Upselling is one of the most effective ways to increase your average check size, boost profit margins, and enhance the guest experience at the same time. According to a survey, personalized upselling can lift average check sizes by 10–15%.

From suggesting the perfect wine pairing to highlighting premium add-ons, the right upselling strategy can transform casual diners into loyal customers.

Let’s discuss the effective restaurant upselling techniques, practical tips, and real-world examples to help your team optimize upselling without affecting the guest experience.  

Restaurant Upselling Techniques With Examples

Understand the Menu Like a Pro

Learning the menu is the foremost thing a server must do. It not only means memorizing the dishes, but the servers must also taste each dish to understand the intricacies and what pairs best with what. Knowing the menu boosts the staff’s confidence and also leaves a good impression on customers.    

Tips

• Educate staff on the ingredients along with the dishes

• Conduct regular tastings for servers  

• Train staff on specials, wine pairings, and allergies.  

Example

If a guest orders a grilled salmon, the waiter can recommend, “Our grilled salmon is served with a lemon butter sauce. If you enjoy seafood, I’d recommend pairing it with our crisp Sauvignon Blanc; it really brings out the flavors.”  

Use Descriptive Language in the Menu

When you describe the menu items well, it creates a visual in the customers’ minds, pushing them to order. Moreover, you must use engaging language that makes the items irresistible.  

Tips

• You can use adjectives like crispy, roasted, etc.  

• Use vernacular terms instead of professional.

• Describe how the dish would make customers feel, not only the definition.

Example

Our chocolate lava cake has a warm, gooey center that melts in your mouth: perfect with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Guide Guests to Ideal Pairings

Some food items are sold more when paired with each other. Therefore, servers must know what items to upsell with the courses and recommend them to the customers at the right time.  

Tips

• Include popular pairings in the menu

• Make it feel organic by telling customers how the pairing works

Example

That ribeye steak pairs beautifully with our Cabernet Sauvignon. It brings out the richness of the meat.

Promote Limited-Time Deals

Limited-time offers create urgency in guests. You can give promotional offers to seasonal specials, festive menus, or chef’s creations, making them feel fresh and exciting. Limited-time offers not only increase upsells but also bring guests back to try what they might miss out on later.  

Tips

• Train staff to mention offers subtly in the conversation

• Use terms like “this week only” and “our most sold item”

Example

We have a truffle risotto special tonight - it’s only available this weekend.

Personalize Your Recommendations

Personalized interactions make customers feel special. If servers know their tastes and preferences, they can offer better suggestions to the customers according to the meal, portion, and time. It’s about listening, observing, and using context to make suggestions that feel helpful instead of being salesy.  

Tips

• Recommend side dishes and add-on dishes based on previous orders  

• Ask open-ended questions: “Do you prefer sweet or savory?

• If they are celebrating, servers can suggest specials and desserts.  

Example

“If you liked our shrimp tacos last time, I think you’ll love our fish tacos.”

Chef’s Selections

Upselling becomes easier when it comes directly from the chef. Hence, including a “chef’s selection” section in the menu and instructing servers to recommend them can be a game-changer. Chef’s selection enables restaurants to upsell even high-profit margin items.    

Tips

• Give the “chef’s selection” section a dedicated place in the menu.

• Add or modify items regularly to keep guests interested.  

Example

“Our chef’s selection tonight is the pan-seared scallops with lemon cream sauce. It’s been getting rave reviews”.

Let Guests Try Before They Buy

Tasting is believing. Offering free samples is one of the most effective ways to upsell, as customers themselves get to experience what the servers are trying to convey. Moreover, it also fosters customer trust in your service.    

Tips

• Offers wine tasters with other food combinations

• Introduce new menu items with tasting samples

Example

Would you like to sample our new coffee beer? If you like it, we can pour you a full pint.

Use Marketing for Upselling

Upselling is not only a responsibility of servers. Restaurant owners must deploy effective marketing campaigns to capitalize on upselling opportunities. They can deploy an AI-powered restaurant management system like NOVA to launch personalized campaigns.  

Tips

• Promote high-margin dishes on social media.

• Use email campaigns to highlight specials and pairings.

• Incorporate upselling in loyalty programs.

Example

A customer who orders lobster for lunch regularly gets an email at 11 am telling them to try our new Cauliflower Cheese Bread with it at a 10% discount.  

Incentivize Staff to Upsell  

It is essential to train staff in the techniques of upselling. However, it is equally important to motivate staff to upsell through incentives.  

Tips

• Give the staff who have the most upsells some extra time off

• Offer bonuses and rewards

• Portray upselling as a healthy competition

Example

A restaurant with a rewards system where the server with the most upsells gets an extra $25 at the end of the month.  

Know the Right Time for Upselling

Lastly, upselling may increase your sales and ensure profitability. However, it must never hamper customer experience. Therefore, you must ensure that servers are not too pushy when upselling. It is not necessary to upsell everyone, or you might end up losing regular customers.    

Tips

• Judge the tone of the customer to avoid frustration

• Avoid upselling when customers are in a hurry to pay

• Upsell drinks and apps at the start, desserts at the end.

Example

If you suggest appetizers and the customer declines politely, don’t upsell another item. Instead, wait for the first course to complete.  

Don’t Miss a Single Upsell Opportunity With NOVA

NOVA is an AI-native restaurant management platform that automates restaurant functions with AI-based prompts, advanced tools, and deep data insights. Choose NOVA and never miss an opportunity to upsell.  

One-Stop Solution

NOVA is a full-stack restaurant management solution that includes POS, kitchen display system, CRM, loyalty programs, handheld POS systems, and more. It ensures a seamless data flow between FoH and BoH teams, enabling the servers to identify upsell opportunities.  

Waitlist Management

NOVA empowers restaurants to upsell to guests in the queue. The automated upselling feature sends them custom SMSs to try out appetizers, drinks, or more, with special offers. Moreover, guests can order directly from their phones while waiting, thereby reducing preparation time. Order appetizers, drinks, and courses, and make your wait worthwhile.  

AI-native Marketing  

Launch automated campaigns with NOVA’s marketing feature. Personalize messages to upsell items based on popular pairings, dieting preferences, order history, and more. NOVA creates content tailored to different marketing channels.      

Custom Webstore

Get a fully functional restaurant webstore, customized according to your business requirements. Add prompts like “Add a side dish?” or “Upgrade to a meal combo” to the main items to encourage upselling.  

Tableside Ordering

Handhelds by NOVA enable servers to capitalize on upselling opportunities with AI-based prompts based on past orders and customer preferences. Get real-time item availability and suggestions to ensure guests get the best offers at the right time.    

Menu Management

With NOVA, you can craft the menu as per your brand. Update the menu in real-time with add-on suggestions and promotional offers to upsell with ease. Create descriptive menus with visually appealing images to enhance the ordering experience.  

Voice AI

Create upsell opportunities with an AI-based voice ordering feature. Give guests personalized suggestions while ordering with purpose-built LLMs. Ensure guest satisfaction with human-like interactions.

Conclusion

Implementing these upselling techniques can significantly boost revenues and ensure continued success. However, it is imperative to know when and who to upsell. You must keep in mind that upselling should never compromise the guest experience.  

Looking to increase upsells in your restaurant? Schedule your demo today and try NOVA, and see how it makes upselling a cakewalk.  

‍