How to increase restaurant sales: 14 practical ideas

It might seem a bit odd to run specials or deals to boost restaurant sales, but this approach has proven to work. In fact, TouchBistro’s 2025 American Diner Trends Report states that 62% of diners are encouraged to eat at restaurants that offer limited-time deals. And according to a 2025 survey by the National Restaurant Association, value deals appeal to 80% of delivery, takeaway, and drive-thru customers.

There’s plenty of flexibility in how you can make offers and deals work for your business. For example, you could run a seasonal special to give a discount on certain items, offer a buy one, get one free deal, or create a new menu item available for a limited time. Third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats offer self-serve marketing tools that make it easy to create and manage promotions tailored to new or existing customers.

A top-notch menu will be on-brand, up-to-date, consistent across channels, and easy for customers to browse and use. Make it stand out by choosing quality images, fonts, and colours that appeal to your customers. Then think about how you might organise your menu to highlight your biggest sellers or highest-margin items.

Attractive pricing and deals help turn hungry browsers into buyers. But to keep customers coming back to your restaurant, make it easy for them to order exactly what they want, when they want it. In-app customers aren’t speaking to a live restaurant staff member, so it’s essential for your menu items to be easily customisable. For example, White Castle’s flexible online ordering options meet customers where they are—both in terms of their cravings and location. Ordering a slider in New York or New Jersey, for example, comes with certain expectations, so the company has made it easy for customers to opt out of default selections and enjoy a high level of control over their order. Choice and flexibility at users’ fingertips goes a long way towards reducing errors and chargebacks and improving customer satisfaction.

Treat your menu like a living, breathing document. Update your offerings and design regularly to feature new items and give your customers a reason to keep coming back. Platforms like Uber Eats give you clear, real-time insights into sales and performance data, so you can tailor your menu to your audience’s cravings. The platform’s intuitive dashboard provides information on bestselling items, and its Menu Maker allows you to create, edit, or update any part of your menu quickly.

Offer suggestions for items that go well together. A common approach is to recommend a drink to go with a main meal for a little extra. It’s a win-win: customers get more to enjoy, and you get a higher total per order.

Make sure your restaurant staff are trained to suggest these options in person too. Having a chat about the pairing can be more persuasive for the customer than just listing it as an option on your menu.

For buy one, get one deals, try offering items that complement each other, like two mains that go well together, or a side that goes nicely with a main. This approach can encourage customers to try menu items they might otherwise skip—making it more likely they’ll order them next time.

Like complementary items, you can upsell add-ons that round out a meal. Most of the time, these add-ons are things like an entrée, a dessert, a side, or even a premium topping.

If a customer orders a main, for example, you could offer to add a soup or a salad for a few extra dollars. These items usually don’t cost much, and selling them more often can lead to a noticeable boost in profits.

Attract new and returning customers to your restaurant by making creative use of your physical space. Here are a few ideas to help your bricks-and-mortar venue stand out and boost sales:

• Put a QR code with your online menu on a street-facing window to encourage orders
• Set up a stall outside with grab-and-go items for sale
• Create signage that showcases specials or new seasonal dishes
• Offer small samples to people passing by

These ideas can spark curiosity and whet appetites—and serve as an invitation for people to come in and book a table.

Posting on social media gives you a chance to reach new audiences. In fact, according to a 2024 NielsenIQ, GfK, and World Data Lab report, 53% of Gen Z consumers—who make up about a quarter of the global population as the largest generation in history—have clicked “buy” buttons on social media networks. This highlights the importance of social commerce and making sure your restaurant is visible on social platforms.

To promote your restaurant broadly, create and share content that’s tailored to each platform. For example, you can use a Facebook page to announce new menu items, changes to opening hours, and upcoming events. To post photos of menu items or behind-the-scenes content, consider focusing on Instagram or TikTok. You can also set up a photo-friendly spot in your restaurant to encourage photo opportunities, increasing the chances that customers will share content with their followers.

Ad targeting on search engines and social media platforms is becoming more advanced. These tools can allow you to nudge customers with high buying potential towards ordering. Depending on the platform, you may be able to create custom audiences of people who browsed your restaurant website at specific times, visited your menu or even chose certain dishes. From there, you can tailor ad creative to align with items that attracted a customer's interest – and entice a final purchase decision.

