Increasing average order value (AOV) doesn’t need to mean pushing customers into buying things they don’t want. In fact, the best menu engineering feels almost invisible — customers leave thinking they made a good choice, not that they were upsold.
That’s the core goal: increase basket size while protecting trust. The difference between a smart add-on and a salesy one is timing, clarity, and relevance. When your menu is structured well, customers naturally build bigger orders because it’s easy to do so and the value feels obvious.
Below are simple, practical tweaks that raise average spend using upsells, bundles, add-ons, and smarter menu design — without damaging the customer experience.
Start with the mindset: people don’t mind spending more when it makes sense
Most customers aren’t trying to spend the absolute minimum. They’re trying to get the “right” order for the occasion:
- “I’m hungry — I want something filling.”
- “It’s a treat — I want to upgrade.”
- “I’m buying for two — I need something easy.”
- “I’ve got five minutes — I need quick choices.”
Menu engineering works when it supports those motivations. It fails when it creates doubt, confusion, or the feeling of being nudged too hard.
A useful rule is: every upsell should either save time, increase convenience, or improve the experience. If it doesn’t, it tends to underperform anyway.
1) Make your best sellers easier to spot (and slightly better value)
Customers don’t read menus like a document — they scan them. If your best-selling items aren’t clearly visible, you’re leaving money on the table.
Simple improvements:
- Add a “Most Popular” or “Staff Pick” marker
- Put your strongest margin items in the top third of the menu
- Reduce visual clutter around key items
- Give hero products slightly more space than low-performers
Then, reinforce the value:
- “Includes fries”
- “Serves two”
- “Made fresh to order”
- “Our signature sauce”
That short extra line often sells the upgrade more than any staff script.
2) Build add-ons that feel natural, not random
Add-ons work best when they fit the main order without asking customers to think too hard.
Good add-ons are:
- Directly related (extra cheese, bacon, side sauce)
- Clearly priced (round numbers, no surprises)
- Low-risk (a £1–£3 add-on is an easy yes)
- Useful (drink size upgrade, dip, extra topping)
Less effective add-ons are vague (“extras”), unrelated, or overloaded with choice. A small, curated set usually outperforms a huge list because it reduces decision fatigue.
A strong approach is to position add-ons in three tiers:
- Quick wins (sauce, topping, extra shot)
- Comfort upgrades (bigger size, premium side)
- Treat upgrades (dessert, special drink)
That creates options without pressure.
3) Use bundles to lift spend while improving perceived value
Bundles aren’t just about discounting. They’re about packaging a decision.
Instead of asking customers to build an order from scratch, bundles guide them into higher-value combinations in a way that feels helpful. The trick is to make bundles feel like they’re saving effort, not just money.
Examples of bundles that work well:
- “Main + side + drink”
- “Lunch deal (ready in 10 minutes)”
- “Family bundle (serves 3–4)”
- “Movie night combo” / “Matchday deal”
- “Two-for” sharing options
The best bundles tend to have:
- A clear audience (“for one”, “for two”, “for families”)
- A clear outcome (“quick”, “filling”, “great value”)
- A controlled choice set (one or two swaps, not ten)
Customers trust bundles more when the offer is straightforward and doesn’t hide the real price.
4) Anchor pricing: show “good, better, best” clearly
If you only offer one option, customers either buy it or don’t. If you offer three, many will pick the middle — and that middle option often becomes your profit driver.
This is where tiering becomes one of the easiest AOV wins.
For example:
- Standard burger
- Burger + premium cheese
- Burger + premium cheese + loaded fries
Or:
- Small coffee
- Regular coffee
- Large coffee + extra shot
The key is that the upgrade feels modest, not dramatic. People are more likely to move up one step than jump two.
How ordering formats influence add-ons
A lot of add-on performance comes down to when customers see the option. If the add-on appears too early, it feels irrelevant. Too late, and it feels like a hassle. The sweet spot is right after the customer has committed to the main item — that’s when they’re most open to small upgrades that improve the order.
This is where digital ordering can support menu strategy, because digital interfaces can surface relevant add-ons at exactly the right moment without staff needing to ask the question every time. Done well, it doesn’t feel pushy — it feels like a helpful prompt (“Add a drink?” “Make it a meal?” “Add extra dip?”) that matches what the customer is already buying.
Similarly, kiosk ordering can work as a supporting channel for the same reason: it gives customers a clear, visual way to build their basket without pressure, and it standardises the add-on offer so it’s consistent at busy times. The goal isn’t “more tech” — it’s smarter menu presentation, so customers naturally choose upgrades that fit their order.
5) Rename menu sections to drive bigger baskets
Words matter more than you think. Small structural labels often influence what customers notice.
Instead of:
- “Sides”
Try: - “Best with…” / “Perfect with…” / “Recommended add-ons”
Instead of:
- “Drinks”
Try: - “Grab a drink for the journey” / “Cold drinks” / “Treat drinks”
Instead of:
- “Desserts”
Try: - “Finish strong” / “Something sweet?” / “Desserts worth adding”
These aren’t gimmicks — they frame add-ons as part of the experience rather than an extra spend.
6) Make upgrades feel like quality, not a tax
Customers lose trust when upgrades feel like you’re charging them twice for the same thing. The safest upgrades are the ones that clearly add something new.
Trust-building upgrade examples:
- “Add avocado” (clear ingredient)
- “Swap to loaded fries” (clear improvement)
- “Double protein” (clear value)
- “Premium sauce flight” (experience)
Trust-breaking upgrades:
- confusing sizes
- unclear “service charges”
- hidden add-ons that appear at checkout
- “premium” options with no explanation
If an upgrade isn’t self-explanatory, add one short line to clarify what makes it worth it.
The simplest AOV strategy: make the ‘right order’ easy to build
Higher average spend comes from customers feeling confident, not cornered. The best menus do three things well:
- They guide attention to the right items
- They reduce decision fatigue with clear bundles and tiers
- They surface add-ons at the right moment, in a way that feels helpful
If you want a quick place to start, pick one core product and design the “ideal basket” around it: main, best side, best drink, best small add-on. Then structure your menu so that basket feels like the natural outcome — not an upsell.
That’s menu engineering at its best: better orders for customers, higher AOV for you, and no loss of trust.
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