Email Marketing for Restaurants

“Email marketing for restaurants is dead” is something that has been said for years, if not decades.

But this statement cannot be further from the truth.

Statistics indicate the email open rate for restaurants is anywhere between 35% to 40%.

Similarly, while many restaurants have started to believe that social media is the only way to reach a young target audience, a survey reveals that a significant 41% of restaurant guests aged 18-29 preferred email as their mode of communication.

These two statistics reveal that restaurant email marketing is not only thriving, but is a critical component in the fast moving food service industry.

Digital marketing for restaurants is a must have skill in today’s competitive landscape of getting customers into your restaurant. But we don’t want them to come in just one time.

We want them to come back again and again.

To do that, yes, the quality of your food is important, but good food is not enough — you have to be in touch with your customers long after they have walked out of your doors.

Email marketing for restaurants is one of the best techniques of doing that.

When done correctly, a restaurant marketing email lands in the inbox of your customer and keeps your restaurant at the top of mind when your customer is looking to go out to eat.

It is inexpensive, quantifiable and very efficient when done right.

With the help of this guide, you will learn how restaurant email marketing functions, how to gather emails, what tools will assist you, and effective techniques that you can employ to increase customer loyalty and sales.

Email marketing is far from being dead. When done right, it can be a powerful tool for restaurants to engage with their customers and drive repeat business.

What is Email Marketing? (top)

Email marketing for restaurants is a way for restaurants to stay in touch with their customers by sending messages directly to their inboxes.

These messages might include special offers, updates about new menu items, reminders to visit again, or even a simple “thank you.”

Unlike texting or social media posts that come and go, emails give you a direct line to your guests.

While a social media post can easily be missed or scrolled past, we are all conditioned to check email, and the majority of us do so almost every day, often multiple times per day.

Email marketing is applicable in many cases. For instance, you could use it for the following purposes:

• 📧 Announce fresh menu selections such as a seasonal meal or dessert.

• 📧 Share specials for holidays such as Valentine's Day or Christmas.

• 📧 Offer discounts to attract guests during slow periods.

• 📧 Send reminders if someone hasn't dined in a while.

Contrary to social media markets, where your posts are competing with endless scrolling, emails have instant access to your customer inbox.

Social media may feel more “modern” and “hip” than email marketing, but the truth is that email is still one of the most effective ways to reach your customers.

That direct contact makes email marketing for restaurants one of the most trusted sources of getting in touch with your audience and providing repeat business.

The benefits speak for themselves:

• ✅ It's cost-effective, with free and low-cost platforms available.

• ✅ You can track performance with open rates and click rates.

• ✅ You can personalize offers to suit different customer groups.

• ✅ It builds long-term customer relationships.

The best news? Restaurant email marketing can be quite simple, and you do not need a big marketing teams or complex systems to do it.

Digital marketing for restaurants must include an email marketing strategy.

What Is the Cost of Email Marketing for Restaurants? (top)

Email marketing for restaurants begins with nothing more than just the time you invest in yourself to learn how to do it.

In other words, no cost to start and you have quite a bit of runway before any subscription fees occur.

Popular Email marketing software such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and Constant Contact will assist you in sending out emails to your early base (i.e., first several hundred contacts) at no cost.

These free tier versions offer essential tools: basic reports, simple templates and an easy-to-use editor. They suffice for infrequent promotions or updates.

Paid versions start from $10-$30 monthly when there are more subscribers or more features are assigned. These may include:

• 🚀 Automated emails (like birthday messages or thank you emails)

• 🚀 More advanced design options

• 🚀 Detailed tracking and reports

• 🚀 Integration with reservation or POS systems

Besides money, there's also your time to think about.

We did mention that you'll need to invest in yourself to learn how to send an email, but truthfully, it will take you as long to learn it as it took you to learn how to upload an image to Instagram or create your profile on Facebook.

Writing and sending one email per week might take 1–2 hours. This includes writing the message, choosing a photo, adding your logo, and sending it out.

