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When done right, email marketing is one of the most valuable marketing channels. From building relationships with customers to increasing revenue, the long-term impact of email marketing campaigns can completely transform how a restaurant operates.
In this article, we discuss how restaurants can take their email marketing efforts to the next level. We’ll look at email marketing campaign examples from well-known brands, discuss email marketing tips, and share restaurant email marketing templates so you can get started right away.
What is email marketing for restaurants?
Email marketing is a great way for restaurants to keep in touch with their customers. The purpose of the campaigns could be announcing new additions to the menu, advertising a seasonal promotion, offering loyalty card, members-only exclusive deals, or telling people about upcoming events.
Also, contemporary email marketing software can help improve a campaign’s success. From validating an email list, to personalizing emails to the recipients, and segmenting the audiences, the software allows a restaurant to improve email campaign relevance and maximize the return on investment.
3 Restaurant email marketing campaign examples
To help paint a picture of just how much creativity email marketing allows, we’ve pulled together three of our favorite email marketing examples from well-known restaurant chains.
1. California Tortilla
Birthday emails are a great way to make people feel valued and celebrated, offering them an exclusive deal or gift card that encourages them to make a reservation at the restaurant.
The California Tortilla example below shows how a simple personalization can go a long way – opening with the customer’s name and discussing their special day makes the email entirely relevant and prompts to action.
2. Chick-fil-A
The Chick-fil-A campaign shows out-of-the-box thinking when showcasing new seasonal menu announcements.
Incorporating an interactive feature that makes readers put on their thinking caps and solve the puzzle. As a result, the recipients stay with the email longer and interact with the brand—a memorable experience that is much more likely to nudge them to convert.
3. McDonald’s
Loyalty programs are a massive win for restaurant businesses. Whether the program sends exclusive offers or allows members to build up points that can be redeemed for free food, it is a great way to nurture repeat business.
McDonald’s is a great example of a loyalty program that encourages repeat restaurant visits. It allows members to earn points with each order, and these points can then be used to redeem free food.
4 Benefits of email marketing for restaurants
1. Increased engagement
Since you’re targeting people who have opted in to receive marketing material, they are already a warm audience. Add email personalization to that, and the recipients are more likely to engage with the content and take action.
2. Segmentation options
The option to segment a mailing list based on customer preferences and behaviors means content can be highly targeted. Consequently, your campaings can be tailored to specific audience cohort, increasing the campaign relevance and the likelihood of conversions.
3. Content personalization
As indicated, the content can be tailored to each recipient. Including the recipient’s name in the copy or subject line can help build a stronger relationship and make the customer feel more valued. Similarly, personalization options can be utilized to promote menu items that have previously been ordered by the customer or offer an exclusive deal on special occasions relevant to the recipient.
4. Measurable results
All email marketing platforms provide detailed analytics for each email campaign. Insights such as the open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate show whether the campaign succeeded and can help a business fine-tune its future strategy.
6 Restaurant email marketing best practices
Here are six tips and best practices to help you start with email marketing:
1. Set up a branded domain
A restaurant needs to establish a professional email address that links to the restaurant’s domain. Receiving an email from a branded email address (i.e. info@restaurantname.com) helps to build a solid brand reputation and increase trust.
A branded domain combined with reliable email hosting will ensure that emails are delivered without a hitch. This reduces the likelihood of the email getting flagged as spam, creating more trustworthy communications.
2. Mockup a content calendar
Emails should be sent consistently but not too frequently. Find a balance that provides value without making customers feel spammed and want to unsubscribe. For smaller restaurants, sending two or three emails a month is a good starting point.
Creating a content calendar will establish when campaigns will be sent out. It will outline what each email will contain, ensuring structure and purpose.
3. Craft engaging copy
From the email subject line to the email body, good copy can make the difference between an engagement and an unsubscribe.
Start with an irresistible subject line; brainstorming different options will help create a short and snappy subject line that resonates with your audience. Run it through the email subject line tester and receive some feedback on what could be improved.
The preheader should naturally follow the subject line and summarize the purpose of the email in a few words, enticing the recipient to open the email.
The body of the email should be split into modules that provide the essential information. Stick to short sentences and avoid large blocks of text. If the user wants to find out more, they can click through to the landing page.
4. Create catchy CTAs
A call to action (CTA) encourages readers to click a link to a website landing page. So, the text displayed on a CTA button must be spot on!
The CTA copy should be short and enticing, using encouraging language that makes the intent clear. Direct CTAs such as “Claim Your Offer,” “Book a Table,” or “Sign Me Up” are examples of strong hooks that are bound to catch the reader’s eye.
5. Optimize for screen sizes
Since the majority of emails are opened on smartphones, email templates need to be mobile-responsive.
Scalable design is the most popular approach for businesses that want to create responsive templates that don’t require complex coding. It consists of a grid system that adjusts the contents of the email to the device. To maintain simplicity, a single-column layout is used as this is the easiest way to cater to all screen sizes.
6. Send out test emails
The emails could look and perform differently on Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and other mailbox providers. Or they might fail to load completely. So, test the email templates before sending out an entire campaign to ensure the content and media appear as intended.
A testing tool, such as Mailtrap Email Testing, allows the email to be previewed across different devices and inboxes. This will flag any unsupported files or deliverability issues before the email is sent out.
5 Restaurant email marketing ideas and templates
To help you start drawing in customers with emails, we’ve pulled together five different email marketing ideas for your restaurant, each with its template.
