Upselling in the Online Menu: Raise the Average Order
Upselling in a restaurant is more modest than it sounds: a bigger portion, a sauce on top, a drink with lunch. The goal is a higher average order without pressure. What works best is one fitting suggestion at the right moment, not a popup after every dish.
In short
- Keep three things apart: a variant (size, type of meat), an extra (cheese, sauce) and a suggestion (a drink, dessert or side as its own item).
- Show the suggestion only once, when the guest heads for checkout. Not after every dish.
- Drinks and desserts are the most natural suggestions. Offer something that fits the cart, not something random.
- Do not expect miracles: in the example below the increase is about 8 %. Small, but it adds up on every order.
- Measure with your own numbers, not with other people's percentages.
Variants, extras and suggestions: three different things
Many venues throw everything into one "add-ons" list. Guests think differently about each of the three, so the menu should separate them. It also tells you which of them actually makes you money.
Start with variants, because they are the least intrusive: the guest has to choose a size anyway. Then add two or three extras that are genuinely ordered, such as cheese or a sauce. Do not attach ten options to every dish. A long list slows the order down and makes things harder for the kitchen.
VariantRequired choice
The guest picks exactly one: small or large pizza, chicken or beef. The price often changes with the choice. Without a choice the order is unclear.
ExtraOptional
Something on top of the dish: extra cheese, bacon, a sauce. The guest can pick several or none. It stays part of the same order line.
SuggestionSeparate product
A drink, dessert or side from your own menu, offered before payment. It enters the order as a line of its own.
In Menuto these are separate kinds of option groups: variants are required, extras are optional, and suggestions are products from your own menu. An extra can be linked to a product so the right article number reaches your till. Which plans include dish options is shown on the pricing page.
One suggestion at checkout beats a popup after every dish
Imagine a popup with a question every time a dish is added. By the third one guests close it without reading. By the fifth they are annoyed, and some abandon the order. That is not a study, just an easy observation: guests came to order, not to answer questions.
Menuto follows the same rule: the suggestion is shown once on the way to checkout (the cart button online, "Checkout" on the self-service kiosk). Both "No, thanks" and "Add" continue to payment. If the guest empties the cart and starts a new order, the suggestion can show again. It does not appear for staff orders or manual orders: a waiter can simply suggest it out loud.
In practice that means something else too: test every time on your own phone, with one hand and in sunlight. If you cannot comfortably read the suggestion and tap "No, thanks", your guests cannot either.
Drinks and desserts: what to suggest with what
A suggestion is good when the guest thinks "yes, I needed that". Add something the cart is missing, not something it already has. If the cart holds only a pizza, the drink is obvious. If it already holds two drinks, suggest a dessert or nothing.
| - | In the cart | Suggest | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main dish, no drink | pizza, burger, pasta | a soft drink or water | the thing most often missing from the cart |
| Quick takeaway meal | doner, chicken, sandwich | fries or a salad as a separate line | completes the dish without changing it |
| Breakfast | croissant, toast, eggs | coffee or fresh juice | the habit is clear, easy to forget |
| Dinner for two | two mains and drinks | one dessert to share | short and low pressure |
Only allow products in the suggestion that a guest can add with one tap. If a product needs another choice, such as a size, leave it on the menu. Products that are sold out should never be offered: change availability and the suggestion disappears.
Dessert is more delicate than a drink. Many people decide on it only at the end, so the checkout step is the right place. For breakfast and takeaway coffee, suggest something small instead, such as a pastry next to the coffee. If your menu is seasonal, change the suggestion with the season so you are not selling lemonade in December.
Combos and set menus: when the suggestion is part of the price
A combo ("burger, fries and drink") is a suggestion placed right in the menu. The guest sees one line and one price instead of three. That simplifies the choice and is usually the least painful way to sell a side and a drink.
Also watch which combos are actually ordered. If a combo does not sell for two months, remove it or change its contents. A menu with five combos of which guests pick two is better than one with ten of which nobody picks.