If you plan ahead, you can schedule a full month of emails in just one afternoon. We'll get to that later in the article.

Because email marketing to your customers can be planned ahead of time, you can create a month's worth of content in just a few hours.

Building Your Restaurant Email List (top)

Before you can send emails, you need to know to whom you’ll be sending emails. We can presume that you’ll be sending to customers or prospective customers of your restaurant.

What is an email list? (top)

The collection of the email addresses to which you’ll be sending your marketing email is conveniently referred to as a an email list.

The secret to any successful restaurant marketing email campaign lies in a strong email list. Your emails will not bear fruit without a good list of engaged customers.

The good news is you do not need to build your list through exclusive marketing strategies but through regular contact at your restaurant and online.

Ask that your customers provide their email addresses when they dine in or place an order so you may build your restaurant email list.

What is a campaign? (top)

A marketing campaign, or simply “campaign,” refers to a series of advertisements with a singular goal or unified set of goals, such as getting customers to buy more of a product or service: perfume, sneakers, streaming service, or visiting a restaurant.

Why an Email List Matters (top)

Perhaps one of the most powerful marketing tools your restaurant will possess is your email list. Compared to followers on social media who may not see your posts because of fluctuating algorithms, emails always get delivered to the inbox.

Such personal touch is why, in restaurants, email marketing is one of the most surefire methods of generating more bookings and earning customer loyalty.

Practical Ways to Grow Your Restaurant Email List (top)

Anyone can start building their list without being a marketing guru. The following are tried and tested ways that most of the restaurants gather email addresses:

• Website Sign-Ups:

  Put the sign-up form on the website and online order pages. Impose a special offer that will make customers subscribe, such as a free discount or special access to promotion.

• In-Store Promotions:

  Put QR codes on menus, tables, or receipts and direct them to your email sign-up page. A lot of customers will be glad to add themselves to a list when there is a little bonus, such as a free appetizer or dessert.

• Social Media Invitations:

  Examples would be to advertise your email list through platforms such as Instagram or Facebook. You can post the news about a special offer or the promotion and share the news, which is exclusive and can be reached only through emails.

• Reservation and Ordering Systems

  Include email collection options in your web-based reservations and takeout systems. The customers who already give their information would tend to choose to receive your email when they are given a choice.

Not only do these measures enable you to expand your list but to reach the appropriate people who already love your food and are interested in hearing about you.

Always Get Permission Before Emailing Your Customers

A very important rule of restaurant email marketing is consent.

Clients are expected to subscribe to your mailing list voluntarily. This is not only a necessity driven by privacy regulations such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM , but it will also help you send messages to individuals who are interested in your restaurant.

Unsolicited emails may hurt your reputation, and subscribers may unsubscribe or complain, or even both. Conversely, an email list that was built with users who opted-in results in improved engagement, improved outcomes, as well as maximized bookings.

A must-follow rule of email marketing is to always obtain permission before sending marketing emails.

A Well-Segmented Contacts List (top)

A comprehensive and carefully created contact list is the foundation of any email marketing strategy. Some effective ways to collect contacts for your restaurant email marketing list are:

• ✅ The sign-up page on your restaurant's app or website

• ✅ Subscription form online or offline

• ✅ Reservations

• ✅ Customer feedback forms

• ✅ People contacting you on social media profiles.

Remember: UK, Canada, and EU countries have strict compliance requirements (GDPR) that require businesses to obtain permission from customers before sending them emails. Similarly, in the USA, companies must provide a clear opt-out option to customers to stop receiving the emails as per the CAN-SPAM Act.

Once a comprehensive contact list is collected, you also have to properly segment it on key factors.

What does it mean to segment an email list? (top)

A well-segmented email list means the contact list is divided into smaller groups based on similar characteristics, such as location, frequency of restaurant visits, participation in the loyalty program, and the method of signing up.

Segmentation is vital to send more personalized and relevant emails.

It will help you in sending emails with the right tone and content to the specific target audience.

