As so many diners open every day, it gets even more complicated and tricky for restaurants to gain their business. Moreover, not only cafes and restaurants sell food, but also food trucks, supermarkets and other places have started to sell meals they did not have before, for instance who would have thought about the Prosecco Van or Luke's Lobster 10 years ago? People get more creative and they embrace their pottential which makes customers fastidious. Rules have changed and it's time to think about new ways to increase the average order and sales. 

Be friendly to your customers

Days of aggressive marketing are gone. Most of restaurant owners realized that this technique brings customers more negative than positive feelings. Usually it just turns away them from buying. Even though it is always nice to let your meals to speak for themselves, you can always encourage your customers to choose something a bit more expensive than they were planning to, by not even letting them to realize it. Sounds like magic, no? Actually, that's called upselling. A great chance for earning a bit more occurs when your servers have been asked to suggest their favourites. Why not to offer a fancy marzipan cake instead of ordinary vanilla ice-cream? Tell your servers to be descriptive and mention all the nice details so that the clients can't stop thinking about the offer. 

Listen to your customers

Try to understand what your customer wants because it can build a really strong relationship. So pay attention to every word they say. If they ask for something „light and juicy“, don't offer lasagna to them. And don't offer a banana pudding - oreo cookies - whipped cream dessert afterwards. Try to stand in your customers' shoes and imagine their full range of choices. If you see that two friends just finished their meals but they still enjoy their conversation, ask if they would like to have something else. But remember: be specific with what you offer: it is much easier to say „no“ to such a question as „would you like something for dessert“ than to resist an offer of, for instance, natural wild cherry tea & freshly baked apple pie served with hot chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Just be honest and creative. It is much easier to sell something you really love yourself. 

Influencer marketing

This type of marketing is actually one of the most beneficial techniques to effectively promote your restaurant. In influencer marketing, you can tap into the local celebrities or you can try to reach out to global influencers. Whatever you choose, it will have a significant mark on your business. When an influencer talks about a specific product, usually they express themselves through an authentic story which resonates with the audience. Honesty and being „down to earth“ are things people want in social media today. There is one magical phrase that is very profitable not only for the influencer but also for the brand. It is declaring that „I never promote what I do not believe in“. This statement builds trust with followers, and it's a smart way to advertise the product since the follower immediately thinks that the product is of high quality and special because otherwise the influencer wouldn't promote it. It is the customer's choice to believe it or not, but they have already received the message so they already know about the thing. Choose influencers that have a brand that spreads similar vibes as yours. 

The most powerful marketing tacticts originate from just simple and basic rules that comes from our every day life. Try to reflect your own behaviour in a restaurant or cafe, and analyse what attracts you and makes you buy more. Then put the same principles in your own business. That's where your story of success begins.