Restaurant Operations
15 Easy Ways to Increase The Average Check Size
Increasing the average check size at your restaurant is crucial for enhancing your restaurant’s revenue.
Whether you run a small café or a fine dining establishment, learning how to increase table turnover and how much they spend can significantly impact your bottom line.
This article is dedicated to those in the restaurant industry who want to increase their profitability by encouraging customers to spend more.
We’ll explore actionable strategies for restaurant owners and staff, focusing on everything from menu design to upselling and cross-selling techniques.
Our goal is to help you increase sales and boost your revenue by optimizing the average amount each customer spends.
Key Takeaways
- Utilize menu engineering to boost check size.
- Effective upselling and cross-selling tips.
- Enhance guest experience to increase spend.
- Introduce prix fixe menus for higher average spend.
- Use email marketing for personalized offers to boost sales.
What is the Average Check in a Restaurant?
The average check is the typical amount each guest spends in a restaurant, calculated by dividing total sales by the number of customers.
This figure is crucial for restaurants because it shows the business’s financial health and helps identify strategies to encourage patrons to spend more.
For example, if the average check is lower than desired, restaurants might adjust the menu or offer add-ons like a glass of wine to increase it. Understanding the average check allows restaurants to tailor their offerings and service to boost revenue effectively.
How to Calculate the Average Check for a Restaurant
Calculating the average check helps restaurants strategize to increase average check sizes.
Average Check Formula
Collect Data: Get your total revenue and total number of customers from a specified period. Your POS system can usually provide these numbers.
Apply the Formula: The average check is calculated by dividing Total Revenue by the Total Number of Customers.
Break It Down: For deeper insights, calculate averages for categories like desserts, appetizers, or bottles of wine to see which items boost your average the most.
Adjust and Monitor: Use this data to make menu adjustments or promotions aimed at better average spend, such as offering a premium menu item or suggesting a bottle of wine. Keep an eye on how these changes affect your average check over time.
This streamlined approach helps restaurants understand guest spending habits and adjust their offerings to improve profit margins and overall restaurant revenue.
15 ways to Increase the Average Guest Check & Boost Revenue
Boosting the average check size is a key strategy for enhancing restaurant revenue. By encouraging guests to spend more per visit, restaurants can significantly increase their profitability.
This section outlines 15 practical tips for restaurant owners and staff aimed at average check amount through strategic adjustments and customer engagement.
1. Train Staff to Sell & Know Your Menu
Training your staff to have in-depth knowledge of the menu inside and out is crucial. A well-informed server can make personalized recommendations. They can suggest add-ons that complement the customer’s order, such as a glass of wine with dinner or a premium dessert.
This not only enhances the customer experience but can significantly grow the average check size. Encouraging staff to share details about how a dish tastes or the story behind a specific menu item can pique interest.
Remember, the goal is to grow the restaurants revenue per customer by providing value through knowledge and keeping labor costs down.
2. Target High-Value Customers
Identifying and catering to high-value customers, those who are likely to spend more or order expensive items, can significantly increase your average check size.
Use your POS system to track spending habits and preferences, then tailor your marketing and service accordingly.
For example, offer exclusive deals or invitations to special events to customers who tend to spend higher than the average. Recognizing these customers and providing personalized service encourages them to return and continue spending generously.
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3. Upsell and Cross-sell
Effective upselling and cross-selling techniques are pivotal for restaurants looking to increase their check value. Train your staff to suggest higher-priced items on the menu that complement what the customer has already ordered.
Cross-selling involves suggesting related items, like adding a side dish to an entrée. The key is to enhance the guest experience by offering additional value, not just pushing for higher sales.
4. Promote Your Restaurant
Promoting your restaurant effectively is essential for attracting more customers and ultimately, increasing your average check. Utilize a mix of traditional and digital marketing strategies to reach a wider audience.
For example, social media platforms can showcase your new menu items and events, while email marketing can keep your customers informed about promotions and discounts.