For example, regular customers can get exclusive discount offers, while first-time guests can get welcome discounts. Ultimately, more relevancy and personalization can result in higher engagement and repeat visits.

What is a broadcast email? (top)

The opposite of a sending to a segmented email list is that of sending out a “broadcast email,” meaning you’re sending to everyone who is in your email list.

This is too broad of an approach for marketing purposes and is discouraged.

You always want your emails to be relevant to a subset of your email list.

Sure, you may wish to make an announcement that everyone will want to know, such as the opening of a location or a change in operating hours.

Outside of these isolated cases, avoid sending broadcast emails.

Take your list of customer emails and segment it based on customer preferences, behaviors, and demographics. Then send to each segment tailored content that speaks to their specific interests.

Tools & Services for Restaurant Email Marketing (top)

Email marketing for restaurants is a good way to reach out to customers. Even so, you require the ideal tools for it. Using Gmail or Outlook is difficult if you have many customers.

Why Regular Email Accounts (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Hotmail, etc.) Aren't Made for Restaurant Email Marketing (top)

It may seem easier to use Gmail or Outlook for sending emails to customers. But they are not good for restaurants that have many customers. You cannot send bulk promotional emails using them. They do not allow you to see if your emails are being opened and clicked on by customers.

Also, using your personal email account for mass emails can harm your name. Your messages may go to spam folders instead of Inbox. Sending an identical message to numerous people is likely a spam trigger.

Here's why using regular email accounts for restaurant marketing is wrong:

• ⛔️ Limit on daily sending can stop sending

• ⛔️ Bulk emails may be marked as spam

• ⛔️ No tracking of opens or clicks

• ⛔️ You do not have a way to manage your email list.

• ⛔️ Your email lacks professional templates and automation options.

Worst case scenario is that Internet service providers may consider your domain name to be spam and you won't be able to send emails to anyone, customers or not.

For email marketing for restaurants to work, the right tools make all the difference.

Introduction to Email Marketing Platforms (EMPs)
(top)

For effective restaurant email marketing, you need the right tool, and that tool is an email marketing platform. This is an online service built to help businesses send messages in a controlled manner to a list of customers in a way that's organized, trackable, and professional.

Think of it like this: just as your restaurant uses a POS system to take orders, you'll use an email platform to manage and send your marketing emails.

You can write one message — for example, a weekend dinner offer — and the platform will send it to everyone on your list at the same time. That's an example of a campaign (just one email or promotion sent to many people).

Remember that EMPs are not to be confused with traditional email services like Gmail. EMPs are tools with a broad set of features not available in email services.

They help businesses, such as restaurants, in sending marketing emails to a list of subscribers and even automate the process to a great extent.

Popular Email Marketing Tools (Beginner-Friendly)
(top)

Finding the right tool can seem tough. But don't worry. A few easy-to-use platforms exist. Here are three of the best-trusted email marketing tools for restaurants to start with. Each has its strengths based on your needs.

Mailchimp — Best for Quickly Getting Started (top)

Website: https://mailchimp.com/

Mailchimp is a great alternative for small restaurants or new owners to start their email marketing campaigns. It is described as easy, inexpensive, and user-friendly.

Drag-and-drop email editors and pre-set templates allow you to create your first restaurant promotional email in a few minutes, even without technical-related expertise.

Key Benefits:

• ✅ Free of charge for up to 500 contacts

• ✅ Automated greeting emails and simple segmentation

• ✅ Dashboard and analytics tools that are easy to use

If you need to introduce your first campaign to a minimal number of recipients as soon as possible and take a closer look at the area before scaling big, Mailchimp is what you need.

Klaviyo – Ideal for Growing Restaurants (top)

Website: https://www.klaviyo.com/products/email-marketing

In case you have a steady and increasing number of customers in your restaurant and you are willing to create a personal touch in your emails, Klaviyo is a robust option.

This platform has rather sophisticated tools allowing you to focus the audience, provide campaign automation and integrate with your booking or ordering systems.

