The Ultimate Guide to Optimising Your Restaurant’s Profit

1. Upskill for the upsell.

Your team plays a huge role in increasing profitability. Proper training helps waitstaff serve diners more efficiently, upsell effectively (without being pushy), and create an experience that encourages repeat visits. Make sure your team knows the menu inside out and can confidently recommend high-margin items to boost sales with minimal effort.

But don’t stop there. Host regular tasting sessions so staff can speak authentically about the dishes. Share the story behind ingredients or the chef’s inspiration – people love a narrative, and it can nudge diners toward higher-margin options. Consider introducing friendly competitions between staff around upsells or rewards for top performers. A motivated, informed front-of-house team is one of your most powerful revenue tools.

2. Keep food costs from boiling over.

Your cost of goods sold (COGS) is one of the biggest expenses in running a restaurant. Keeping a close eye on things like supplier prices and portion sizes can help you maintain healthy margins. Buying in bulk and focusing on seasonal ingredients can lead to significant cost savings while maintaining quality.

Dig into your data and calculate plate costs for every dish. Are you pricing accordingly?

Another important aspect is wastage. Waste logs are extra effort, but they're useful for tracking what gets tossed and why, enabling you to tweak your processes to reduce it in the future. Even a 2% reduction in food waste can significantly impact your bottom line.

3. What’s on the menu?

Don't think of your menu as just a list of your dishes – see it as a tool designed for maximising your restaurant's profit margin. Menu engineering allows you to prioritise high-margin items, remove dishes that aren’t selling well, and set prices strategically. Place your best-performing items in spots where diners’ eyes naturally go (top-right corner first, then moving to the centre), and consider drink pairings to increase your average order value.
Be liberal with provenance descriptors for example the region or farm. Diners love to know where their food has been sourced from, so add detail here to satisfy their curiosity and whet their appetite.

Another thing to consider is removing currency symbols. A study conducted at the Culinary Institute of America's St. Andrews Café explored this phenomenon. The researchers found that when menus omitted currency symbols, customers tended to spend more compared to when menus included the dollar sign or the word "dollar." This suggests that a simple typographical change can have a measurable impact on consumer behaviour.

4. Negotiate with your suppliers.

Every supplier you work with, from your butcher to your electricity provider, is an opportunity for negotiation. Regularly reviewing your contracts and shopping around for better deals can lead to big cost savings over the course of a year. Even your wine supplier, waste management service, and EFTPOS terminal provider may be open to custom pricing. At Zeller, if your business is processing over $250K per year in card payments, our sales team will work with you to explore a custom solution for your business.

5. Speed up table turnover (without rushing your diners).

More diners means more revenue, but the trick is to improve efficiency without making patrons feel hurried. Things like optimising your seating layout (placing bigger tables closer to the kitchen, for example), training staff to repeat orders back to diners to cut down on mistakes, and (if appropriate) reducing wait times with digital ordering can all help to speed up the process.

One easy way to improve table turnover is to enable diners to pay at the table. Zeller’s innovative Bill at Table allows customers to settle their bill quickly, split payments effortlessly and tip with ease, making for happier diners, faster table turnover, and, consequently, increased revenue for you.

On top of this, Zeller Bill at Table allows you to provide your diners with digital receipts via SMS, email or QR-code, saving you money on receipt paper. And because Bill at Table is exclusive to Zeller Terminal, you’ll pay no monthly rental charges or complicated processing fees to use it – plus you can switch on surcharging to easily pass on the flat 1.4% transaction fee to your diners with zero-cost EFTPOS.

6. Put your money to work.

There’s more to maximising profits than cutting costs and selling more stock – your money should also be working for you in the background. With a high-interest savings account like the Zeller Savings Account, you can earn interest on your takings while keeping funds easily accessible for operational expenses.

Whether you’re setting aside money for expansion, new equipment, restaurant renovations, emergency repairs or seasonal fluctuations, having a dedicated savings strategy is a smart move that improves restaurant profitability long-term.

Another thing to consider is expense management. Zeller Corporate Cards make it easy to monitor spending on things like expansion, new equipment and renovations, helping you stay on budget. With detailed transaction insights and spending controls, you can ensure every dollar is accounted for to keep your operations running smoothly.

7. Consider offering delivery and takeaway.

These days, more diners than ever are opting for delivery and takeaway instead of dining in, and if your restaurant doesn’t offer these options, you could be leaving money on the dining table. Expanding your reach through third-party platforms (like UberEats and Deliveroo) or your own in-house system can create an additional revenue stream. Just be sure to factor in delivery costs and adjust your menu pricing accordingly to ensure you maintain profitability.

Also consider simplifying your menu for off-premise dining. Not all dishes travel well, so curating a smaller list of top-performers that hold up in transit could be a sensible move.

8. Trim fat from your roster.

Optimising staffing is one of the most effective – and most often overlooked – ways to boost profit margins. Use historical sales data to build smarter rosters that match staffing levels to peak demand. Cross-train team members to cover multiple roles, which helps reduce the need for additional hires and improves operational flexibility. This way, you keep service levels high while trimming unnecessary labour costs.

Consider using scheduling software that tracks labour-to-revenue ratios and allows for easy forecasting. Communicate clearly with your team about expectations and availability, and foster a culture where efficiency is rewarded, not just clocked hours.

9. Turn one-time diners into regulars.

Loyal customers typically spend more and visit more often. Implementing a loyalty program – whether it’s points-based, tiered rewards, or surprise incentives – can drive repeat visits and increase average order values.

Also remember many modern POS systems allow for seamless loyalty program integration, making it easy for both staff and diners to participate.

Beyond loyalty programs, regular engagement helps. Use email newsletters to share specials, events or behind-the-scenes content. Spotlight staff and regulars on social media and offer birthday perks. Make guests feel like part of your restaurant family.

10. Make your online presence as tasty as your food.

Before anyone walks through your doors, they’re likely checking you out online. Make sure your Google My Business profile is accurate, your menu is current, and your website is mobile-friendly. Encourage happy diners to leave positive reviews on Google, TripAdvisor and Facebook, and take the time to respond to feedback. A strong digital presence builds trust and increases foot traffic from first-time visitors.

Invest in high-quality photography and video content. Focus on your most photogenic dishes and highlight your restaurant's personality. A great online impression sets the stage for an even better one in person.

11. Serve up some data.

Use your POS analytics to understand your best-sellers, identify slow nights, and see where margins are highest. Track which promotions drive traffic and which ones tend to fall flat. Data-driven decisions take the guesswork out of growth.

Keep an eye on metrics like table turnover time, average ticket size, and staff productivity. Even reviewing customer feedback over time can reveal patterns worth addressing.

12. Don't just set the table – set the mood.

How your restaurant feels impacts how much guests spend – and how likely they are to return. Music, lighting, scent, seating comfort, decor and even acoustics all influence diner psychology. Create an ambience that matches your brand and encourages lingering, indulging and returning.

Low-cost updates like mood lighting or seasonal decor can make a big difference. Ambiance doesn’t need to break the bank, but it shouldn’t be an afterthought.

The ultimate recipe for tastier profit margins.

Maximising your restaurant’s margins requires a strategic approach that balances cost control with revenue growth. By training your staff to upsell, optimising your menu and negotiating with suppliers, you can boost profitability without sacrificing quality.

On top of this, finding ways to improve your table turnover and make your money work harder for you – plus potentially adding new revenue streams in the form of delivery or takeaway – can help futureproof your business. Add in a pinch of data, a splash of ambiance, and a generous helping of loyal regulars, and you’ve got a recipe for long-term success.