Restaurants sell food - period. You create an atmosphere and menu people enjoy, and if you want to earn more, you may start offering discounts, specials or other perks. But another effective way to generate revenue is to create merchandise to sell. Merchandise can:
- Add to your bottom line
- Increase income streams
- Promote your eatery
If you've been holding off on restaurant merch, we're going to show you how to add revenue by adding merch like companies such as Starbucks do.
Why Create Merchandise to Sell in Your Restaurant
Studies from almost 30 years ago show that you can add 20% to 50% to your revenue by selling merch, which the following large chains do well:
- Burger King
- McDonald's
- Hard Rock Cafe
- Planet Hollywood
- Starbucks
If you walk into restaurants in any tourist area, you'll find that they sell merch of some kind.
Why?
Selling merchandise can:
- Increase revenue by 20% to 50%, and you don't need to expand your kitchen or menu to achieve this increase either.
- Promote your restaurant because people will see your merch. Even something as simple as a coffee mug may entice someone to try your eatery the next time that they go out to eat.
- Offset revenue during slow months, creating an additional cash flow stream in the process.
If you want to begin selling merch but don't know where to start, we're going to outline the multiple types of merchandise that you can consider selling.
Types of Restaurant Merch to Sell
Owners will want to sit down with the restaurant's managers to discuss what merchandise they believe will sell the best.
A few options include:
- Apparel: Custom printed merchandise works very well and acts as a great promotional tool. Offer shirts and hats.
- Stickers: Custom-printed stickers are perfect for hip restaurants or cafes.
- Mugs: People love mugs, and enthusiasts will even come to your restaurant to buy them.
- Cookbooks: Teach people some of your restaurant's recipes.
- Gift Cards: Sell gift cards that patrons can give to friends and family.
Tote bags, banners, aprons, and even food items are all good options, such as selling jars of your homemade jam or sauce.
Deciding What to Sell and Finding Reliable Suppliers
If you've decided that selling restaurant merchandise is the right choice for your establishment, the next question is: what do you sell? Where do you get your items from?
To find the right products to sell, you'll need to conduct some market research. Here are some tips:
- Poll your followers on social media. Ask them what kind of merchandise they would buy. Their feedback will help you choose products people actually want. Plus, it's a fun way to engage with your audience and make them feel like they are a part of the process.
- Ask your customers. Use online and printed surveys to ask customers the same question: what type of merchandise would they buy? You can even ask your regulars their opinions personally the next time they're dining at your restaurant.
- Consult with your staff. Your employees are the eyes and ears of your restaurant and know your customers better than anyone else. Ask them whether customers have inquired about specific merchandise items. Maybe your regulars love your staff t-shirts and would be eager to buy their own if given the chance. Or maybe they love your logo and want to buy custom-printed bags with your restaurant's name on them.
- Consider your audience and what you serve. Cafe merch, for example, may be very different from merch you find at a brewery. A cafe may sell coffee mugs or bags, while a brewery may sell t-shirts and hats. Think about your audience and their interests, and use this to help guide your selection.
As for the designs, you have a few options. The simplest is to use your logo and restaurant name. But you may find it worthwhile to hire a designer to come up with unique designs based on your brand image and vibe.
Deciding what to sell is the first piece of the puzzle. Once you have a list of products, the next step is to find a reliable supplier. A local print shop may be able to serve your needs, or you may find that online print-on-demand suppliers are simpler and easier to work with.
Vet your suppliers carefully and choose your products wisely to ensure you're offering high-quality merchandise to your customers.
Marketing Your Restaurant Merchandise
Before you launch your merch, take the time to come up with a marketing plan on how you'll promote your items.
No one knows your market or customers better than you, so use strategies that will work well for your target audience. Some of the most effective marketing strategies include:
- In-store promotion: The simplest and most natural way to promote your merch is in your restaurant. Make sure that you're displaying your merchandise in prominent areas of your restaurant, like your waiting area, up on the walls where guests are seated or at the register. You can also have your staff wear your merch to show it off.
- Social media: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and X are perfect for promoting your merch. You can post photos of your products and, in some cases, even allow customers to check out right online.
- Email: If you have a loyalty program or newsletter, you can promote your merch in your regular emails.
- Influencer marketing: One way to promote your merch and expand your reach quickly is to connect with influencers. Send them free products to promote to their audience. Even something as simple as having them wear your t-shirt during a livestream can boost merchandise sales and get people interested in your restaurant.
It's important to have your marketing plan ready to go before you even launch your merchandise so that you can hit the ground running with promotion right from the start.
Closing Thoughts
Selling merchandise can be a really effective and simple way to boost revenue for your restaurant, but you need to have the right products and marketing strategy. Merch sales may not work for every establishment, though, so consider your audience and their preferences before you even start to sell merchandise.