Don’t forget the power of word-of-mouth; encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences online. Tailoring your promotions to highlight expensive items or premium menu options can also entice them to spend more when they visit.
5. Send Deals Online
Leveraging online platforms to distribute deals and offers is a smart way to increase restaurant sales. Online deals can specifically target the average amount a customer spends, encouraging them to order more or choose higher-priced items.
For instance, offering a discount on a bottle of wine with a certain average price or a complimentary dessert when above a certain amount can increase the median check size.
These deals can be sent via email, shared on social media, or offered through your businesses website, making it easy for customers to access and redeem them, thus boosting your restaurant’s average check.
6. Tempt Pickup Customers
Offering incentives for pickup orders can be a great way to boost revenue. Many restaurants have found success by adding a complimentary item, such as a dessert or appetizer, for orders above a certain value.
This not only gets customers to spend more to reach the threshold but also adds value to their purchase, making them more likely to order again.
Additionally, highlighting premium dishes or limited-time offers exclusively for pickup orders can tempt customers to add more to their basket, boosting the average check size.
7. Maximize Online Ordering
Enhancing your online ordering system is key to increasing sales in today’s digital age. An intuitive, user-friendly restaurant website can significantly increase restaurant sales by making it easier for customers to order.
Including high-quality images of items on your menu, detailed descriptions of dishes, and the option to customize orders can encourage guests to add more to their average basket.
Incorporating upselling options, such as suggesting add-ons or upgrades at checkout, can also help check totals.
8. Implement a Loyalty Program
Designing a loyalty program that rewards repeat business is an effective strategy to boost your average check size. A well-structured loyalty program can encourage people to spend more by offering points or rewards for reaching certain spending thresholds.
For example, offering a free dessert after a certain number of visits or a discount on their next purchase can motivate customers to increase their average spend.
This not only helps increase check sizes but also builds a loyal customer base that is more likely to return and spend more over time.
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9. Sell More Drinks
Focus on boosting beverage sales. Drinks, especially alcoholic ones, have high profit margins.
Train your staff to suggest drink pairings with meals, such as recommending a specific wine with a steak or a craft beer with a burger.
Offering drink specials during slower hours can also tempt customers to add a beverage to their order. Remember, knowledge of the menu and the ability to suggest drinks that complement the food can significantly increase restaurant sales.
10. Hold Staff Competitions
Creating friendly competitions among staff can be a fun and effective way to increase sales. Set up challenges with rewards for the server who sells the most drinks or the highest number of a particular drink or dish within a certain period of time.
This not only motivates your team to try to increase the check or average ticket size but also fosters a team spirit and improves the overall service experience.
Ensure that the competitions focus on enhancing the customer experience, encouraging staff to know the menu inside and out and to offer personalized recommendations.
11. Provide Excellent Customer Service
Exceptional customer service plays a crucial role in guests wanting to spend more. When guests feel valued and appreciated, they’re more likely to increase their average order size and return in the future.
Staff should be knowledgeable about the menu, attentive to guests’ needs, and proactive in making suggestions that enhance the dining experience.
Ensuring that every customer interaction is positive can lead to higher check averages, as satisfied customers tend to spend more and become repeat patrons.
12. Offer Daily Specials
Offering daily specials is an effective way to grow the check in restaurants. They can attract customers looking for something unique and can be priced slightly higher to improve profit margins.
Highlighting these seasonal dishes or a chef’s special, encourages customers to try something new in addition to their regular order.
By carefully selecting the dishes, focusing on those with a good cost of goods balance and high-margin, restaurants can significantly boost their average check per customer.
13. Reduce No-Shows
Minimizing reservation no-shows is crucial for maintaining a healthy restaurant average check. Implementing a reservation deposit policy can deter no-shows, ensuring that only serious bookings are made.
Another strategy is to send reminders via email or SMS, reinforcing the commitment. For frequent no-shows, consider a policy that limits their ability to make future reservations.
