Know you've been there; sat at the end of the month crunching the numbers and wondering how on earth you can increase your restaurant sales without spending a fortune to do it.  No matter what type of restaurant you own, boosting sales has got to be at the top of your 'to do' list; you didn't intend this business to be a charity after all!

From the items on your menu to your marketing strategy every step you take is geared towards increasing profits, decreasing costs and pleasing your customers along the way!  Now, there are a number of things that will impact your sales (and therefore your profits) but there is one that stands above all others; how well you've trained your staff.

You might have been expecting me to talk about increasing the sale of low cost items, or up-selling your customers or even implementing a new marketing strategy, but in a way that's exactly what I'm doing; allow me to clarify:

You could have the worlds greatest menu, cleanest toilets (it matters more than you know!) or best value for money, if your staff don't know how best to present these attributes to your customers, they loose all value.

The real problem with staff training is that it takes time, and unless you're still in your pre-opening phase that time is hard to find which is why most restaurants have an 'I'll get to it eventually' approach to staff training, however it's not something you can afford to put on the back burner and here's why:

Well Trained Staff Increase Your Restaurant Sales

Train your staff to do the following, and you'll see an increase in your sales almost immediately:

Speak like an owner - when a customer is faced with someone who lives and breathes the restaurant, knows all there is to know about everything from the concept to the provenance of each ingredient on the menu, it puts them at ease; "This person knows what they're doing so I'll trust them", which leads us to...

Sell with profit in mind - once your staff have the customers trust, they can guide their decisions; on every restaurant menu there are items that cost you far less to produce than the others, and it makes sense for these items to be a priority when it comes to sales.  Untrained staff will always sell the most expensive items on your menu (expensive must be better is the psychological response of 99% of people), the problem is these items are expensive for a reason; they cost you far more to make and your profit margin is therefore lower as a rule.  Educate your staff to know that selling the chicken as opposed to the fillet steak is of benefit to the restaurant (and therefore their livelihood), and you'll see your profits rise.

Bookend the meal - your customers come to your restaurant for the experience as well as the food, and training your staff to always offer pre-dinner drinks and post-dinner coffees, teas and liqueurs has two benefits; it enhances the customers experience and it makes you more money.  Coffee and tea are the cheapest items to produce on any menu and other beverages come a close second, yet wait staff are often so keen to keep tables moving along that they don't take the time to sell them, loosing you money in the process.

Bookend the experience - much as above, this has to do with enhancing the customer’s experience.  The general consensus is that customers will remember two things above all others when they visit a restaurant; the greeting they received when they arrived and the way they were treated as they left.  Now training your staff in this area won't increase your sales on this visit, but if you make your customers feel valued when they arrive and leave, you'll leave them with a (positive) lasting impression which will make them come back, and repeat business is something everybody wants!

So if you're wondering how you could be increasing your restaurant sales this month, put aside the expensive ad campaign you were going to launch and dedicate a little time to coaching your staff;  make them feel a part of the restaurant and it's success and see the impact it has on your sales!

The continuous mission for every restaurant owner, even successful ones, is to increase restaurant sales. With so many dining establishments vying for a customers business, effective marketing measures are key ingredients for attracting customer attention, establishing your restaurants identity and enhancing customer loyalty.

Word of mouth is the most cost efficient way to increase restaurant sales. If you present a wonderful dining experience, patrons will naturally refer your restaurant to others. But word of mouth works both ways. Bad reviews often travel faster than positive ones. Thats why its essential to be consistent in providing excellent customer service, quality food and an inviting atmosphere.

While chain restaurants rely on a corporate formula to increase restaurant sales, independent restaurateurs can be more flexible, giving them a greater advantage. One important strategy is getting to know your customers. Theres a reason why clubs, theater groups, business people, or friends who get together weekly only dine at one particular restaurant. Its because the owner greeets them by name, knows their dining preferences and is aware of things going on in their lives. These restaurants have created a trusting, family environment that builds customer retention.

Without a doubt, rewarding repeat customers can lead to increased profits. If you know a customer has referred others to your restaurant or consistently brings in a group of business associates, consider giving a gift certificate for a complimentary dinner or providing a free appetizer or bottle of wine for the table. This is a great sales tactic to motivate your good customers to bring in business to your restaurant.


Your staff is an integral part of building sales. Besides providing impeccable customer service, your staff can increase restaurant sales by up-selling to increase the table check. Rather than ask if anyone would like a drink, appetizer or dessert, they should note which ones are house specialties or offer their personal recommendations. They should also promote higher priced dishes with reasons showcasing their value.

A comprehensive advertising and marketing plan is essential in growing and maintaining a profitable restaurant business. Your advertising needs to set your restaurant apart from others and pique a persons interest to try it. Your marketing efforts should be both in-house with promotions and in the community. Have a presence at community events within your service area, network with business and trade groups, or get involved with a charity that is of interest to you. The more visibility you can give your restaurant, the greater your market reach.



Using the Internet to increase profitability is a must. Your restaurants website should be as interactive as possible, allowing people to make reservations, see current specials and easily get directions. Have a presence on social media sites, like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Incentives take on many forms, but all have shown to increase restaurant sales. Some examples of common incentives are discounts, coupons, punch cards, customer loyalty programs, business card drawings, promotions and special events. You might want to try a combination of incentives to enhance business.

Jose L Riesco worked in the IT for 18 years and co-owned an Italian restaurant in Bellevue, WA.

By applying his many years of experience working for corporations and his marketing skills to the restaurant business, he has created a unique and groundbreaking marketing system.

Jose has brought top proven marketing practices from other industries to the Restaurant industry, making a unique contribution to this business that he knows and cherishes so much.

Restaurants have traditionally used advertising and coupons as the main marketing vehicle. The Restaurant Marketing Strategies Seminar changes all of that.

By creating a unique Strategy client centric (instead of food or Chef-centric), restaurant owners will be able to dramatically increase their sales while creating happy and recurrent clients.

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