Restaurants are caught between rising costs and squeezed household budgets — and for many, increasing sales has become essential just to stay in business. Fortunately, there are proven strategies that can fill tables and prompt diners to spend more. Not every approach suits every restaurant, and some make a more dramatic difference than others. But owners who are familiar with all their options are best-positioned to act.
What Are the Top Barriers to Restaurant Sales?
The UK restaurant sector has contracted by nearly 23% since the start of the pandemic — and closures continue, with the equivalent of two venues shutting every day in the first half of 2025. These closures reflect persistent barriers to growing sales; understanding them is the first step toward overcoming them.
- Increased competition: More than 22,000 restaurants operate in the UK, alongside roughly 76,000 pubs, bars, hotels and other licensed venues. And thanks to online ordering and delivery, any venue that delivers food to the same postcode is a direct competitor. Meal kits and home-cooking habits complicate the landscape further — with household budgets tight, more diners are opting to eat at home. Standing out requires deliberate effort.
- Rising costs: Ingredient prices, energy bills, rent, rates and wages are all climbing. Food and property costs have hit restaurants harder than many pubs and bars; the latter rely more on high-margin drinks and often occupy smaller footprints. For labour-intensive operations like fine dining, where staff-to-guest ratios are higher, the squeeze can be particularly intense.
- Staff turnover: Staff turnover in UK restaurants reached 38% in 2025, with kitchen roles among the hardest to fill. High turnover and labour shortages disrupt service quality, increase training costs, and make it harder to deliver the consistent experience that earns repeat visits.
- Changing customer preferences and tastes: UK diners increasingly expect convenience (online booking, delivery options), transparency (allergen information, sourcing details) and social-media-ready experiences. Health-conscious menu options and sustainability credentials are also baseline assumptions. Restaurants that don’t keep pace risk losing diners to competitors that do.
- Cash flow management: Restaurants often pay suppliers before revenue comes in, leaving little room for error on already thin margins. Seasonal fluctuations, like quiet Januarys or weather-dependent trade can strain cash reserves quickly, especially for independents without a financial cushion. When cash is tight, there’s less to invest in the marketing, inventory and staff needed to grow sales.
19 Strategies for Increasing Restaurant Sales
The challenges that restaurants face are real, but so are the opportunities. Some of the strategies below, like local SEO and themed events, can bring more diners through the door. Others, like menu engineering and upselling, increase what each diner spends. And some, like inventory management and waste reduction, help protect margins on every sale. Not every approach suits every restaurant; a fine dining establishment and a quick-service café face different constraints, for example. But each has its uses.
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Improve Customer Experience
Customer experience goes beyond the food. The basics — such as prompt greetings, attentive service, accurate orders and staff who know the menu — cost little but shape whether diners come back. Restaurants looking to go further can lean into aesthetics: decor, lighting and photogenic plating can generate free marketing when guests share their visits online. Activities such as live music, trivia nights and tasting events can give customers a reason to visit on otherwise slow evenings. Even small touches, like a keepsake menu for a special occasion or a personalised greeting for regulars, can turn a meal into a memory and a one-time visitor into a repeat customer.
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Increase Average Order Value
Even small increases in check totals add up quickly over a busy service. Upselling strategies include offering premium add-ons (truffle oil, extra toppings, side upgrades), creating shareable starters or desserts designed for the table, and bundling items into set menus or meal deals that feel like good value while lifting the total bill. Suggested drink pairings; wine, cocktails or non-alcoholic options,present another opportunity to increase average order value. Upselling works best when servers are authentic and confident, rather than sounding like they’re reading a script.
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Offer Delivery and Takeout Options
Delivery and takeaway now account for 27% of total restaurant revenue — a share too large to ignore. Third-party platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat offer convenience and visibility, but their commission fees of 20–30% per order eat into margins. Encouraging customers to order directly through the restaurant’s own website or app retains more of the sale and builds a direct relationship with diners. Small incentives, such as free delivery or loyalty points, can help shift customers toward direct ordering.
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Enhance Financial Management
Knowing where your money goes is the first step to deciding where it should go next, be it a marketing push, a menu refresh or more staff for a busy season. Strong financial management starts with accurate, timely data about which menu items are underperforming, which promotions are actually driving profit, and where rising costs are quietly hurting margins. Reviewing profit and loss statements regularly, ideally weekly, helps owners identify problems early and take corrective action. And forecasting tools can anticipate seasonal dips so staffing and inventory don’t lag behind demand.