Key Benefits:

• ✅ Bounded segmentation of customers according to behavior and preferences

• ✅ Birthday, special offers and loyalty rewards automation tools

• ✅ Connection to the most common ordering and CRM systems

To improve engagement and encourage customers, many restaurants use Klaviyo to send personalized offers, including birthday discounts or any other incentive to encourage customers to stay loyal, which leads to better engagement and loyalty.

Constant Contact – Simple and Reliable (top)

Website: https://www.constantcontact.com/

Constant Contact is designed for companies seeking reliable and easy email marketing. It does not include all the best automation Klaviyo has, but it is perfect if you are looking to do consistent, steady sendups like newsletters or seasonal offers.

Key Benefits:

• ✅ User-friendly email builder

• ✅ Tools for event promotions and RSVP tracking

• ✅ Helpful customer support

If you want to focus on sending clean, professional emails regularly without the complexity of advanced tools, Constant Contact is a solid option.

Several popular and cost effective Email Marketing Platforms (EMP) exist in the market today. Choose one that fits your restaurant's needs.

Summary of What You've Learned (top)

The remainder of this article will give you three action plans that you can choose from if you wish to get up and running with email marketing for restaurants.

If you only wanted to learn the must-know fundamentals of email marketing for restaurants, you can stop here and return in a day or so when you are ready to implement one of our three suggested action plans, which we strongly encourage that you do.

Email Marketing Strategies for Restaurants (To Begin Within 30 Days) (top)

This section outlines three practical and time-bound steps any restaurant can take to begin using email marketing effectively.

These steps are designed to be achievable within the first 30 days, even for teams with no previous experience.

Quick Launch Plan (top)

This plan is for restaurants that want to get started with email marketing as quickly as possible. It focuses on immediate actions that can be taken to build a customer email list and start sending campaigns in well under a week.

Give yourself a day or possibly a weekend to follow the steps in the Quick Launch Plan.

Step 1: Begin Collecting Customer Email Addresses (top)

The first step in email marketing is building a customer list. This must be done before any campaigns can begin. Without email addresses, it is not possible to send marketing messages.

Actions to complete in the first week:

• 1️⃣ Train staff to ask guests if they would like to join the restaurant’s email list for exclusive deals or birthday offers

• 2️⃣ Place printed sign-up cards or a tablet at the counter to collect names and emails Add a basic sign-up form to your website, especially if you offer online ordering or reservations.

• 3️⃣ Offer a small incentive, such as a discount or free item, to encourage sign-ups

The goal is to establish a consistent and visible method of collecting emails during regular business operations.

Step 2: Sign Up for an Email Marketing Tool (top)

Once you’ve collected emails, you need a place to save them and send messages to your list. Use a tool made for restaurant email marketing. It’s easy and affordable.

We recommend Mailchimp.

It’s free for your first 500 contacts and very simple to use.

Here’s what to do:

• ✅ Go to Mailchimp and sign up for a free account

• ✅ Add the customer emails you’ve collected

• ✅ Watch a YouTube tutorial (search: “how to send an email using Mailchimp”)

• ✅ If you have a website, create a simple sign-up page (or ask your web person)

You don’t need a designer or marketing team. Just follow the basics and keep it simple.

Step 3: Send Your First Email (top)

Now comes the fun part: your first real email. This doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, simple is better.

Your restaurant marketing email should focus on a single goal, such as booking a table. Write something you’d say in person:

• “Hi there! Thanks for joining our email list. Here's 10% off your next visit. Just show this email when you come in. Hope to see you soon!”

That’s it. That’s email marketing.

Our Quick Launch Plan gets you started with email marketing in under a week. Collect emails, sign up for Mailchimp, and send your first email.

After that, once a week, send one email. Ideas include:

• 💡 A weekly special

• 💡 A birthday offer

• 💡 A weekend reminder

• 💡 A new menu item launch

Keep it short and friendly. Add a food photo if you can. One message = one goal.

Then, inside Mailchimp, you’ll be able to see how many people opened your email and how many clicked your link or used the offer. Ask your team if anyone came in and showed the email — that's your proof it's working.

