"Having a friendly front-of-house team is great, but having a team that sells is vital for your business profitability."

Upselling (selling a higher option) and cross-selling (selling complementary items) are the fastest techniques to increase your average ticket without attracting new customers. However, many servers avoid suggesting dishes for fear of coming across as "pushy" or aggressive.

In this article, we give you the keys and exact scripts to transform your servers into gastronomic advisors, and how your digital menu can do the hard work for them.

The Difference Between "Serving" and "Selling"

A server who serves asks: "Would you like dessert?". The customer's default response is usually "No thanks, just coffee."

A server who sells uses psychology to break that automatic barrier. The goal isn't to "sneak in" products, but to improve the customer experience by offering something they will truly enjoy.

5 Upselling Phrases That Work (Copy & Paste)

Train your team with these simple scripts to change the table dynamic:

1. The Specificity Technique (For desserts)

❌ Bad: "Any desserts?"

✅ Good: "Have you saved room for the molten cheesecake? We baked it just two hours ago and it's the house specialty."

Why it works: You go from a closed question (Yes/No) to creating an appetizing mental image.

2. The "Suggested Pairing" (For drinks)

❌ Bad: "What will you have to drink?"

✅ Good: "To complement the ribeye, I highly recommend our house Ribera. Its woody notes really enhance the flavor of grilled meat."

Why it works: It positions the server as an expert, not as a note-taker.

3. The Double Alternative (The close)

❌ Bad: "Would you like anything else?"

✅ Good: "To finish, would you prefer an espresso or would you like to try our passion fruit digestive cocktail?"

Why it works: The brain tends to choose one of two presented options, eliminating the "nothing" option.

4. Social Proof (For the undecided)

❌ Bad: "Everything is delicious."

✅ Good: "If you're unsure, the Tataki is our most popular dish on Friday nights. It never disappoints."

Why it works: People are afraid of making the wrong choice. Knowing others order it reduces the risk.

5. Scarcity (For off-menu specials)

❌ Bad: "We have grandma's cake."

✅ Good: "We only have three servings of grandma's cake left today — just a heads up in case you'd like to try it before it's gone."

Why it works: The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a very powerful purchase motivator.

The "Silent Salesperson": Your QR Menu

Your servers aren't robots. They can have a bad day, be overwhelmed during rush hour, or forget to suggest the expensive wine.

This is where a well-designed Digital Menu acts as your best salesperson, because it never forgets to upsell:

Visual Suggestions: When a customer enters the meat section on their phone, your digital menu can automatically display an appetizing photo of the extra side dish or recommended wine.
Photos that sell themselves: As we explain in our Menu Engineering Guide
No pressure: Some customers are shy. The QR menu lets them explore premium cocktails and desserts at their leisure and see prices without having to ask the server.

Conclusion: Technology and Talent

The perfect combination for 2026 is a human team trained in these phrases and a digital tool that visually reinforces the sale.

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Digitize your menu today with our platform and add irresistible photos to your most profitable items.

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Restaurant Upselling: 5 phrases for your staff to sell more desserts and cocktails