Selling Up

Many restaurateurs overlook an obvious opportunity to increase their profitability by not adopting a consistent policy of having servers suggest appetizers and/or desserts to every guest.

And the manner in which they are suggested is critically important. For example, a server should never ask a patron a question that can be answered with a “yes” or a “no,” such as ”Would you like to start with an appetizer?” Instead, the server will find greater success by recommending an item as either “new to the menu” or “one of our most popular” or “my particular favorite.”

When it comes to desserts, a proven method of increasing sales is to show patrons a tray of the house’s specialties, giving a brief description of each. Many servers make a “show” of this opportunity, getting the attention of the guest in question and those at nearby tables, another avenue to increased sales.

In both cases, servers who are adept at “up selling” appetizers, desserts or perhaps a special bottle of wine normally find their gratuities increased, motivation in itself for them to support the restaurant’s policy.