How to increase restaurant sales: 9 ways that don't cost commission
The fastest ways for an independent restaurant to increase sales are to get found (a complete Google Business Profile with an order link), make ordering direct easy (its own app or website), bring regulars back more often (a stamp card and push deals on slow nights), and raise the average check (menu pricing and add-ons). Sales that come through DoorDash or Uber Eats count too, but they cost 15 to 30% each, so the most profitable growth comes from customers who order direct. Most of these cost little or nothing to start this week.
1. Fix your Google Business Profile
For "pizza near me" style searches, the Google listing is often the first thing a customer sees. Fill in hours, menu, photos and categories, and add your own online ordering link so the order button doesn't default to a delivery app. Answer reviews, good and bad, briefly and by name.
2. Take online orders yourself
Customers who already know you will order direct if it's as easy as the app. A direct order keeps about $8.54 more of every $40 than DoorDash Plus at 25%. See online ordering systems for restaurants.
3. Give regulars a reason to come back
A digital stamp card ("buy 9, get the 10th free") turns occasional customers into weekly ones and works best inside the app they order from. See restaurant loyalty apps.
4. Put a card in every delivery bag
Every DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub customer opens the bag. A card with a QR code and a reward for ordering direct next time turns marketplace customers into your own. Details: how to get customers to order direct.
5. Fill slow nights with a push deal
A push notification to everyone with your app on a slow Tuesday costs nothing to send. Make it specific and short-lived, like a free side with any order until 8pm.
6. Price the menu on purpose
Check every main against its plate cost and a 28% to 35% food cost target. Small, regular price changes are easier on customers than one big jump. Use the menu price calculator.
7. Raise the average check
Offer a drink, side or dessert at the moment of ordering, online and at the counter. Family bundles and combos make a bigger order the easy choice.
8. Sell catering and large orders
Offices, teams, schools and parties order in volume. A simple catering menu with set trays and a lead time is easy to add and fills slow daytime hours.
9. Watch the numbers weekly
Track sales, food cost and labor each week so you can tell what worked. Start with the food cost and profit margin calculators.
Why commission-free sales matter more
Restaurants typically net 3% to 5% (Toast). A $40 sale through DoorDash Plus loses $10 to commission, more than the whole profit on that order. The same sale direct keeps $38.54 after card fees. Growth that comes direct is worth several times more than growth that comes through an app. See your own numbers in the commission calculator.
Sources
- Toast: average restaurant profit margin
- DoorDash merchant pricing (Basic, Plus, Premier plans)
- ChowNow: guide to restaurant food cost
Prices and fees were checked on October 18, 2026. They change, so check the source before you decide.