Reducing no-shows means more diners filling seats and increasing the average order size, directly impacting the restaurant’s check average positively.
14. Add-ons & Menu Modifiers
Ask customers to customize their orders with add ons and menu modifiers can lead to higher sales. By offering additional toppings, side dishes, or upgrade options, restaurants can increase the average check size.
This strategy not only boosts sales but also enhances the customer experience by allowing for personalized meals.
Staff should be trained to suggest popular addons that complement the main dish, subtly increasing the average bill without making customers feel pressured.
15. Include High-Margin Items in the Golden Triangle
The “Golden Triangle” in menu design refers to the area on the menu where customers’ eyes naturally gravitate first. Placing high-margin items in these spots can significantly increase restaurant sales.
Research show that guests’ gaze typically begins in the middle of the right-hand side of the menu, sweeps up to the top right, and then shifts across to the top left. Strategic placement of higher ticket items in the golden triangle are more likely to be ordered by guests.
Combining this with enticing descriptions can further tempt customers to choose these items, effectively increasing the check amount.
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How to Calculate The Seat Turnover Formula
Seat turnover is key for maximizing revenue by showing how often tables are reoccupied. It impacts sales and check sizes.
- Formula: Divide the day’s total customers by available seats. For example, 300 customers with 50 seats equals a turnover rate of 6, meaning each seat is used 6 times a day.
- Importance: Higher turnover equals more sales and better space efficiency. Knowing this rate helps with decisions on staffing, menu, and promotions to increase turnover and revenue.
Effective seat turnover management boosts sales and check averages. Focus on optimizing layout, reducing wait times, and using reservations to serve more guests and enhance profitability.
What Would You do as a Server to Increase Your Check Average?
Servers play a crucial role in boosting sales and enhancing guest experiences. Here are streamlined strategies to increase your check average:
- Master the Menu: Knowledge of the menu helps you recommend higher-margin or more expensive items effectively.
- Personalize Recommendations: Tailor suggestions to customer preferences, nudging them towards premium choices.
- Upsell and Cross-Sell: Skillfully suggest add-ons and upgrades, like appetizers or a better wine, to enhance the meal.
- Build Rapport: Connect with customers to make them more receptive to your suggestions, and higher spending.
- Prompt Drink Refills: Encourage additional beverage orders, significantly adding to the bill.
- Promote Specials: Highlight daily menu items or limited-time offers that might pique interest and increase sales.
Applying these tactics with a careful balance of attentiveness and subtlety can lead to a notable increase in your average check size, benefiting both the restaurant and your tips.
How to Maximize Restaurant Seating
Optimizing your seating layout can significantly enhance dining experiences and increase revenue.
Here are key tips:
- Flexible Layouts: Use modular furniture to easily adjust for different group sizes and dining peaks.
- Strategic Table Placement: Ensure tables are spaced for comfort but maximize floor space. Consider the flow of service and customer movement.
- Reservation Management: Implement a reservation system to balance walk-ins and bookings, reducing wait times and improving seat turnover.
How to Increase Guest Count in a Restaurant
Attracting more customers is crucial for a thriving restaurant. Employ these strategies:
- Leverage Social Media: Share engaging content and events to draw attention.
- Host Events: Organize themed nights or community events to attract different customer groups.
- Offer Promotions: Time-bound offers or discounts during off-peak hours can bring in more guests.
- Improve Online Presence: Ensure your website is user-friendly, and your menu, location, and hours are easily accessible.
Implementing these seating and marketing strategies can lead to a more efficient operation and a higher guest count, boosting overall restaurant performance.
Conclusion
Boosting your businesses average check size is crucial for growth, and with the right strategies, from menu optimization to top-notch service, you can significantly increase revenue and improve guest experiences.
Remember, a robust online presence can amplify these efforts. Our company offers custom website design, hosting, and management services specifically for restaurants, ensuring your digital presence is as compelling as your dining experience.
Elevate your businesses online visibility and efficiency to attract more guests and boost profitability.
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