Additionally, if you decide to use a third-party delivery platform, you may be able to place ads on its website or app. Using a platform like this gets you in front of customers with high order intent – they’re looking for their next meal, after all – and ads can help encourage more of them to choose your business. With Uber Eats, keyword targeting makes sure your restaurant reaches customers searching for specific terms, while custom creative connects your restaurant's storefront image to the search terms. For example, when a customer searches for a burger, your restaurant pops up at the top of the search featuring your signature patty – compelling customers to select and engage.

SEO (search engine optimisation) makes your restaurant website more visible in search engines like Google, which can help drive more clicks and page visits. Local and organic search together make up the majority of web traffic, with 80% of US customers searching for local businesses each week. This means customers in your local area are likely looking online for restaurants like yours.

SEO strategies—such as improving your web pages, creating blog content, and encouraging other online publications to link back to your site—are low-cost ways to give your website more authority and provide customers with the information they’re after. You can then turn any traffic that results from your higher search ranking into direct sales by adding an online ordering solution to your website.

Building a loyal customer base is crucial for a successful restaurant. According to a 2024 National Restaurant Association report, 52% of adults say they’re part of a loyalty program at a restaurant, café, snack bar, or deli—and 96% of those members reckon the programs give them “more bang for their buck.”

A loyalty program not only helps keep your restaurant front of mind for customers, but also encourages higher order values by motivating customers to earn rewards faster so they can redeem them sooner.

You can even add extra perks like free delivery to your loyalty program. Uber Direct, which provides on-demand delivery for orders placed directly with your business, makes it easy to go the extra mile for loyal local customers. Plus, with 72% of people more likely to keep ordering from businesses that offer express delivery, this kind of perk is a win-win for you and your customers.

Like loyalty programs, subscription programs offer benefits to customers who regularly choose your restaurant. Instead of the points-based reward system that most loyalty programs use, subscription programs charge a small monthly or annual fee in exchange for regular discounts and exclusive offers for membership holders.

A subscription program can be a great strategy for personalising the customer experience, building loyalty, and ultimately generating more revenue for your business.

When it comes to encouraging loyalty on Uber, restaurants can enjoy access to Uber One members, who pay to receive exclusive discounts and benefits like the $0 Delivery Fee. As of Q4 2025, Uber One has over 46 million members globally, making it a valuable program that can drive more predictable revenue and higher average order values for restaurants.

Show customers you value their business by sending them deals based on current events, preferences, or milestones. Here are a few examples of meaningful offers:

• For special occasions: Give customers a free menu item on their birthday to encourage them to enjoy a meal at your place.

• On specific items: If you’re keeping track of customers’ favourite items, send them a personalised discount to increase the chances they’ll come in. By making the offer time-limited—like a chicken wing happy hour—you can boost sales during quieter times.

• For theme days: Does an item on your menu have its own day? Celebrate dates like National Pizza Day or Taco Tuesday for a big lift in sales and customer satisfaction.

People appreciate it when businesses see them as more than just customers. By sending offers tailored to guests’ cravings—no matter how out there they might be—you help them feel seen and valued, making it more likely they’ll order from you next time they’re feeling peckish.

Some customers might need a bit of extra encouragement to visit a restaurant in person—especially when the weather’s ordinary or their favourite show has just dropped a new season. By putting on an exciting event, you can give them more of a reason to fill your tables.

If you organise an event around a big game in your area, for example, you could offer a small discount to customers who come in wearing their team’s colours. The savings can attract more guests and help boost sales.

Many of your best customers could be just around the corner. They might just need a little extra encouragement to discover or order from your business. Here are a few ways you can grab the attention of people in your community:

• Offer vouchers for free or discounted items at other local businesses
• Include a small gift card to your restaurant in a local raffle or competition
• Send direct mail with discounts to potential customers

Using a third-party delivery platform is another way to expand your reach and create a new revenue stream for your business. Some platforms even offer built-in marketing solutions to help you reach more people and boost sales.

One of the best things about third-party apps is their ability to connect with customers who want to buy right now. By tapping into these platforms’ targeted ad features, you can stand out to hungry customers and new users keen to give your menu a go.

Other innovative tools on third-party platforms, like multi-location features and insights and analytics, let you grow your business by reaching bigger audiences more quickly and cost-effectively.