Ah, the dulcet sensation of dessert. Some people crave salty or savory things, but those with a sweet tooth understand the lingering appeal of confectionery goodies to close out a meal or enjoy as a special treat. For restaurants, incorporating sweet sensations into your menu is an ideal strategy to boost revenue. These days, nearly every full-service or quick-service restaurant offers some form of dessert item for their customers.
Selling delectable desserts shouldn’t be a difficult endeavor. Yet, are restaurant owners and operators making the most of this final course as a business endeavor? With the wide variety of desserts on the modern market, increasing the likelihood of sales involves enticing diners to dive in and indulge. Here are a few sweet strategies for increasing dessert sales to consider for greater success.
Promote via Social Media Platforms
If you were to search through hashtags on Instagram or scroll through Facebook feeds or Snapchat stories, you wouldn’t be surprised to see a plethora of food pictures and videos. Consumers love social media, and they love food. That said, the number one shared food item in the digital world is ice cream. Ergo, milkshake makers and soft-serve ice cream machines are solid investments for any restaurant or food service establishment.
From a marketing perspective, desserts are habitual consumables, considered well-deserved treats. How can you best promote this concept to appeal to potential customers in a visual age? Focus on food trends and utilize social media content to capture the essence of your dessert offerings. Fresh, innovative, and tasty sweets are communicated and shared through social media posts on the daily.
Enhance Favorable Taste Through Customization
The chief concerns about successfully selling desserts are the customer’s satisfaction with taste and size. Taste-wise, diners tend to gravitate toward food items that offer a sense of familiarity through their past experiences, favorite ingredients, or recognizable brand associations. Favorably utilizing this familiarity for one’s gratification is one sweet strategy for increasing dessert sales.
Some food service establishments or restaurants may solely serve standard desserts in standard sizes. Providing the ability to customize a dessert to one’s liking ensures that customers can always find a dessert that suits their taste buds, whether they prefer bite-sized or extra-large delicacies.
Offer Simple or Over-the-Top Indulgence Options
Certain individuals have a sweet tooth 24/7, while others only crave a dessert at sporadic times. Appealing to both of these markets works tremendously for an establishment’s profitability. Many people view eating desserts as a shared, memorable experience with family and friends or only indulge on emotional or special occasions.
For some customers, pre-made items of easy portability are appealing dessert options on the go. Conversely, over-the-top desserts such as unique specialty or signature goods capitalize on current trends that consumers buzz about. Whatever route you choose for your restaurant’s menu, you can successfully capture dessert dollars when considering these diverse strategies.
