34.7% increase in dessert sales in a café
We applied simple suggestion techniques and changed the menu layout. Waiters stopped asking 'is that all' and started advising on specific pairings.
Changing staff habits in a café at Krupówki showed that guests want to buy more if only they know what to choose. Instead of asking generally about dessert, waiters started pointing to specific flavors that match the ordered coffee.
The challenge
At Cukiernia pod Tatrami, the main problem was a low average bill, which had been standing still since January 2024. Statistics from the POS system clearly showed that as many as 72% of customers only ordered coffee or tea, completely ignoring the cake display. Waiters felt uncertain and feared that proposing food would be perceived as pushy. As a result, fresh baked goods at the end of the day often went to clearance or were thrown away, generating real financial losses every evening.
Our approach
For 5 days we observed the team's work on both shifts. Instead of boring lectures, we focused on training at the tables. We trained the 6-person waiting staff in simple suggestion methods. We showed them how to pair specific drinks with cakes – e.g., a strong espresso with a heavy chocolate cheesecake. We introduced the 'choice of the day' rule, where every waiter checked in the morning what was freshest and talked about it to guests. We focused on the employee being an advisor, and not just a menu giver.
The solution
We rebuilt the physical menu, removing the 3 least profitable items and inserting large, realistic photos of our sales hits. We also changed the arrangement in the display case – the most margin-rich desserts were placed at eye level for the customer entering the premises. Every waiter received an auxiliary list with ready-made pairs: coffee + specific dessert. Additionally, we implemented a short incentive system: the employee with the highest dessert sales in a week received an extra bonus, which immediately changed the dynamics in the team.
Results
In two months, the share of desserts in the total number of receipts jumped from 28% to 41%. Staff stopped treating sales as an unpleasant duty, seeing the real impact on their tips and bonuses.
Timeline
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September 2024Sales audit and observation of guest behavior at 42 tables.
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September 2024Practical workshops with waiters and implementation of new conversation scripts.
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October 2024Menu replacement and reorganization of the cake display case.
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October 2024Analysis of results after the first month and correction of 'pairs of the day' list.
"Initially, I thought my people simply had no talent for sales. Tatry Peak Management showed that it's enough to change two sentences in a conversation with a guest for the bill to grow by a dozen zlotys. Work done on time and without fluff."