How to Improve the Conversion Rate in Your Restaurant

Are Your Diners Ghosting You?

Let’s cut to the chase. You've got the lights on, menu printed, staff ready to rumble, and your Insta feed full of juicy food shots... but your tables? Half empty. Why? Because attracting customers is just one part of the game, the real magic is getting them to stay, order, return, and bring their mates.

Sound familiar? It’s time to ask yourself the big question: “Why aren’t my customers converting?”

What’s a Conversion Rate Anyway?  

In restaurant speak, the conversion rate is the percentage of people who visit your site, walk into your place, or check out your menu, and order something.

So basically:

• If 100 people walk into your place and only 20 order, your conversion rate is 20%.
• If 500 people visit your site and 30 place an order, that’s 6% conversion. (Yikes.)

You don’t have to hit Michelin-star numbers. But if you’re hovering below 10%, it’s time to spice things up.

9 Steps to Improve Your Restaurant’s Conversion Rate

Want more visitors to turn into paying customers? Follow these simple steps to improve conversions and keep guests coming back.

Step 1: Audit the Entire Customer Journey

Ever tried walking through your own restaurant as a customer? Pretend you’re a member of the public, off the street. Is the menu readable? Are the staff friendly? Is your online booking system easy to navigate?

If your online ordering journey is long and complicated, then you’ve lost them.

Restaurant Conversion Health Check

Step 2: Optimise Your Website

Want to make sure you’re not missing out on orders? Check your website is fully optimised with these quick wins:

• Speed matters – slow sites lose hungry customers.
• Mobile-friendly menus – make them easy to read on any screen, big or small.
• Mouth-watering food photos – and repurpose them for your socials for double the impact.
• One-click ordering or guest checkout – because not everybody wants to share their details.

Don’t make them sign up, confirm their email, prove they exist, and answer security questions before they can order a portion of chips.

Step 3: Your Menu = Your Salesperson

If your menu is just a boring text-only PDF slapped on your site, you’re probably missing out on sales. Instead, you should be highlighting your bestsellers, adding mouth-watering photos, and creating combo deals and cheeky upsells.

Did You Know? Adding photos to menu items can increase sales by 30%, according to TouchBistro.

Step 4: Flaunt Those Reviews

These days, customers trust reviews more than they trust ads. So if you’re not showing off your 5-star Google reviews, what are you doing? 

Happy customers? Don’t be shy - ask them to leave a review! Add reviews to your website, app, flyers, or even stick them on your napkins if you have to.

Pro Tip: The UK’s Top 10 Restaurant Review Sites You Should Be On

Step 5: Deliver Like a Pro

If your takeaway packaging looks like it survived a wrestling match in the delivery driver’s boot... you’ve already lost.

Use sturdy, leak-proof, branded packaging, and always include essentials like napkins. These small details are noticed and appreciated. Ensure delivery times are prompt. Long delays can damage customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Step 6: Train Your Staff to Convert, Not Just Serve

No one likes being upsold aggressively, but no one wants clueless staff either.

Make sure your front-of-house and phone staff:

• Know the top-selling items
• Offer deals (“Would you like to make that a meal?”)
• Suggest favourites with a smile

Step 7: Promote Those Offers

First-time customers? Lure them in with:

• 10% off your first order
• Free garlic bread with your next meal
• A cheeky “Come back, we miss you” discount

Step 8: Push Notifications (Not Pushy Notifications)

Use your app or website to send reminders, offers, or updates. But please don’t spam.

Best times to send:

• Just before lunch or dinner hours
• Fridays and weekends
• Rainy days (we get plenty of those anyway)

Personalise it. A simple “Dave, your usual’s ready when you are.” works better than "50% off now".

Step 9: Track, Tweak, Repeat

Conversion isn’t a one-and-done job. Use data to see what’s working. Tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or Foodhub’s built-in dashboards can help.

A/B test different offers, update your copy, trial new dishes, keep it fresh like your Friday fish special.

Final Bite: Let’s Turn Lookers into Bookers

You’ve got the grub. You’ve got the crew. You’ve got a setup even Gordon Ramsay would respect.
Now, stop faffing about and turn those browsers into paying customers.

Ready to crank up your conversions? 

With branded ordering systems, clever review prompts, slick loyalty perks, and the full Foodhub for Business toolkit, you’ll be laughing louder than a seagull with a stolen chip.

Go ahead—give your restaurant the glow-up it deserves. Because average margins are out of style. Partner with Foodhub and watch your conversions skyrocket.