If you want to achieve steady restaurant success, a thorough restaurant email marketing strategy should be in order. After building a restaurant email list, sending the right campaigns at the perfect times can result in a high restaurant profit margin. This is primarily due to how direct email communications are. Plus, it’s also helpful that emails are 100 percent customizable.

Speaking of a custom email marketing strategy, this blog will cover ten ideas for restaurant email campaigns. Use this post as a guide for all upcoming email outreach. Even if you just implement a handful of ideas on a monthly or biweekly basis, you’ll have a ton of creative ways to stay in touch with your most loyal customers.

The Importance of a Restaurant Email Strategy

An email marketing strategy is extremely important to the success of a restaurant. It’s one of the best ways to contact your target audience directly, with full control over written copy and visual content. These factors are why there’s a great deal of debate between SMS marketing vs email marketing.

Though SMS marketing for restaurants is another effective strategy, email marketing might take the top spot. You see, you’ll find that SMS restaurant marketing samples are brief and to the point. Meanwhile, email templates go much more in-depth. With this in mind, restaurant SMS marketing ideas are way more limited. It’s much easier to get creative within an email campaign builder.

10 Restaurant Email Campaign Ideas

Establishing a consistent and creative restaurant email marketing strategy will be one of the best decisions your business can make. But where should you begin? Try some or all of the email campaign ideas below and be on your merry way to a successful restaurant business!

1. Availability On Third-Party Delivery Apps

Restaurants on online ordering apps have the potential to escalate order volumes. So, be sure that you’re displaying which delivery service providers you partner with on each email. Simply hyperlinking the logo of each online ordering app can do wonders for sales. It’ll serve as a subtle reminder in each email campaign, resulting in more orders. Restaurants that are open after hours can also take advantage of this tip by sending time-sensitive email late at night and on weekends. While most restaurants are closed, this may be an easy way to dominate a local market.

2. Discounts and Promo Codes

Chances are, most people are going to subscribe to a restaurant email list for the discounts and promo codes. So, give them what they signed up for! Just keep one important detail in mind. If you send out discounts too frequently, it can reduce the amount of excitement that usually comes with perks. To combat this risk, try sending them no more than once a month. To take customer loyalty up a notch, you can also send exclusive offers on customer’s birthdays.

3. Catering Services During Peak Season

If you really want to maximize revenue, advertise restaurant catering services throughout your email marketing campaigns. And if you were already considering how to get more catering orders, this is a simple way to do it. Simply adding tidbits of the catering menu with clear CTAs to book an event. Remember that catering marketing should revolve around flexibility and diversity. And if you should promote catering ideas via email during peak season, expect catering sales to soar.

4. Holiday Menus Along With Reservation Links

To accelerate order volumes and restaurant reservations simultaneously, combine the ability to book time slots with holiday menus. Try sending out these email campaigns about four to six weeks before the holiday. This will give customers enough time to plan and book a reservation. Plus, it’ll ensure a full house on a busy day with a limited menu. That’s a recipe for a streamlined yet successful shift.

5. The Ability to Cater to Dietary Restrictions

Many restaurants steer far away from allergies and dietary restrictions due to the difficulties in making related promises. So, if there are concerns that your eatery can accommodate, shout it from the rooftops. Well, what we really mean is to sprinkle such topics throughout your email marketing campaigns. When people hear that they can safely and comfortably dine at your restaurant, order volumes are bound to skyrocket. Plus, this will likely circulate via word-of-mouth.

6. Customer Reviews and Testimonials

If you don’t collect reviews from your customers, you should start doing so! Then, incorporate the best testimonials into your email flows. Aside from compliments to the chef and wait staff, you can also gather commentary about catering and special events. Displaying positive feedback in email cadences can quickly boost the restaurant’s reputation. Plus, it’ll help showcase all the services the business offers.

7. New Items On the Restaurant Menu Types

Consumers love trying something new. And if you already have regular customers at your eatery, promoting new items might be a foolproof way to skyrocket order volumes. Maybe you’ve mixed things up on the appetizer list or dessert menu. Or, perhaps you have new items in the entree food category. No matter what the changes may be, share them with your audience. However, one of the worst things you can do is let major changes about a menu be a surprise upon each customer’s arrival. So, alert them to any updates via email first.

8. Themed Events and Special Occasions

Ever host themed parties or special events? If so, intertwine event management services with your restaurant email cadence. Depending on the restaurant’s location, this might be a great way to implement product differentiation, too. For example, showcase New Year’s drink specials or a game day happy hour for the Super Bowl. Find a reason to be enthusiastic about every occasion, and you’ll suddenly have endless ideas for restaurant email flows.

9. Contests and Email-Only Giveaways

Incentivize people to remain an email subscriber by hosting contests and giveaways for the email list members. This will create a sense of F.O.M.O or “fear of missing out,” as there might be perks or freebies right around the corner. Giveaways and contests can have prizes like complimentary dishes, a percentage off group orders, and so much more. Consider your restaurant expenses as well as menu items, and select what’s most feasible to give away. Then, let the activities begin.

10. Hiring Alerts and Career Opportunities

When growth opportunities arise at your restaurant, let your email subscribers be the first to know. The possibility of working at your establishment will serve as a fresh reminder to stop by. Plus, this is a great way to prompt people to apply in person. Or, you can take things one step further and host a hiring day if you’re filling several positions. It’ll draw people to dine in-house and boost awareness while filling your employee roster.

Frequently Asked Questions About a Restaurant Email

Restaurant email campaigns are where your business’ marketing team can get super creative. Once you have a clear idea of what you’re trying to promote and who your customer profile consists of, the ideas for profitable campaigns are endless. Want to learn more about restaurant email marketing? Check out some extra details in the FAQ section below!

Is a Restaurant Email List Important?

Yes, growing a restaurant email list is extremely important to overall success. Sending out occasional email campaigns is one of the most direct ways to reach your target audience. So, it’s vital that you have an email list on hand for when important messages need to be sent. 

Should Restaurants Build An Email List?

Yes, every restaurant should build an email list. You’ll be surprised by how many times having a list of contacts will come in handy. For instance, you might make menu updates and want to alert your most loyal customers. Or, maybe you’ve become available on another delivery platform. Regardless of the situation, it’s never a bad idea to have an open line of communication with your audience.

How Do Restaurants Use Email Marketing?

Restaurants use email marketing to promote the business and grow profits. More specifically, restaurant staff might use email marketing to promote menu items, delivery services, catering, and more. They might also use it to send exclusive discounts and promo codes. As a result, this form of marketing typically leads to boosts in profitability.

Is Restaurant Email Marketing Legal?

Yes, restaurant marketing is legal, as long as you get consent from the consumers to use their email addresses. Asking for permission often comes in the form of checkboxes on sign-up forms online and on social media. You can also include something similar for when people leave their email addresses on paper. If you don't take proper precautions, you may face legal issues for unsolicited messages.

Why Is Email Marketing the Best?

Email marketing is one of the best kinds of promotion for how direct it is. Instead of hoping that consumers see an ad online or notice a billboard out in public, they can hear from your business directly. Aside from text marketing efforts, email marketing might be one of the most direct forms of communication.

And… Sent!

Now that you have a variety of restaurant email campaign ideas on hand, it’s time to enhance your marketing strategy. Sending the right campaigns at the right times will let you scale your business while establishing an engaged subscriber base. Then, before you know it, you'll have a reliable marketing channel for any time alerts need to go out.