Your drinks menu isn’t just a list of beverages; it’s a profit-building tool. The right mix of soft drinks, water, juices, and speciality options can increase order value, improve customer satisfaction, and complement the food you serve. 

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to choose the right drinks mix for your restaurant menu, backed by real industry insights and wholesale knowledge from Magna Foodservice. 

Know Your Customers: Understanding Drink Preferences 

Before selecting drinks, identify who you’re serving. Different audiences prefer different drinks: 

  • Families: Fruity drinks, juices, squash, and branded fizzy options. 
  • Health-Conscious Diners: Still water, sparkling water, low-sugar or zero-sugar soft drinks. 
  • Students & Young Adults: Energy drinks, bold fizzy drinks, flavoured beverages. 
  • Casual Diners (Burgers/Pizza/Wraps): Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Fanta, Sprite, etc. 

Tip: Check your POS reports to see which drinks sell fastest and which remain untouched. 

Build a Balanced Beverage Line-Up 

Every restaurant needs a drinks list with variety, not overload. The perfect mix includes: 

✔ Fizzy Drinks (Your Highest Demand Sellers) 

Include core brands like: 

Browse our Soft Drinks – Fizzy Drinks range. 

✔ Water Options (Essential for Every Menu) 

Carry both: 

  • Still water 
  • Sparkling water 

These appeal to all customer groups and work well with sit-down dining. 

Explore our Still Water and Sparkling Water. 

✔ Fruit Juices (Ideal for Breakfast & Family Orders) 

Orange, apple, tropical, and mixed fruit are staples for restaurants and cafés. 

Shop Fruit Juice & Juice Drinks. 

✔ Squash & Cordials (High-Margin Menu Additions) 

Perfect for kids’ meals, catering environments, and cost-saving beverage stations. 

See our Squash & Cordials. 

✔ Syrups (For Mocktails, Milkshakes, and Signature Drinks) 

Restaurants can differentiate by offering: 

  • Vanilla latte syrups. 
  • Fruit syrups for mocktails. 
  • Dessert-flavoured syrups. 

View our Syrups section. 

Match Your Drinks to Your Food Menu 

Your drinks should enhance your dishes, not compete with them. 

Burgers & Fried Chicken 

Strong pairing: 

  • Cola 
  • Lemon-lime sodas 
  • Energy drinks 

Pizza & Italian 

Great match: 

  • Sparkling water 
  • Fanta 
  • Fruit juices 

Salads & Healthy Meals 

Recommended: 

  • Still water 
  • Zero-sugar soft drinks 
  • Light sparkling drinks 

Hot Food / Spicy Dishes 

Balance the heat with refreshing: 

Keep Seasonal Drinks in Mind 

Seasonality influences drink demand: 

Summer 

  • Sparkling water 
  • Flavoured sodas 
  • Juice drinks 
  • Mocktails (boost syrup usage) 

Winter 

  • Premium still water 
  • Cola-based drinks 
  • Low-sugar options 

Adjusting your stock seasonally helps avoid overbuying and improves turnover. 

Use the “Good, Better, Best” Strategy 

Offer customers three tiers: 

GOOD (Budget-Friendly) 

  • Squash 
  • Basic juices 
  • Low-cost fizzy selections 

BETTER (Mid-Range) 

  • Popular branded soft drinks 
  • Sparkling water 

BEST (Premium Upsells) 

  • Speciality sparkling waters 
  • Imported fizzy drinks 
  • Signature drinks using syrups 

This strategy increases average spend without seeming pushy. 

Choose a Reliable Wholesale Supplier 

A strong drinks offering depends on consistent supply, competitive pricing, and brand variety. 

At Magna Foodservice, we supply a complete wholesale drinks range fizzy drinks, water, juices, cordials, and syrups, trusted by restaurants, takeaways, cafés, and catering operators across the UK. 

Conclusion: Build a Drinks Menu That Sells 

Choosing the right drinks mix is about understanding your customers, balancing your range, and strategically pairing drinks with your food offerings. With a well-planned drink selection backed by a reliable supplier like Magna Foodservice, your menu will not only satisfy customers it will also increase your profit margins.