- #01
Pick the main dish
Start with your most ordered dishes, not all of them.
- #02
Add a side and a drink
Two things, not five. A long list turns the combo into a second menu.
- #03
Set a clear price
Make the combo slightly cheaper than the sum if you want it to be attractive, but check your margin before promising.
- #04
Keep the single dish
Some guests do not want a combo. The single price must stay visible.
Example: average order with and without add-ons
Below is an example calculation, not the result of a specific venue. We assume an average order of €14.00 without add-ons. We assume that in 25 % of orders guests pick a variant or extra, worth €2.00 on average. And that in 20 % of orders they accept the checkout suggestion, worth €3.00 on average. Replace the assumptions with your own numbers.
At 40 orders a day that is about €44 a day, or about €1,320 a month. This is not a promise, just a way to check whether the effort is worth it. If acceptance is lower, the gain is smaller. If it is higher, so is the gain. The only way to know is to measure.
A practical way: write down your average order for two weeks before the change. Switch on one extra and one suggestion. After two weeks, compare. Then change one thing at a time, otherwise you will not know what helped. If a suggestion is not accepted in the first weeks, replace it with another instead of adding more.
Illustrative example. 25 % × €2.00 = €0.50; 20 % × €3.00 = €0.60. Total +€1.10 per order, about 8 %.
What works and what annoys guests
The most common mistake is not a bad suggestion but no checking. Order as a guest once a week and check that the suggestion still fits: prices are current, the products are available, the text reads well on a small screen. A suggestion untouched for months is usually no longer the best you can offer. Also ask your staff what guests decline most often.
Do not forget allergens: a suggested dessert or sauce is food like any other and the guest must see what it contains.
Works
- One suggestion, in one place, before payment
- A suggestion that fits the cart
- A clear price and a clear "No, thanks" button
- Large, readable buttons that are not tapped by accident
- Regularly removing suggestions nobody accepts
Annoys and puts guests off
- A popup after every dish
- Suggesting something the guest already has
- A hidden or hard-to-find decline button
- A suggestion that costs as much as the whole order
- Suggesting a product that is sold out
Checklist before you switch suggestions on
If you do not take your own online orders yet, start there: how to take orders without commission. And if you deliver, think about zones and minimum order, which also affect the average order.
Before launch
- Variants are required only where needed. Pizza size, yes. Sauce, no.
- Extras have clear prices. Guests see how much they add before confirming.
- There is one suggestion. One group of 2 to 4 products, not the whole menu.
- Drinks come first. If you sell drinks, start with them.
- Suggested products have allergens and photos. See food photos with a phone.
- You test as a guest. Order from your own phone and count how often you are interrupted.
- You compare after two weeks. Average order before and after, from your own data.
Total7 items
Frequently asked questions
What is upselling in a restaurant?
Offering something bigger or additional to what the guest has already chosen: a bigger portion, an extra, a drink, a dessert. The goal is a higher average order, and good upselling helps the guest too.
How many suggestions are too many?
In an online menu, one suggestion before payment is a good base. More interruptions risk annoying the guest, especially on a phone.
Which dishes should I suggest a drink with?
With main dishes and quick takeaway meals when the cart has no drink yet. With breakfast, suggest coffee or juice.
Is it worth it for a small venue?
Yes, because you set it up once and it works on every order. The effect per order is small but it adds up. Measure it with your own numbers.
Is the suggestion shown for orders placed by staff?
No. In Menuto the suggestion is for guests who order themselves (online, by QR code or on the kiosk). For staff orders the waiter can suggest it out loud.
What is the difference between an extra and a suggestion?
An extra is part of the dish itself (extra cheese, a sauce on top). A suggestion is a separate menu product (a drink, a dessert) that enters the order as its own line.
How do I know it works?
Compare the average order over two to four weeks before and after the change and see how many guests accept the suggestion. Do not rely on other people's percentages.