7 Essential Food Sales Strategies To Top The Market

The food industry is indeed a battlefield, with new trends and competitors emerging constantly. 

To not only survive but also thrive, you have to have a winning set of essential food sales strategies to get a slice of the pie. 

From attracting new customers with eye-catching social media posts and providing excellent service using a QR code menu to transforming your customers into brand ambassadors, these guarantee top-notch business. 

So, buckle up and prepare to turn your food venture into a food empire! 

How to boost your food sales: 7 valuable strategies to apply 

Attract new customers through social media marketing

As you know, social media can be a potent tool for you to attract new customer demographics. 

In fact, a joint PYMNTS-AWS study, the official publication of Competition Policy International, revealed that 43% of customers learn about new products through social networks, and according to Smart Insights,  87% of buyers think that social media helps them make their purchasing decisions. 

Additionally, a restaurant social media statistics report indicated that 82% of restaurants in the United States use social media as part of their marketing strategies.

This only proves that if you’re able to market your products well through social media platforms, you’ll potentially encourage new customers to try your food items or visit your establishment. 

Now here are a few tips to maximize your marketing efforts on social media: 

• Know your goals and audience. 

This may sound cliche to you, but before diving in, you have to set your goals. Are you aiming to boost your brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or get new customers? 

Once you’ve settled this, research your target audience. Understand their interests and what platforms they are using to help you align your content and approach. 

• Plan strategic content. 

People scroll fast, so grab their attention with eye-catching images and videos. Make use of high-quality content materials that resonate with your audience.  

Don’t forget to add humor and storytelling to connect with them on a deeper level.

• Be consistent. 

Develop a social media content calendar to plan and schedule your posts. 

You must know that consistency is key to building a loyal following. Once you start posting, track your results using any social media analytics you have. 

This will help you see what type of content captures the heart of your audience and allows you to refine your strategy. 

• Don’t be a lurker. 

Social media is a two-way street. So reply to comments, answer questions, and join conversations happening in your space. 

This shows you actually care about the people following you and builds a community around your brand. 

Implement a loyalty program to retain existing patrons

If you want to retain regular customers, a loyalty program is your secret weapon. 

Design a loyalty program that rewards them for their repeat visits and spending, offering incentives such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive access to special events. 

If you already have one, you might as well upgrade it using a digital platform or mobile app to streamline the enrollment process and track customer activity hassle-free, allowing you to offer personalized offers and target promotions based on their individual preference and behavior. 

Communicate regularly with your customers about upcoming promotions, new menu items, and exclusive deals to keep them engaged and excited about participating in the program. 

In turn, you can foster a sense of belongingness that significantly increases customer retention and drives repeat business to your restaurant. 

Update your menu with an essential food list 

Updating a menu with essential food items ensures that it meets the diverse needs and preferences of your customers while also adapting to changing dietary trends and requirements. 

It helps you cater to a wider audience, accommodating various dietary restrictions, allergies, and lifestyle choices. 

Additionally, it keeps your offerings fresh and appealing, encouraging customers to return and try them. It also shows that you are committed to providing exciting and top-quality options.

Provide excellent customer service using a digital restaurant menu QR code

HubSpot Research emphasized that providing excellent service not only saves money but also makes a lot for a business. In the report, improving the customer experience can increase revenue by 2 to 7% and profitability by 1 to 2%. 

One effective way to do that is to utilize a digital menu QR code. 

This allows customers to make and complete their transactions seamlessly by scanning these using their smartphones, eliminating the need to fumble through sheets of paper, long wait times, and order errors. 

In fact, the 2024 QR code menu forecast highlighted a survey report from Restaurant Business that 78% of the respondents favor QR code menus over traditional paper menus.

Aside from the benefit it can give to your customers, you’ll be able to get a streamlined workflow which makes it easier for your staff to perform other tasks well. 

Upsell and cross-sell other food items

Upselling and cross-selling your items are effective techniques for increasing your revenue.  This strategy encourages customers to explore additional menu options and upgrade their dining experience. 

You can train your staff to identify upselling opportunities and suggest add-ons to enhance a customer’s order. 

For instance, if a guest orders a burger, your server can suggest adding bacon on the side or upgrading to a premium cheese for an additional charge.

On the other hand, cross-selling involves related items or food and drink pairing ideas that complement the customer’s main course. 

You can suggest pairing a pasta dish with a glass of wine or a side salad. By offering thoughtful recommendations, you can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty while boosting sales. 

Pro tip:  Encourage your staff to be knowledgeable about your menu offering so that they can confidently recommend items based on the guests’ preferences and restrictions. 

Benchmark customer feedback and reviews 

EMarketer 2022 Report on the Attitude of Consumers Worldwide Towards Personalization and Customer Experience Provided by a Company indicated that 72% of consumers worldwide expect businesses to understand their unique needs and expectations. 

So, pay attention to the feedback and reviews you’ve gathered to understand your performance and identify areas for improvement: Could it be updating the essential food list you have? Adding ordering tools like a QR code menu to streamline the process? 

From there, compare your ratings to those of your competitors (if you’re using online review platforms) or industry benchmarks to gauge your performance relative to others in the market. 

This can provide valuable insights by thoroughly conducting a survey for food or services where your restaurant excels and areas where it needs to upgrade. 

Participate in community events

Community events are a powerful way to drum up business by increasing visibility, building goodwill, and fostering connections with residents. 

Figure out what’s happening around your place. Are there festivals, free markets, charity fundraising, or anything where you can set up and engage with attendees? 

Then, set up a booth or food stall at these events to showcase your menu offerings and provide sample tasting of your signature dishes. 