Take your list of customer emails and segment it based on customer preferences, behaviors, and demographics. Then send to each segment tailored content that speaks to their specific interests.

2. Balanced 30-Day Strategy (top)

For those ready to invest a little more time, this strategy introduces segmentation and testing to improve results.

• ✅ Select Klaviyo or Constant Contact to target better

• ✅ Break up your list (e.g. new customers vs. regular loyal customers)

• ✅ Test subject lines or special offers using A/B tests

• ✅ Send weekly emails with personalized content

Research shows that marketers using segmented email campaigns — a key part of this approach — see up to a 760% increase in revenue compared to non-segmented campaigns.

That's the power of sending the right message to the right audience.

3. Comprehensive 90-Day Growth Plan (top)

If you’re ready to maximize your efforts, this long-term strategy offers the full potential of restaurant email marketing.

• ✅ Fully integrate your email platform with reservation systems

• ✅ Apply sophisticated customer behavior-based segmentation

• ✅ Automate birthday offers, loyalty rewards, and invitations to events

• ✅ Send highly personalized, targeted campaigns

You can use Klaviyo’s automated birthday emails to boost birthday party reservations. This investment will help in having repeat customers who then act like brand ambassadors.

Maintaining and Improving Your Email Campaigns (top)

The initial email of the restaurant marketing is not the end. The trick towards success is consistency and constant improvement.

Begin your planning with an email schedule. Restaurants do well with weekly or bi-weekly emails, although we strongly recommend keeping with a weekly cadence or better.

This will continue to keep your restaurant top of mind.

Regular contact establishes trust and makes your restaurant fresh in the mind of your customers.

Track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to see how your emails are performing. Use these insights to refine your strategy and improve future campaigns.

Most email marketing platforms — like Mailchimp, Square Marketing, or Constant Contact — provide a simple dashboard that shows how your email did.

These are the three main ones to look for:

Open Rate (top)

This tells you how many people opened your email. If you sent it to 100 people and 40 opened it, that’s a 40% open rate. This number helps you understand how good your subject line was — did it catch their attention in their inbox?

Click Through Rate (top)

If your email included a button like “Book Now” or “Order Here,” this number tells you how many people clicked it. For example, if 10 out of 100 clicked the button, that’s a 10% click rate. This shows whether your message encouraged action.

Redemption or Result (top)

This part takes place in your restaurant. Did customers show the email to get a discount? Did you see an increase in online orders or reservations after the email went out? These real-world results show whether the email helped bring people in.

According to these insights, change your messaging, timing, and offers. Deleting or archiving contacts that never open your emails helps to maintain a healthy list, which will raise the engagement rates.

A proper list will ensure that the deletion of contacts who never open up your emails will increase the engagement rates.

Do not get discouraged when results are not immediate.

The most effective restaurant email marketing is developed using a trial-and-error approach coupled with time to learn and improve on campaigns.

Don't Overthink — Just Start (top)

It is easy to postpone restaurant marketing email, considering it is too complicated or time-consuming.

However, the reality is that a small beginning will yield fast results, and you can expand them with time.

When you feel overwhelmed, use the Quick Launch Plan.

When you are at ease, proceed with the Balanced 30-Day Strategy plan.

And, upon further familiarity and success, adopt the entire 90-Day Growth Plan.

Every measure will bring you closer to your customers and attract more clients.

The initial cost of setting up your first email marketing campaign is just your time.

Conclusion: Your Next Step with Restaurant Email Marketing (top)

Email marketing for restaurants is all about keeping your restaurant in the mind of your customers. They may not come to your restaurant the day of receiving your email, but your brand remains in their mind for when they are ready.

A restaurant marketing email plan should be affordable, easy to manage, and works well even without a large budget or a marketing team.

Taking the first step is often the hardest, but starting now can lead to long-term results.

A few well-timed emails each month can help keep your restaurant top of mind — and your tables full.

The faster you start, the faster you start seeing the gains of restaurant email marketing.