How Voice AI Increases Upsells in Restaurants [2025 Guide]

When a customer calls to place an order, there’s a small window to suggest an extra drink, dessert, or side. But, only if the staff has time. Most don’t. With voice AI, that window never closes.

Maple’s voice ordering system is trained to upsell with perfect timing, consistency, and relevance — driving 14–22% increases in average order value across our restaurant partners. In this guide, we’ll show how it works, why it matters, and what results to expect.

Why Most Upselling Fails in Restaurants

In a typical restaurant, upselling is sporadic. Staff are juggling multiple tasks — taking calls, handling in-person guests, and managing kitchen flow. Even when well-trained, employees may forget to offer upgrades or feel uncomfortable pushing extras.

Lost upsells = lost revenue. If your average ticket is $18 and 1 in 5 callers would’ve added a $4 drink or $3 side, that’s a hidden $27k+ in annual missed revenue per location — the same amount many lose from missed calls entirely.

💡 Stat to Know: According to Toast’s 2024 Restaurant Trends Report, 63% of QSRs say improving upselling is a top priority — yet only 18% say they do it consistently over the phone.

How Maple’s Voice AI Handles Upsells and Cross-Sells

Unlike humans, Maple’s voice assistant doesn’t forget. It uses intent recognition and context-aware dialog to recommend relevant add-ons — based on:

• Order patterns (e.g. pizza + wings, or sandwich + fries)

• Menu logic (e.g. combo options, limited-time items)

• Behavioral triggers (e.g. pauses, indecision = opportunity)

• Custom business rules (e.g. always offer dessert after entrée)

Here’s a real call flow from a Maple restaurant:

Customer: “Can I get a chicken burrito?”

Voice AI: “Sure! Would you like to make that a combo with chips and a drink for $3.99 more?”

Customer: “Yeah, let’s do that.”

💥 Conversion. No delay. No pressure.

Real-World Results: A/B Test from a Maple Partner

In April 2025, a 14-unit Tex-Mex franchise tested Maple’s upselling capabilities against live staff over 3 weeks. Both groups followed the same upsell script.

The Psychology Behind AI Upsells That Work

Maple’s AI doesn’t just throw in a random upsell. It’s tuned for conversational UX:

• Soft ask: Uses open language (“Would you like…” vs “You should…”)

• Right moment: Waits until the order intent is confirmed

• Relevant pairing: Offers add-ons that match what the customer already wants

• Speedy fallback: Moves on fast if declined, avoiding frustration

This ensures customers feel helped, not sold to — a subtle but powerful shift that increases acceptance.

Use Cases That Go Beyond Just “Fries with That”

Here’s how restaurants use Maple to drive incremental revenue:

• Pizza chains: Auto-recommend drinks, dipping sauces, or wings

• Breakfast spots: Suggest combo pricing for coffee + pastry

• Takeout sushi: Offer add-on miso soup or seaweed salad

• Chinese takeout: Cross-sell egg rolls with noodle dishes

• Late night: Offer 2-for-1 deals when volume spikes

All tailored dynamically to the menu and business logic.

Competitive Advantage: Why AI Upselling Wins

Unlike static IVR scripts or “dumb” phone trees, Maple’s AI learns from customer responses and adapts in real time. It can even A/B test phrasing to see which offers convert best.

That’s how top chains get an edge — by turning every phone call into a revenue opportunity, not just a transaction.

🔒 All AI interactions are PCI-compliant, recorded for QA, and configurable to your preferences.

Bonus: Pairing Upselling with POS Integration

When Maple integrates with your POS (like Toast, Square, or Revel), it can access:

• Real-time inventory (don’t upsell what’s out of stock)

• Pricing logic (dynamic bundles or discounts)

• Customer order history (returning guests = smarter offers)

This creates a feedback loop that drives smarter, more profitable upselling over time.

What You Can Expect in 90 Days

For most new Maple partners, here’s the impact in the first 3 months:

✅ 90–100% upsell offer rate

✅ 20–30% take rate

✅ +$1.50–$2.75 average ticket lift

✅ $1,000+ monthly revenue gain for mid-volume locations

Multiply that by every call you take — and it’s clear why upselling with voice AI isn’t just nice to have. It’s the new standard.

Ready to See Voice AI in Action?

Maple handles 100% of your restaurant’s phone orders — accurately, instantly, and with personality.

Book a free demo today and see how much time and revenue you can save.

👉 Schedule Your Demo