Top 12 Restaurant Merchandise Ideas

Selling branded merchandise is a good way to increase restaurant revenue and promote your business. If you’re not sure what to offer, this list of the top 12 restaurant merchandise ideas will help you choose items that will both make money now and encourage future business, helping your establishment grow in the near and long-term.

T-Shirts & Sweaters

If you’re looking for merchandising opportunities, apparel is a good place to start. Besides revenue from the items themselves, selling branded t-shirts and sweaters turns loyal customers into walking billboards who subtly increase awareness about your restaurant without being pushy. For maximum effect, make sure the logo or design is eye-catching and memorable.  

Hats

Hats are another piece of everyday apparel that makes great restaurant merchandise. Unlike t-shirts and sweaters that might be covered by heavy jackets in cold or rainy weather, hats are more likely to stay visible and continue promoting your business. Be sure to appeal to a range of tastes by offering a variety of styles, such as baseball caps, beanies and fedoras.

Mugs 

Most people don’t wear the same shirt or hat every day, but many use the same cup every morning for coffee or tea: that’s why branded mugs are a great way to integrate your restaurant into customers’ daily lives so it stays top of mind. If you’re opening a café that sells tea blends or coffee packets, putting samples in each mug is a good way to promote those products, too.

Coffee mugs are a great way to remind your customers of your brand.

Glasses 

Although mugs are a great restaurant merchandise idea, they’ll probably be used mostly in the morning with coffee and tea. To make sure people are reminded of your brand throughout the day, remember to offer drinking and shot glasses, too. Some people keep glasses as souvenirs, so consider serving drinks, especially any signature options, in your branded glasses.

Water Bottles

One of the best restaurant merchandise ideas is water bottles. Unlike heavy mugs and fragile glasses, customers will likely take reusable water bottles with them wherever they go, introducing new people to your brand on a daily basis. First impressions with potential customers are important, so make sure the bottles look durable and high-quality.

Tote Bags

Tote bags are another type of merchandise that can become part of your customers’ daily lives, softly promoting your brand along the way. If you want to make your restaurant more sustainable, encourage customers to use the tote bags for carry-out. In addition to protecting the environment, you’ll save money on disposable bags, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

Plates

Custom-designed plates, like Hard Rock Cafe’s guitar-shaped plates, are the perfect souvenir to set your restaurant apart from the competition. If past customers are constantly reminded of the great experience they had at your establishment whenever they use it for a meal or see it on the counter, there’s a good chance they’ll visit your business again at some point.

Calendars

Research on the use of printed calendars shows that over half are kept for 1 year or more, and that 31% of Millennials and Gen-Xers use their calendars every day. If someone buys a calendar with photos of your restaurant, he or she will be reminded of your business on a daily basis, the constant yet subtle contact with your brand increasing the likelihood of a return visit.

Cookbooks

Selling a cookbook can grow your business in many ways. In addition to reminding customers of their experience as they flip through the pages, cookbooks can also raise awareness of the talented chefs and creative dishes at your restaurant, enticing people to give unknown dishes a try. Some people prefer reading on their phone or tablet, so be sure to offer a digital version.

Aprons

As with other types of restaurant merchandise, aprons with your logo or a cool design are another everyday item that will keep your business on customers’ radar. Also, if aprons are part of your staff’s uniform, customers who purchase aprons will feel like they’re part of the team as well, encouraging them to contribute to your success by telling others about you.

Sauces

Many restaurants sell bottles of their housemade sauces. As with other forms of merchandise, there’s not only the profit made on the item, but also the possibility of future sales when people use the sauce at home and then think back to where they bought it. So, if your restaurant has a secret hot, barbecue or dipping sauce that customers rave about, consider selling it.

A lot of people like reading on their phone or tablet, so make sure your restaurant offers a digital version of its cookbook.

Tips for Marketing Restaurant Merchandise

Just like the items on your menu, marketing is key if you want your non-food products to sell well. If you’re unsure how to tell your customers about your new items without being pushy, here are some tips to get you started.

Set Up a Display

In order to make your merchandise displays more effective, Shopify.com suggests cross-merchandising, a strategy in which complementary products are placed near each other as a way to gently upsell customers. So, make sure your sweatshirts and hats are placed near each other so customers can visualize building a cold-weather outfit with your branded apparel.

Use Social Media

Promoting your menu items on social media can be effective, so why not do the same with your T-shirts, calendars and other types of merchandise. There are organic and paid options for advertising on social media, so be sure to explore both. As with pictures of your food, make sure the product photos are high-quality. 

Target Loyal Customers

Telling loyal customers about your non-food products is a good way to get the ball rolling and make initial sales. Your waitstaff knows who your frequent customers are, so ask servers to spread the word. Since the people on your email list are likely some of your biggest fans, be sure to leverage that contact information for email marketing or targeted ads, too.

Sell Merchandise Online

If your restaurant has a website, make sure that people can not only order food online but also buy other products, too. With quality photos, good descriptions and easy navigation, an online store could be very lucrative.