10 Ways to Boost Unit Sales in Your Quick Service Restaurant

You need more customers right? More foot traffic and more paying customers walking in the front door? Well, it’s time to get back to the basics.

Fortunately, in order to boost unit sales, you don’t need on coupons that never even get opened or social media that may or may not actually get people in the door. There are some tried and true methods to get in front of your most highly targeted customers without breaking your budget.

These 10 methods work to 1) get your location noticed by customers driving by, 2) get those customers to actually come inside and 3) create an environment to boost unit sales by using decision point tactics.

Custom inflatables

Your customers are driving down the street, multitasking, talking to their kids, listening to music – not paying attention to what’s on the road and definitely not to a barely-noticeable sign in front of a business. Ordinary signs don’t catch attention anymore. What does catch attention is something out of the ordinary. Imagine the attention a giant replica of your product will attract. Custom inflatables work because they are fun, engaging and most of all, the results are measurable.

Offer samples

Handing out samples is a great way to boost unit sales, especially when its food related. When Back Yard Burgers wanted to boost sales, they focused on sampling. Why? Because guerilla marketing works. Samples sell.

Partner with a surrounding business

There is power in partnering with other businesses. Businesses surrounding your location also want to boost their sales. Create an event that will benefit your surrounding community by partnering with complimentary businesses for an event that will attract every prospect from miles around. It may even get PR exposure.

Run a ‘Special’

Special offers, special discounts and special late-night offers are great for boosting sales. In fact, according to Restaurant.org, happy hour and late night specials are excellent ways to increase sales in restaurants.

Offer coupons to schools

Schools are the perfect opportunity to give back to the community while also generating some loyal patrons. A reading challenge, an honor roll reward system or even an essay contest can bring some fun and generate excitement with both kids and their parents.

Offer impulse items

That little brownie by the counter, the fresh baked cookies that are beautifully displayed – these are the kinds of impulse items that customers can’t resist. It’s part of the decision point marketing that works every time.

Upsell

Although it’s a well known fact that upsells work. They don’t always happen as they should. For any number of reasons, your staff members shy away from offering an upsell, even when it is appropriate and sometimes expected. For instance, a milkshake, extra meat, extra condiments, an additional drink… But as Retail Doc states, customers are not being offered upsells enough.

Use visuals

Amazing images and eye catching visuals attracts attention and gets customers in the buying mode. Take a look at this image …

The picture is stunning. It immediately entices you to want to try this. Take a look at Pinterest, people love food. In fact, over half of the most repined words are food related. It makes sense that images inside your location (in front of a captive audience) would boost sales.

Organize a kid’s night

Something fun for kids means it’s fun for parents as well. Kid’s nights are incredible for word of mouth advertising. Combine it with a giveaway item and you have a permanent reminder of your establishment in the hands of your customers.

Start a referral program

‘Refer a friend’ ‘friends and family day’ – believe it or not, these tactics work to bring customers in the door. When Mixt Greens wanted to boost their unit sales, they started a referral program and had 3,000 customers sign up.

The bottom line: getting customers in the front door of your location starts with meeting them where they are currently at. That means starting at street level. The vast majority of your target customers are driving by your location right now. Your QSR will get a boost in unit sales simply by being more visible.