How To Increase Dessert Sales

Many diners save room for dessert when going to their favorite restaurant. People also look forward to something sweet after a meal on special occasions. Nearly every restaurant, including fast-food chains, offers desserts. You want to set yourself apart from others by providing a unique dining experience.

Approximately 45% of restaurant guests typically order dessert after a meal. You also need to consider customers who may order something sweet to-go. Giving customers the option to take their desserts home can help drive business. Thoughtful and trendy containers, easily transportable dessert options, and compelling visuals are just some ways to capitalize on to-go orders. Properly planning how to market your meal add-ons gives you more sales opportunities.

Here are some strategies for your restaurant to increase dessert sales.

Promoting Your Desserts

There are multiple ways to promote your desserts, but you want to do it effectively. Sometimes, restaurants will showcase their choices near the front entrance. From decadent desserts showcased artfully to bite-size treats in eye-catching displays to encourage to-go add-ons — your creativity should know no bounds when displaying your desserts.

Positive word of mouth and online reviews give you free promotions. Customer satisfaction is always a critical part of running a successful business. Consider highlighting a rave review on a social post with alluring photographs of the dessert the customer mentioned.

Promoting your desserts can be fun, creative, and a great way to engage with your customers. Your strategy will seem effortless through thoughtful changes to your menu and focused social media posts.

Social Media Profiles

Having multiple social media channels is a must if you run a shop, restaurant, or bakery. Businesses and customers regularly stay connected digitally to remain in the loop. Having a social media account is one thing, but your restaurant needs to be active in using it.

Food, including desserts, is one of the top things people take pictures of and share. If you run a restaurant, bakery, or shop, you want to start sharing content through a platform like Instagram. If a customer scrolls through their feed and sees a mouth-watering photo of your top-selling dessert, they will be enticed to come in for a bite.

You can — and should — promote your desserts on Instagram and your other social media channels. Post only high-quality pictures that display your food and intrigues users. Delicious-looking desserts will captivate your audience and leave them craving your baked goods.

Look on Pinterest or Google Trends to keep updated with all the current market demands. For example, in the winter of 2021, Cocoa Bombs were all the rage. Share fresh and innovative desserts that look delectable and inviting. Use the search feature on Instagram and Twitter to see the most popular posts for certain hashtags or keywords that align with your dessert menu. If your tiramisu is your number one seller, search “tiramisu” to see how the most popular posts display their desserts.

Serving the sweets in exciting ways will interest users on social media platforms. The more engaging the posts are, the more likely people will share them with their followers. You can use the analytics dashboard on your account to collect data on the content. Monitoring the success of your posts lets you see how the word is spreading about your desserts.

Always be sure to use different hashtags when posting pictures on social media. You can entice your followers to try your desserts by using a marketing tactic like offering a discount or a special treat if they share the post.

Your Servers Are Your Best Promoters

At the end of every meal, the key question every server should ask is, “would you like coffee or dessert?” Many guests find it rude and feel rushed when the check is left on the table before they finish eating. If your restaurant wait staff does this, you’ll likely not get a dessert sale.

Even though some may be difficult, guests want to feel valued when dining out. Be sure to train your servers to promote the dessert menu to every guest. The wait staff can even recommend their favorite items. Offering coffee, espresso, or liquor is just as important. While some diners may pass on the sweets, you have a chance to get a beverage sale.

Have the entire waitstaff of your restaurant learn how to pair wines with desserts. The high acidity in a Riesling, Chablis, or Muscadet complement citrus treats. Intense red wines partner perfectly with decadent chocolate desserts. Sweet options like Moscato, Port, and Lambrusco go well with salty or sour dishes. Pudding or dessert wines complement offerings with berries or nuts in them.

Customize the Desserts

Always listen to your customers’ feedback, both loyal and new ones. Restaurants need to accept criticism and then make changes based on the input. Many businesses pay consulting firms to analyze their operations and dessert menus. Listening to your guests costs nothing.

Diners will typically gravitate towards their favorite flavor and something familiar to them. Chocolate remains a popular dessert ingredient, but not everyone loves it. Dark, milk, and white chocolate all offer different flavor profiles. Some customers may shy away from an option if they dislike the choice of chocolate.

Pleasing every guest is challenging, but you can offer customized dessert options. Customers These custom options offer a unique dining experience. Offer name brand add-ons, like Hershey’s syrup, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or Snickers. Familiarity and customized desserts increase the likelihood of a sale.

Pay Attention to the Menu

Your menu presentation matters a lot to guests and your profit margins. If you include the dessert options with the meals, you’re not promoting them properly. The server often takes the menus away after a table places an order. The customers will forget about ordering dessert due to poor design strategies.

If you leave the menus with the guests, you possibly need to rethink the layout. Desserts featured in the back rarely get viewed by diners. Your restaurant needs to have a well-thought design in the customer’s view. Desserts that look delicious in the guest’s peripherals will stay at the forefront of their mind. You want a separate menu or one with specific design elements that speaks to customers. Some restaurants display a flip or stand-up menu on the table that may also feature drinks.

A clever dessert menu leads to more diners ordering something sweet and delicious.

Have the Right Scope of Desserts 

Since nearly half of guests order dessert, you have a 50/50 chance of making the sale. Properly promoting your menu costs little in expenses and only requires time. Utilize all social media channels and actively post pictures on your profiles. Followers and fans can help quickly spread the word about your desserts.

Your servers are your front-line promoters and need training on practical techniques. Customized desserts and a professionally designed menu will give your restaurant an edge.

If you lack inspiration or need a new perspective, we can help. Steven Charles — A Dessert Company — can provide you with creative, gourmet options. Our culinary experts can design and craft premium menu options that are unforgettable.

Many restaurants trust us to develop solutions that perfectly complement their brand. Our world-class pastry chefs will deliver a premium culinary experience for your guests. We support our customers every step of the way and can help grow your business.

Our premium dessert company offers outstanding taste and presentation. Steven Charles uses only the highest-quality ingredients. We have been helping restaurants for over 25 years and are behind some of the most iconic creations.Let us show you the sweetest world. Find out more about our offerings and how we can increase your dessert sales. Connect with Steven Charles today.