How to Increase Restaurant Average Order Value

What is Average Order Value?

Average order value (AOV) is the average amount a customer spends per transaction at your restaurant. Calculate it by dividing total revenue by the number of orders over a specific period.

For example, if your restaurant generated £50,000 from 2,000 orders last month, your average order value is £25.

Increasing AOV is one of the most effective ways to grow revenue without acquiring new customers. A 10% increase in average order value with the same customer traffic means 10% more revenue with minimal additional costs.

Why Average Order Value Matters More Than Customer Count

Most restaurant operators focus heavily on attracting new customers. While customer acquisition matters, increasing what existing customers spend is often more profitable.

Consider the economics: acquiring a new customer costs money through marketing, promotions, and discounts. Increasing order value from existing customers leverages traffic you've already paid for.

The operational benefits are significant too. Serving 100 customers spending £30 each generates the same revenue as 150 customers spending £20 each, but requires less labour, fewer transactions, and reduced wear on equipment.

Menu Engineering for Higher Order Values

Menu engineering is the systematic approach to designing your menu based on profitability and popularity.

Start by categorising every menu item into four groups:

Stars: High profit, high popularity. Feature these prominently.

Plowhorses: Low profit, high popularity. Consider price increases or recipe adjustments.

Puzzles: High profit, low popularity. Improve visibility or descriptions.

Dogs: Low profit, low popularity. Remove or reformulate.

Position high-margin items in the top-right corner of your menu where eyes naturally land first. Use boxes, icons, or subtle highlighting to draw attention without appearing pushy.

Price anchoring works effectively. Place a premium item at the top of each category. Even if few customers order it, it makes other items appear more reasonably priced by comparison.

Avoid currency symbols and decimal points. Research shows "18" outperforms "£18.00" because it reduces the psychological pain of spending.

Strategic Upselling and Cross-Selling

Upselling means encouraging customers to purchase a more expensive version of what they're already buying. Cross-selling means suggesting complementary items.

Train staff to suggest specific items rather than asking vague questions. "Would you like to make that a large for an extra £1.50?" outperforms "Anything else?"

The timing of upsell suggestions matters enormously. The most effective moments are:

When the customer orders a main (suggest a starter or side)
When they order a drink (suggest an upgrade or premium option)
At the end of the order (suggest dessert or coffee)

Technology dramatically improves upselling consistency. Self-service kiosks can present perfectly-timed upsell suggestions to every customer, every time. Flipdish kiosks increase average order value by 20-30% compared to counter ordering because they never forget to suggest add-ons and customers don't feel rushed or judged.

Online ordering systems should automatically suggest relevant add-ons based on basket contents. If someone orders a burger, show chips and drinks. If they order pizza, show sides and desserts.

Bundling and Meal Deals

Bundles increase perceived value while raising actual spend. A burger, chips, and drink sold separately might total £15, but offered as a meal for £12.50 increases order value from customers who would have ordered just the burger.

The psychology works because customers perceive bundles as better value, even when they're paying more than they initially intended.

Create bundles at different price points:

Individual meal deals (£10-15)
Sharing platters (£25-35)
Family bundles (£40-60)

Limited-time bundles create urgency. Rotating meal deals monthly keeps your menu feeling fresh without constant reprinting.

Lunch bundles work particularly well for time-pressed customers. A "quick lunch" bundle priced attractively but including a drink and side increases spend from customers who might have ordered just a main.

Minimum Order Values for Delivery

Setting minimum order values for delivery is standard practice that directly increases AOV.

Most restaurants set minimums between £10-15. This covers delivery costs while remaining accessible.

Communicate minimums clearly on your restaurant website and ordering platforms. Show customers how far they are from the minimum and suggest items to reach it.

Dynamic minimums based on distance work well. £12 minimum within 2 miles, £15 minimum for 2-3 miles. This ensures delivery economics work across your coverage area.

Consider offering free delivery above a higher threshold. "£2.50 delivery or free over £25" encourages customers to add items to avoid the fee.