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Train Employees to Upsell
Selling more to diners already in the restaurant is more cost-effective than attracting new ones. This begins with staff who know the menu inside and out and can make relevant suggestions — a wine that complements the main course, a dessert that’s “just enough for two” — without coming across as pushy. Role-playing exercises can help servers find natural language that fits their style, and tying success to team incentives can foster collaboration, not competition. A shift bonus when average checks hit a target is one approach.
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Consider Menu Engineering
Menu engineering applies data and design principles to influence what customers order. Analyse each item’s popularity and profitability, then adjust placement, descriptions and pricing accordingly. High-margin dishes can be placed in the menu’s “golden triangle” — the top right, centre and top left areas where diners’ eyes naturally land — or highlighted with visual cues such as boxes or icons. Underperformers may need to be reworked or dropped altogether. Shorter menus often outperform sprawling ones because they simplify kitchen operations and help staff speak confidently about every dish.
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Host Themed Events and Pop-Up Experiences
Special events give customers a reason to visit on otherwise slow nights. Themed evenings like quiz nights, wine pairings and live-music Fridays can attract people who might not come in for a regular dinner. Pop-up collaborations with local chefs, artists or musicians generate buzz and introduce the restaurant to new diners. Limited-time menus tied to trends or seasons tap into “fear of missing out” and encourage bookings. Events also lend themselves to prepayment, which generates cash earlier and cushions the blow if someone doesn’t show up.
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Use Email and Text Marketing
Regular communication keeps a restaurant top of mind. A text from a local spot you haven’t visited in months can be enough to prompt a booking, making SMS ideal for filling last-minute cancellations or promoting same-day offers. Email remains a cost-effective way to reach customers, with personalised emails, such as birthday offers or recommendations based on past orders, generating more engagement than generic blasts. A regular newsletter featuring seasonal specials, upcoming events or behind-the-scenes stories can keep customers engaged between visits. But restraint matters. Over-messaging leads to unsubscribes, so every text or email should offer something genuinely useful.
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Enhance Business Listings and Local SEO
Any restaurant that doesn’t appear in pertinent web searches — such as “best Italian near me” or “restaurants open late in Manchester” — is missing out on business. A free, optimised Google Business Profile (with accurate hours, current menus, high-quality photos and a direct booking link) is one of the most effective marketing tools available. Beyond Google, keep listings on TripAdvisor, Yelp and reservation platforms up to date, and respond to reviews, both positive and negative. It signals that you care about the customer experience, influencing how potential diners perceive you.
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Leverage Social Media and Influencer Marketing
Social media has become a discovery engine in its own right, and visually appealing content can tip the balance when diners are deciding where to eat. Static photos still work, but short-form video, such as Instagram Reels or TikTok clips showing behind-the-scenes kitchen action or a dish being plated, can travel further. Once diners are in the door, encourage them to share their visits; reposting their photos builds community and generates authentic interest. For wider reach, consider partnering with local micro-influencers, such as food bloggers or people with engaged followings of a few thousand. A complimentary meal in exchange for an honest review can introduce the restaurant to a new audience. Authenticity matters, of course, so choose partners who genuinely enjoy your food and whose followers trust their recommendations.
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Improve Health and Safety Standards
Visible hygiene practices reassure customers and protect a restaurant’s reputation; both of which affect whether diners return. Displaying a Food Standards Agency rating prominently (especially if it’s a top score of 5) can influence where people choose to eat in the first place. Clear allergen labelling and staff trained to handle dietary requests build trust, particularly with diners who have serious allergies or intolerances; get it right and they may become loyal customers. Behind the scenes, consistent food safety protocols reduce risk and keep staff aligned. In an era when a single incident can spread quickly online, strong health and safety standards protect both customers and revenue.
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Sell Retail Products
If your restaurant is known for a distinctive product or menu item, packaging it for retail sale can create an additional revenue stream with minimal extra effort. Customers who love the product in-house may happily buy a jar or bag to take home. These products also make good gifts, extending reach to potential customers who haven’t yet visited. Branded merchandise (t-shirts, tote bags, aprons) can also work for restaurants with a strong local following, as people enjoy repping their favourite spots.
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Increase Table Turnover Rate
Diners never like feeling rushed, but simple changes can turn tables faster without diminishing hospitality. Handheld POS devices allow servers to place orders and process payments tableside, reducing back-and-forth trips. Clearing plates as courses finish rather than waiting until the end speeds up the final reset. Reservation data can also reveal opportunities. For example, analysing turn times by party size and day of the week may show that guests leave faster than your booking windows assume, allowing for additional sittings without rushing anyone. The goal is efficient flow, not a hurried atmosphere.
