5 Retail Product Ideas To Sell At Your Restaurant

Are your sales slowing? With a looming economic crisis, now is the time to look at additional revenue sources for your restaurant or bar. Selling physical products in store or online can generate that extra revenue stream you need to fill the gap. Two great examples of very successful restaurants that also sell products are Petersham Nurseries, who showcase a selection of plants and homewares in their large rooms and the chain Carluccio’s, who display a selection of gourmet Italian market products to accompany their fresh Italian dining menu. Though both brands provide great inspiration for aspiring product sellers, you can start small with these ideas below.

Branded Merchandise

There are tons of restaurants and bars with fun or eclectic logos and branding that would appeal on a commercial level to your target market. Consider products such as t-shirts, caps, aprons, tote bags and crockery to sell in your venue. Depending on your brand and location, guests will either want to take something home as a souvenir, or purchase an item because it’s one of their favourite spots to visit and they want to show support. Happy Cooking Hospitality in NYC is a very clever group that has created an online shop selling clothing, keychains, coffee cups and more with branding from a selection of their restaurants.

Candles & Scents

Is your venue known for smelling of vanilla, lavender or something altogether unique, on top of the delicious food smells wafting throughout? If you have a signature scent, consider creating a candle, room diffuser or room spray. With scent memory considered to be one of the strongest, why not remind your guests of your restaurant every time they light a candle at home, and make a little extra cash along the way?

You don’t have to head to a science lab and fork out a fortune for a bespoke scent to be created. There are tons of companies that will “white label” or “private label” scented products for you, meaning that they will use one of their generic products and wrap them with your own label. Try googling “private label candles” in your area and see what comes up!

Meal Kits

Meal kits became increasingly popular when the industry pivoted during the pandemic. Meal kits are essentially branded boxes containing all the ingredients you need to make a fabulous dinner at home. Think fresh pasta, a bottle of sauce, cheeses, meats, wine, you name it. These boxes allow your customers to have an easy at home dining experience, without trying to source all of the ingredients themselves. It’s a great product to have available on your website for pre-order, or if you have some space available at your front entrance, create a selection for guests to purchase on their way out.

One easy trick to make the boxes enticing is order large glossy white or cardboard containers and get attractive labels printed to list the contents, and stickers to seal the lid.

Sauces And Condiments

Do you have a famous tomato sauce, hot sauce or salad dressing that is a major big hit among your patrons? Consider bottling it for sale. Now, if your entire business is reliant upon one holy grail sauce, this may not be the right move. But for restaurants with lots of exciting flavours and dishes, a take home bottle could really fly off the shelves.

Cocktails And Wine

Allow your guests the opportunity to continue their drinking experience by offering batched cocktails or bottles of wine to take home. Display your most popular wines on shelves for purchase or go even further with a fridge of chilled wines, proseccos and pre-mixed versions of certain cocktails. And don’t forget to note on your menus that this option is available to add to their bills. *Just make sure to check your liquor license before you get going.

A Final Note…

Before you dive in to retail, make sure to create an attractive space in your venue that displays your products. Generally a few shelves at your entrance will grab people’s attention on the way in and out. To ensure that guests take time to view your products, ask them to wait just a few moments for their table, allowing them to linger near the shelves!