Suggestive Selling Through Technology

Technology enables consistent, data-driven upselling that human staff can't match for scale.

AI phone ordering systems like Flipdish's AI Phone Agent can upsell every phone caller with perfect consistency. The AI suggests relevant add-ons, remembers customer preferences, and never forgets to offer meal upgrades. This increases phone order values by 15-25% compared to traditional phone ordering.

POS systems with built-in prompts remind staff to suggest specific items. When a customer orders a coffee, the screen prompts the server to offer pastries.

Digital menu boards can dynamically adjust throughout the day, promoting breakfast items in the morning and desserts in the evening.

QR code ordering at tables allows customers to browse the full menu and add items throughout their meal without waiting for server attention. This increases drinks reorders and dessert sales.

Loyalty Programmes That Drive Spend

Well-designed loyalty programmes increase both visit frequency and order value.

Points-based systems encourage customers to spend more to reach reward thresholds. "500 points for a free main" motivates customers to add a side or drink to push their points over the line.

Tiered loyalty creates status incentives. Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers with increasing benefits encourage customers to spend more to reach the next level.

Birthday rewards and anniversary bonuses create occasions for larger orders. A "£10 off your birthday meal" reward typically generates orders well above £10.

Flipdish's customer retention tools enable automated campaigns that target customers based on spending patterns. Send special offers to customers whose order values have dropped, or reward high-value customers with exclusive perks.

Premium and Limited-Time Offerings

Premium menu items serve multiple purposes. They increase average order value from customers who purchase them, and they make standard items appear more affordable.

Seasonal specials create urgency and novelty. A summer special or Christmas menu gives customers reasons to visit and try something new, often at premium prices.

Limited-time offers leverage FOMO (fear of missing out). "Available for two weeks only" drives orders from customers who don't want to miss out.

Chef's specials positioned as premium items allow you to test new dishes at higher price points. Successful specials can become permanent menu additions.

Portion Sizes and Pricing Strategy

Offering multiple portion sizes increases order value by providing upgrade paths.

Small, regular, and large drink sizes with £0.50-£1 increments encourage upselling. Most customers choose the middle option, but the large option's presence increases overall drink revenue.

Shareable portions for sides and starters encourage groups to order more. "Perfect for sharing" signals value while increasing the order total.

Half-and-half options for pizza or mixed platters increase perceived value and customisation, often at premium prices.

Avoid making small portions too attractive. If the price difference between small and regular is minimal, most customers choose small. Make the regular size represent clear value to encourage trading up.

Staff Training and Incentives

Your team directly influences order value through their interactions and suggestions.

Train staff on:

Your highest-margin items
Natural pairing suggestions (wine with steak, sides with burgers)
How to describe items appealingly
When to make suggestions (not interrupting or rushing)

Role-playing exercises help staff practice suggestions until they feel natural rather than scripted.

Some restaurants incentivise upselling through team bonuses based on average order value. Individual commissions can create pushy behaviour, but team-based rewards encourage everyone to contribute.

Recognition matters as much as financial incentives. Celebrate servers who consistently achieve high order values in team meetings.

Combo Deals and Add-On Pricing

Strategic add-on pricing makes additional items feel like bargains.

"Add chips for just £2" feels more appealing than "Chips £3.50" even if the total is similar. The framing emphasises the incremental cost rather than the absolute price.

Drinks with meals priced lower than standalone drinks encourage bundling. A soft drink might be £2.80 standalone but £2 with a meal.

Extra toppings, premium ingredients, and customisation options allow customers to personalise orders while increasing spend. "Add halloumi for £1.50" or "Make it a double for £3 more" are low-friction upsells.

Delivery and Collection Incentives

Encourage larger orders through channel-specific promotions.

Collection discounts like "10% off collection orders over £20" increase order values while reducing delivery costs.

Delivery minimums combined with "spend £30 and get free delivery plus a free side" create strong incentives to increase basket size.

