Three Tips for Upselling Food at Railroad and Transportation Museums

1. Take a leaf from quick-service restaurants’ book. McDonald’s knew what it was doing when it coined the term, “Want fries with that?” to encourage patrons to make add-on purchases. The Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Mo. uses a similar strategy. “When people buy a lunch item, we always ask if they want a drink with that, and if they might like an ice cream for dessert,” said Museum Manager Caitlin Hutter.
2. Serve guests what they want, not what you want to serve them. “Be really friendly and listen to your customers. They’ll come to you and let you know what they want,” advised Lupe Cantu, owner of the Whistle Stop Café at the Galveston Island Railway Museum in Galveston, Texas.
3. Spark interest with the Internet. The Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Md., leverages its website to promote specials available at its TraxSide Snacks café, noted Kathy Hargest, director of events and corporate sponsorship.