How to Increase Restaurant Sales: 10 Practical Tips

To increase restaurant sales you have three levers: more guests, a bigger bill per guest and guests who come back more often. A small restaurant usually gets the quickest win from the second and third, because they work on people who already know you. Add paid options and pairings to your menu, take orders directly so you keep the whole bill, and give your regulars a reason to return on your slow days.

None of the tips below needs a big budget. Most take an afternoon. Where Acuolina has a tool for it we say so, but every tip works with whatever system you use.

How can a restaurant increase sales, in short?

• Know your numbers. Check earnings, average order and best sellers every week.
• Put your best dishes first. The top of each section sells more than the bottom.
• Offer paid options. A large size or an extra topping adds a little to many orders.
• Suggest one pairing. One line in the description, like "Great with our lemonade".
• Make a combo. A main, a side and a drink at one price is an easy yes.
• Set a minimum order for delivery. A very small delivery order can cost more than it brings.
• Take orders directly. Every order with no commission leaves you the whole bill.
• Keep a list of your guests. People who ordered once are the easiest to bring back.
• Fill slow days on purpose. A small, short discount on a quiet day, not a big one every day.
• Be easy to find. Your Google profile and Instagram should open your menu in one tap.

Where does more money actually come from?

Every dollar you take in is the number of orders times the average order. So you can sell more by getting more orders, by making each order a bit bigger, or both. Here is a simple example with made-up numbers for a small place that takes 100 orders a week with an average order of $25:

These numbers are only an example, not a promise. The point is that small changes add up: $3 more per order is a coffee or a dessert, and in a 4-week month that example becomes $1,200 without a single new guest.

Which numbers should you check every week?

You can't improve what you never look at. Once a week, at the same time, write down:

• Earnings for the week, compared with the week before.
• Number of orders, so you know if a change came from more orders or bigger ones.
• Average order, which is earnings divided by orders.
• Best sellers, the dishes that sell most.
• Order types, how much comes from delivery, pickup and the table.

In Acuolina the Report page shows all of this for each week: Earnings, Earnings Trend, Orders Type, Best sellers and Average order, each with the change "vs previous week". It is included on the free plan and on Chef. If you take orders some other way, a notebook or a spreadsheet works too. What matters is checking every week and changing one thing at a time, so you can tell what worked.

How do you place dishes on the menu so they sell more?

Not every dish leaves you the same money. Find the ones that sell well and leave the most after ingredients, put them at the top of each section, and give them a photo and a short description. Keep prices plain, don't sort sections by price, and keep sections short. Our 2026 digital menu guide explains each step with an example.

How do you raise the average order without raising prices?

Raising prices is one way to a bigger bill, but it is not the only one. These ideas let guests choose to spend a bit more:

• Paid options on popular dishes. A large size, double cheese, a stuffed crust or a side swap. In Acuolina you add options to a dish, each with its own "+ price", and the guest picks them before adding the dish to the cart. Our pizza and burger menu guide shows how to set up sizes, extras and meal deals.
• One pairing line in the description. End the description of a main with a suggestion, for example "Great with our house lemonade, $3.50". Acuolina does not add suggestions by itself, so this line is where you suggest them.
• A combo as its own dish. "Burger, fries and drink" at one price is easier to choose than three separate items. Price it so it still leaves you a good margin.
• Desserts and drinks in plain sight. Give them their own short sections with photos, and don't hide them at the very end of a long menu.
• A minimum order for delivery. If a small delivery order barely covers the trip, set a minimum. In Acuolina it is the Minimum order amount in the ordering settings, and you can also charge a delivery fee by distance.
• Ask one question at the counter or the table. "Would you like a dessert or a coffee to finish?" is not pushy. It's service.

Why do direct orders leave you more money?

A sale through a delivery app is not the same as a sale through your own channel, because the app takes a commission on each order. When a regular orders from your own menu instead, you keep the whole bill. That is why it pays to put your own ordering link everywhere your guests already look for you.

With Acuolina, guests choose dishes on your menu and send the order to your WhatsApp, by SMS or by email, with no commission. They can order for pickup, delivery or from the table. Our article on commission-free online ordering compares the options and the costs, and our guide to QR code table ordering explains how ordering from the table works.

How do you get guests to come back more often?

Bringing back someone who already liked your food is usually easier than finding someone new. Three simple habits help:

1. Keep a list of your guests. In Acuolina the Customers page fills up by itself from orders. For each guest you see their email or phone, how many times they ordered, their last order and their order history. You can open a WhatsApp chat with a guest in one tap, for example to thank a regular or to fix a problem with an order. The customer list is on the free plan and on Chef.
2. Share a coupon. Create a code with a discount, such as 10% off, and share it on Instagram, on your table cards or in a WhatsApp status. Guests type it at checkout. Coupons are available on every Acuolina plan, and the coupon list shows how many orders and how much revenue each code brought.
3. Send a discount by email. On the Chef plan, Send Discounts to Customers emails your customers a discount from 1% to 100% that lasts from 1 to 14 days. The email is short and plain, with a link to your menu, and the campaign list shows the clicks, orders and revenue it brought.

Other things that bring guests back cost nothing at all: the same quality every time, answering reviews with a real reply, remembering a regular's usual order, and telling guests when a new dish or a seasonal special arrives.

How do you fill your slow days?

Most restaurants have quiet days or hours. Instead of discounting every day, give people a reason to come on exactly those days:

Keep discounts small and short, and watch the numbers. If a coupon brings orders on a Tuesday without taking them from your Saturday, keep it. If it only gives a discount to people who would have come anyway, stop it.

How do more people find your restaurant?

New guests still matter, and the cheapest way to reach them is to show up where they already search:

• Google. People look up restaurants on Google Search and Maps all the time. Keep your hours, photos and menu link up to date. Our guide on adding your menu to Google shows each step.
• Instagram. Put your menu link in your bio and in your stories, and post your best dishes with their real names. See how to add your menu to Instagram.
• Your own space. A QR code on the table, the window and the takeaway bag sends people to the same menu where they can order again. Our QR code menu guide covers how to make one.

More ideas like these are in the restaurant marketing guides.

What should you avoid?

• Big discounts that never end. Guests start to see the discounted price as the real one.
• Changing everything at once. Change one or two things, then look at the numbers after a week or two.
• A menu that is too long. It slows guests down and hides your best dishes.
• Different prices in different places. Keep the same menu and prices on Google, Instagram and at the table.

You can try all of this on a free Acuolina menu: see the plans or create your menu and take your first orders today.