Time-based promotions during quiet periods increase order values when you need them most. "Order before 6pm and get 15% off orders over £25" fills quiet periods with higher-value orders.

How Flipdish Increases Average Order Value

Flipdish provides the complete technology platform to systematically increase your restaurant's average order value across every channel.

The Flipdish online ordering system includes intelligent upselling that suggests relevant add-ons based on basket contents. When customers add a burger, the system automatically suggests chips, drinks, and sauces. These suggestions appear at optimal moments in the ordering journey, increasing order values by an average of 18%.

Flipdish Kiosks deliver even more impressive results, with average order values 20-30% higher than counter ordering. The kiosks present upsells visually with appealing food photography, give customers time to browse without feeling rushed, and never forget to suggest add-ons or meal upgrades.

The AI Phone Agent handles phone orders with perfect upselling consistency. It suggests relevant add-ons, remembers customer preferences from previous orders, and can take payments over the phone. Phone orders through the AI agent see 15-25% higher values than traditional phone ordering.

Flipdish's loyalty and marketing tools enable targeted campaigns that drive higher-value orders. Send automated offers to customers who haven't ordered recently, reward high-value customers with exclusive perks, and create tiered loyalty programmes that incentivise increased spending.

The integrated POS system provides real-time reporting on average order values across channels, helping you identify what's working and optimise accordingly. Track AOV by time of day, day of week, and ordering channel to make data-driven decisions.

Centralised menu management means you can test pricing changes, bundles, and promotions across all channels simultaneously, then quickly roll out what works.

For multi-location operators, Flipdish's centralised reporting shows average order value by location, helping you identify top performers and share best practices across your estate.

The platform integrates every customer touchpoint—online ordering, kiosks, phone orders, and POS—creating a unified system that consistently drives higher order values while providing the data you need to continuously improve.

For more information on restaurant technology comparisons and options, visit Restaurant Tech.

Measuring and Optimising

Track average order value weekly across different channels: dine-in, takeaway, delivery, and online.

Compare AOV by:

Time of day
Day of week
Order channel
Customer segment (new vs returning)

Test one change at a time. If you modify menu layout and introduce new bundles simultaneously, you won't know which drove improvements.

A/B test pricing, bundle configurations, and upsell suggestions. Many online ordering systems enable testing different approaches with different customer segments.

Set realistic targets. A 5% increase in average order value might seem modest, but sustained over a year with existing traffic, it represents significant revenue growth.

Calculate the impact of AOV improvements on your bottom line. A £2 increase in average order value on 100 daily orders generates £73,000 additional annual revenue.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overcomplicating your menu reduces order values. Too many choices create decision paralysis. Keep menus focused on your best-performing items.

Pushy upselling damages customer experience. Train staff to make suggestions helpfully, not aggressively.

Inconsistent execution undermines strategy. If only some staff suggest add-ons, or upsells appear on kiosks but not online, you're leaving money on the table.

Ignoring data means flying blind. Use your POS and ordering system reporting to understand what drives order value and what doesn't.

Focusing solely on discounts to drive volume often reduces average order value. While promotions have their place, building value through quality, service, and smart menu design is more sustainable.

Getting Started

Begin by calculating your current average order value across all channels. This baseline lets you measure improvement.

Audit your menu for quick wins: items that could be bundled, high-margin items that deserve better positioning, and natural upsell opportunities you're missing.

Implement technology that enables consistent upselling. Flipdish's platform provides the tools to increase average order value across online ordering, kiosks, phone orders, and POS in one integrated system.

Train your team on specific suggestions and techniques. Give them the knowledge and confidence to recommend additions that genuinely enhance customer meals.

Test, measure, and refine. Increasing average order value is an ongoing process of small improvements that compound into significant revenue growth.

The restaurants that systematically focus on average order value—through menu design, technology, staff training, and data analysis—consistently outperform competitors who focus only on customer acquisition. Start with the strategies most relevant to your operation, measure results, and build from there.