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Optimise Inventory Management
Poor inventory control leads to waste, over-ordering and unexpected stockouts — each of which hurts the bottom line. When a popular dish runs out, customers may settle for a cheaper option or leave altogether. Real-time visibility into what’s on hand and what’s being used enables smarter ordering and helps keep high-margin items available. POS systems that automatically deduct inventory as orders are placed provide an accurate, up-to-date picture and low-stock alerts signal when key ingredients need reordering. Good inventory data also lets restaurants run specials to move excess stock at margin rather than throw it away.
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Run Contests and Giveaways
A well-designed contest can boost visibility quickly. The classic format; ask followers to like a post, tag friends and follow the restaurant’s social media accounts for a chance to win a meal or gift card, exposes the restaurant to each participant's network. Keep the mechanics simple, the prize appealing and the entry barrier low. Contests also generate content: user entries, shares and comments create buzz that can extend beyond the giveaway itself. To help convert that attention into visits, consider following up with a limited-time offer for everyone who entered.
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Offer Catering or Signature Dining Options
Catering and private dining can become meaningful revenue streams. Corporate clients seek spaces for meetings, team lunches and celebrations, for instance. Offering customisable packages with tiered pricing, set menus and whatever other equipment or services they may need can make it easier for them to say yes. For individual diners seeking something special, signature experiences like chef's tables, tasting menus or ticketed events can command premium. These options tend to be more profitable than standard dining, and because they’re planned in advance with deposits, they make cash flow more predictable.
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Reduce Food Waste
Every bit of food that goes in the bin is money lost. Tracking what gets thrown away and why can highlight patterns such as over-prepping, spoilage from poor storage or dishes that consistently come back unfinished. Those patterns point toward fixes, like adjusting purchasing, tweaking portion sizes and reworking the menu. Another way to reduce food waste is to offer flexible portion sizes, which can reduce plate waste while giving customers greater control over their orders. Repurposing ingredients creatively can stretch inventory further — and, if publicised, can appeal to diners who care about sustainability. A menu note explaining that vegetable trim goes into the house-made stock, or croutons made from yesterday’s loaves, can pique interest and reinforce the restaurant’s values.
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Invest in Software Improvements
The right technology helps a restaurant do more with less. A modern POS system can track sales trends, manage inventory in real time and integrate with reservations and kitchen displays to reduce friction across the operation. POS data can also show what’s selling and what’s not, so restaurants can double down on what keeps diners coming back and tweak what doesn’t. Customer relationship management (CRM) tools capture guest preferences and order history, enabling better service and personalised marketing that encourages repeat visits. Scheduling software helps match staffing levels to demand, so busy nights are covered, and slow ones aren’t overstaffed. Technology won't fix a broken operation, but it can amplify a well-run one; freeing staff to focus on the hospitality that turns first-timers into regulars.
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Monetise Premium Seating
Venues with a standout feature, such as a breathtaking view or a chef’s table experience, can charge a premium for it. Darwin Brasserie in London’s Sky Garden did exactly this: instead of allocating window seats on a first-come, first-served basis, it let guests reserve them for an additional fee of £10–15 per person, and higher on peak dates. The result was a 626% increase in digital sales from window reservations within two months. Be transparent with guests so that they know what they’re paying for and can choose accordingly.
Gain Financial Visibility with NetSuite Financial Management
Many strategies to boost restaurant sales depend on having accurate, timely financial data. NetSuite Financial Management provides the foundation to put these strategies into practice, especially those focused on protecting margins and improving profitability. Real-time dashboards show which menu items are actually profitable — not just popular — so pricing and menu placement decisions can be grounded in data. Built-in forecasting helps anticipate seasonal dips to support smarter staffing and purchasing before demand shifts. And because NetSuite integrates financial data with inventory and orders, operators can see how any changes; a price adjustment, a new promotion or a menu refresh affect the bottom-line.
No single strategy can transform a restaurant’s fortunes overnight. But incremental improvements — such as tightening inventory controls, refining the menu and building stronger customer relationships — pay off over time. Not every approach suits every restaurant, and some will move the needle more than others. What matters most is picking the ones that fit and sticking with them, rather than chasing everything at once.
Increasing Restaurant Sales FAQs
How can I attract more customers to my restaurant?
Focus on visibility and reputation, as both are key to attracting new customers. Strengthen your local SEO and Google Business Profile, maintain an active social media presence, encourage online reviews and consider partnerships with local businesses or influencers.
How do you get more guests in a restaurant?
Give people a novel reason to visit. Themed events, seasonal menus and signature experiences (like chef's tables or tasting menus) create occasions that draw both new and returning diners.
How do I encourage repeat business to my restaurant?
Deliver a consistently good experience, then stay in touch. Loyalty programmes, email marketing and personalised offers can keep restaurants top of mind and give diners a reason to come back.
