It was garlic aioli. Not a bottle of wine, not a dessert tower, not a kitchen tour. Just a damn sauce.
It started like any other shift — decent energy, no red flags. I’d had one coffee, one panic-induced pastry, and exactly zero patience for needy tables. Then in comes this middle-aged couple. Friendly enough, dressed like they’d just wandered in from a Saturday afternoon of yard work. You could tell they weren’t trying to blow the bank. They sat, they smiled, they opened the menus with the slow, decisive rhythm of two people who already knew they were getting burgers. They weren’t going to be my big check of the night. I walked up, dropped the intro — you know the one: “Welcome in, I’ll be taking care of you, we’ve got some fire specials today if you’re feeling wild.” They nodded. Not wild.
Default Order Mode Activated
“Two house burgers, medium,” the guy said. “Side salad for her, fries for me.” Tap water and a diet soda. The kind of order that makes you instinctively calculate your tip ceiling in real-time. But right as I turned to walk away, I remembered: we had just started pushing that new garlic aioli. The chefs were hyped on it. They’d made a whole big deal about how it would “elevate the menu” or whatever. “Hey,” I said, turning back, “if you guys like garlic, I can sub the house mayo for our roasted garlic aioli. It’s only a $2 upgrade but *way* better. Like… dangerously good.” The woman tilted her head. “How good?” I didn’t blink. > “So good I’ve considered drinking it out of a ramekin
when no one’s looking.” **Boom.** They laughed. She looked at him. He shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
The Domino Effect
That tiny little upgrade? It changed the whole table. While they waited, I swung back with some fresh bread. She asked, “Is this what you dip the aioli in?” Now we’re talking. They ended up asking what else they could get it with. I suggested fries. Sold. Then they asked if they could try one of our local beers I had
mentioned. Sold. They even asked about desserts. I casually pitched our warm brownie skillet like it was the second coming of chocolate. Sold. What started as a $30 check was now over $50. When I dropped the bill, they didn’t blink. The guy reached into his wallet and handed me two crisp tens.
Why That Worked
Because I didn’t sell them something **they didn’t want**. I upgraded something they *already ordered*, made it feel special, and did it with enough confidence and wit that it didn’t sound like a pitch — it sounded like a secret.
What You Can Steal From This-
**Upselling doesn’t always mean selling “more.”** Sometimes it’s just suggesting *better*. – **Don’t overlook the small stuff.** Guests will happily pay $2 more if it feels intentional. – **Your delivery matters.** Be playful. Be confident. They’ll follow your lead. Final Thought I’ve sold steaks that flopped. I’ve pitched cocktails that got returned. But that aioli? That $2 upgrade? That one got me a $20 tip — and a table that left smiling like I’d given them a VIP experience. Because at the end of the day, **it’s not about the check size — it’s about the moment.**