This allows potential customers to taste your food and experience the quality and flavor firsthand, sparking their interest and encouraging them to visit your restaurant in the future. 

But to make the most out of your participation, sell pick-and-go versions of your food items to the opportunity of the event. 

Other essential food sale ideas and approaches to add to the list 

Seasonal menus and limited-time offerings

Rotate your menu offerings based on seasonal ingredients and other food trends in the market. 

Introducing limited-time items or seasonal specials like this creates a sense of urgency for your customers and potentially drives sales. 

This approach keeps your menu fresh and can encourage repeat visits to try new dishes. 

Food trucks or pop-up stores

You can extend your reach beyond your brick-and-mortar location by operating a food truck or hosting pop-up events at different places in your community. 

This allows you to tap into new markets, reach a wider audience, and generate buzz around your brand. 

Catering and events services 

Expand your revenue streams by offering catering services for corporate events, weddings, or private parties. 

A 2023 International Caterers Association (ICA) industry survey revealed that 52% of catering companies make between $1 million and $7.5 million in annual sales. 

It’s best to develop customizable catering menus and packages to accommodate different event sizes and budgets. 

Entering the catering industry can be a great boost for your business to increase both sales and revenue.

Cross-promotion with local businesses

Collaborate with nearby businesses such as coffee shops, wineries,  breweries, or artisanal food producers to cross-promote each other’s offerings. 

For example, you can feature local craft beers on your menu, and in return, the brewery can promote your restaurant to its customers. 

This mutually beneficial partnership can help attract new guests and also strengthen community ties. 

Mobile ordering with a digital restaurant menu QR code 

Streamline the ordering process and reduce wait times by implementing a virtual menu accessed via QR codes in your restaurant. 

Generating a digital menu QR code and placing it strategically allows customers to access your food items instantly with a simple scan. 

You can promote this seamless ordering process through signages, social media, and email newsletters, emphasizing the benefits of convenience, speed, and contactless transactions. 

With this level of ease when dining, you can encourage customers to visit and dine in your restaurant. 

How can a QR code menu help you boost your sales?

QR code menus pose a strategic shift for restaurants, offering a more streamlined customer experience and helping to drive more sales through upselling and cross-selling opportunities and valuable data to optimize menus and promotions. 

Apparently, the notion of this being expensive to acquire, considering the various benefits it offers, is expected. 

But here comes MENU TIGER, a QR code menu provider designed to offer affordable services for businesses regardless of size. 

But affordability doesn’t mean compromising on quality. With MENU TIGER, you can expect reliable and feature-rich solutions that meet the demands of modern diners. 

Here’s what it can provide:

Enhanced customer experience 

Diners can browse your menu at their own pace, which is a familiar and comfortable experience in today’s contemporary dining. 

This fosters a sense of control and eliminates the need to wait for a server or struggle with dimly lit, potentially unhygienic, physical menus. 

Additionally, QR code menus can be offered in multiple languages, catering to a wider customer base that creates a more inclusive environment. 

Boost sales through upselling and cross-selling 

Unlike physical counterparts, menu QR codes offer expansive digital space. High-quality food images can be strategically incorporated to entice customers, influencing them to explore new items or indulge in high-margin premium offerings. 

This can also be programmed to subtly suggest complementary items, like fries with a burger or a dessert to complement a meal. 

Cost-effective menu updates 

Traditional menus become outdated quickly, particularly when you change menu prices or seasonal items become unavailable. 

But with this advanced tool, you can effortlessly update your offerings, reflecting real-time price adjustments or highlighting limited-time specials in just a few clicks. 

Highly customizable QR menus 

A perfect avenue to practice your upselling and cross-selling strategies. 

You can seamlessly offer add-ons in your digital menu with detailed information without needing staff to explain it further. 

So when customers scan the QR code, they’ll have the time to explore your offerings without pressure. 

Easy menu updates

Updating your menu is just a few clicks away.

This platform allows you to edit restaurant menu online in real-time, whether you’re adding a new dish, adjusting prices, or promoting a limited-time offer. 

Innovative marketing solutions 

If you’re looking for a way to connect with your customers and drive sales, MENU TIGER provides targeted marketing solutions designed to help you reach your audience with personalized promotion via email. 

You can effortlessly acquire email lists of your customers directly through the platform. Once you have these in place, you can send a personalized restaurant newsletter containing personalized promotions, special offers, and tailored messages that resonate with them. 

Effective multi-lingual support 

With 21 language translations available, you can attract and engage with customers from around the world, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and valued at your restaurant. 

This eliminates language barriers and potentially can drive foot traffic in your restaurant as other foreign guests may pay a visit due to your inclusive dining environment. 

Effortless customer review and feedback collection

With MENU TIGER, soliciting reviews and feedback from customers is a breeze. 

This seamlessly integrates with your digital menu, allowing you to prompt customers to leave reviews directly from their smartphones. 

Customers can now easily share their thoughts and feedback without being interrupted by your staff while they enjoy the experience of dining in your restaurant. 

QR code menu technology: An essential food sales tool for improved business revenues

As a business owner, you’ve probably gone the extra mile to try various methods to drive sales. 

You’ve gone through trial and error to come up with an effective strategy, which is why we’ve compiled a list of essential food sales strategies that are based on this generation’s market demands and trends. 

One notable strategy that can positively impact your restaurant is to have streamlined overall operations using a QR code menu. 

There is no doubt that the best way to boost sales is to provide efficient and fast customer service that keeps your guests coming back for more.

For sure, MENU TIGER will assist you in the best way a software can with its user-friendly and innovative solutions. 

Elevate your restaurant today. Learn more by signing up and see how it upgrades your business.

FAQs