhood blogs, food bloggers).
Full guide: Restaurant SEO: how to rank in local search.
Build a strong social media presence
49% of US diners use social media to find and book restaurants, and 42% of US customers report interacting with restaurants on social media (QSR Magazine).
Five social tactics that consistently drive restaurant sales:
- Post food photography 3-4x/week on Instagram + Reels (Reels drive 22% higher engagement than feed posts).
- Run Instagram + TikTok local geo-targeted ads — radius targeting around your address gets your ads to people who can actually walk in.
- Repost user-generated content (tagged stories, check-ins) — free, authentic, drives FOMO.
- Showcase your online ordering link in every bio + occasional CTA post — turns followers into customers.
- Encourage and respond to reviews on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google — social proof at scale.
Full guide: Restaurant social media marketing
Host events and join restaurant week
Events convert your space into marketing real estate. Trivia nights, live music, cooking classes, wine pairings, charity nights — each one creates a reason for new people to visit, content to post on social, and a hook for local press.
Three event categories that consistently drive sales:
- Recurring weekly events (Trivia Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays) — fill slow weeknights and build a loyal weekly crowd.
- Restaurant Week participation — most major cities host them; participation gives you free promotion on the city’s restaurant week site, restaurant guides, and food media.
- Private events / partnerships with local businesses — a brewery dinner, a yoga-studio post-class brunch, a launch event for a neighborhood store — adjacent businesses share audiences and split costs.
Combine events with restaurant limited-time offers and email/SMS to your existing customer base — that’s where the conversion happens.
How UpMenu helps restaurants hit these numbers
The 11 strategies above are universal — but executing them takes the right toolset.
UpMenu is the all-in-one platform purpose-built for restaurant sales: direct online ordering with 0% commissions, branded iOS + Android mobile apps, loyalty programs, email & SMS marketing, gift cards, and POS — all under one fixed monthly subscription.
Three quick client results:
- Yami Sushi (Finland) — €107 684 in revenue from direct online orders via branded mobile app.
- Lil Ava’s Pizza (US franchise) — $1 112 451 in revenue from direct orders.
- Michelangelo 301 (US) — $863 166 in generated revenue after switching from third-party platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the fastest ways to increase restaurant sales?
The four highest-impact levers are:
- Sell directly through your own online ordering channel to skip 20-30% third-party commissions.
- Raise average check size with menu engineering, upselling, and cross-selling.
- Drive repeat business with loyalty programs, email, and SMS.
- Expand reach via Google Business Profile, local SEO, and social media.
Most restaurants can implement 4-5 of these in under 30 days.
How can I increase restaurant sales without spending on advertising?
Focus on owned channels: an optimized Google Business Profile (free), local SEO and content (free), organic social media (free), email and SMS to your existing customer database (low cost), and a loyalty program that turns one-time visitors into regulars. These channels compound over months and don’t require ongoing paid spend.
How do I increase restaurant sales during slow days or off-season?
Combine limited-time offers (LTOs) with targeted email/SMS to your existing customer database. Tactics that work: Happy Hour 5-7pm Mon-Wed, “buy one get one” on slow weeknights, $0.50/wing Wednesdays, seasonal prix-fixe menus, and themed nights (trivia, jazz, ladies’ night). The key is consistency — recurring slow-day events build a predictable weekly customer flow.
What is the easiest way to increase average check size?
Three low-effort wins:
- Add-on prompts at online checkout (“Add fries for $2”).
- Descriptive menu copy that justifies higher prices (“slow-braised,” “house-cured”).
- Train front-of-house staff to ask one upsell question per order (“Would you like a starter while you decide?”).
Most restaurants see a 10-30% lift within the first month.
Should I use third-party delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash?
Use them strategically — for discovery, not as your primary channel. A restaurant doing 300 monthly orders at $45 keeps $13 500 on a direct channel versus ~$9 450 after a 30% third-party commission.
The smart play: maintain a third-party presence for visibility, then move guests to your own online ordering system on subsequent orders via in-bag inserts, loyalty rewards, and email follow-ups.
How long does it take to see results from these strategies?
Timeline varies by tactic. Quick wins (results in 1-2 weeks): LTOs, upsell prompts, Google Business Profile optimization, email campaigns to existing list. Medium-term (1-3 months): loyalty program adoption, menu engineering A/B tests, social media follower growth. Long-term (3-12 months): SEO ranking, branded mobile app adoption, brand-driven repeat business compounding.
Which restaurant sales strategies work best for small restaurants?
For small independent restaurants with limited budget, prioritize: direct online ordering (no commissions = immediate margin boost), Google Business Profile (free, highest local discovery ROI), email + SMS marketing (cheap, high conversion on existing list), loyalty program (cheap, turns 1-time guests into regulars), and LTOs (no fixed cost, drives urgency). All five can be implemented for under $200/month combined.