New menu addition
Generating excitement is key when sharing the news of any new menu items with customers. The aim is to entice subscribers to come and try out the new additions for themselves, so flowery language and mouth-watering visuals could be the key to success.
| Subject: Can You Guess What’s Cooking? 👀🔥 Body: News from [Restaurant Name]! We’ve been working on something special, and it’s finally here! Introducing [New Dish Name] packed with bold flavors; crafted to perfection. Picture this: [Vivid description, e.g., “A sizzling, smoked steak drizzled with a rich, buttery garlic sauce, served alongside crispy, golden truffle fries.”]. Reserve your table now to experience every bite! 👉 [Book Your Table Now] 📍 Find us at: [Restaurant Address] 📞 Call us at: [Phone Number] 🌐 Visit us online: [Website URL] We can’t wait to serve you soon!🍽️✨ |
Reservation confirmation
Once a customer reserves a table, an email confirmation should be sent out. This would include reservation details, such as the date, time, number of guests, and name of the booking. To be clear, this a transactional email, not your pure marketing email. But, in the hospitality niche, it’s okay to sensibly hide marketing messages into these emails, particularly if the messages relate to client nurturing.
Here’s an example how to do it with respect and moderation.
| Subject: Your Reservation is Confirmed!🎉 Body: Hello [Guest Name], Thank you for choosing [Restaurant Name]! We’re excited to host you and make your visit a special one. Get ready for delicious food, great company, and an unforgettable dining experience. Here are the details of your reservation: 📅 Date: [Reservation Date] ⏰ Time: [Reservation Time] 👥 Guests: [Number of Guests] 📍 Location: [Restaurant Address] If you need to make any changes to your booking, no problem! You can modify your reservation by clicking the link below. 👉 [Modify Your Reservation] Got any questions or need to cancel? Feel free to reach out. We kindly ask for at least [Cancellation Policy Timeframe] notice for any changes. 📞 Call us at: [Phone Number] 🌐 Visit us online: [Website URL] Can’t wait to welcome you!🍽️✨ |
Special offers
Promoting special offers or coupons requires adding a sense of urgency, highlighting that the deal isn’t staying around. This prompts the reader to act fast and make a booking to take advantage of the offer.
| Subject: Limited-Time Offer!🎉 Body: [Restaurant Name] Welcomes you! For a short time only, we’re treating our guests to an exclusive offer! Enjoy [Discount or Offer Details]. Whether you’re craving a special night out or just looking for an excuse to indulge, now’s the perfect time to visit. ⏳ The offer ends on [Offer Expiry Date]! Book your table now to claim the special deal. 👉 [Reserve Your Table] 📍 Find us at: [Restaurant Address] 📞 Call us at: [Phone Number] 🌐 Visit us online: [Website URL] T&Cs apply. Offer valid from [Start Date] to [End Date]. Cannot be combined with other promotions. Can’t wait to welcome you!🍽️✨ |
Email newsletter
Customers can feel more connected to the brand if you feed them curated information about your food or venue. It could be showing off the new look after renovations, inviting customers to join a local fundraising event, or updates from the employees themselves. Although this type of info may seem insignificant, it indeed helps grow brand recognition and foster more personal relationships.
| Subject: Just for You, [First Name] – The spring scoop at [Restaurant Name]!🎉 Body: Here’s what we’re cooking this season ✨ 🍽️ [New Menu Item[add link] ] – A delicious Italian classic you don’t want to miss! 🎉 [Upcoming Event[add link] ] – Join us for a special evening of great food and live entertainment. 🔥 [Exclusive Offer [add link] ]– For a limited time, enjoy [Special Promotion] just for our subscribers! Click below to explore the more updates and book your next visit. 👉 [Read More & Book Now] 📍 Find us at: [Restaurant Address] 📞 Call us at: [Phone Number] 🌐 Visit us online: [Website URL] 📱 Follow us: [Social Media Links] Can’t wait to welcome you!🍽️✨ |
Loyalty program promotion
Rewards and exclusive deals are a great way to encourage repeat customers, even if they’re one of the first follow-up emails targetting customers at the top of the funnel. But keep in mind that this approach is very niche-specific, usually providing best results in the hospitality and e-commerce space.
| Subject: Earn Every Time You Dine! 🍽️✨ Body: Introducing the [Restaurant Name] Loyalty Program! We love spoiling our guests. Join our [Loyalty Program Name] and start earning points toward free meals, special discounts, and VIP experiences. Here’s what you get: ✅Earn [X] points for every [X] you spend ✅Exclusive member-only discounts & offers ✅Birthday treats & surprise rewards ✅Early access to special events Signing up is quick, free, and easy! Get your benefits today. 👉 [Join Now] 📍 Find us at: [Restaurant Address] 📞 Call us at: [Phone Number] 🌐 Learn more: [Website URL] 📱 Follow us for updates: [Social Media Links] T&Cs apply. Points are redeemable at participating locations only. See full terms on our website. Can’t wait to welcome you! 🎉 |
Best email marketing software for restaurants
We analyzed three email marketing platforms to help you make the best choice for your restaurant.
1. Mailtrap
Mailtrap Email Marketing is part of Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform – the service designed to drive your revenue. It allows users to create, send, and analyze email campaigns. The platform makes it simple to set up user-triggered emails (perfect for booking confirmations) and also facilitates bulk sending.
The drag-and-drop editor is perfect for those who are looking for an easy-to-use platform, but there is also access to HTML for those with dev experience.
2. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a great platform for managing multiple campaigns, offering a handy dashboard that keeps everything nicely organized.
It can be integrated with a large range of existing software, such as CRMs and booking systems, which makes it ideal for larger restaurant businesses that have multiple branches.
3. ActiveCampaign
With advanced customization capabilities, ActiveCampaign is well suited to those looking to target restaurant email list segments at different stages of the funnel.
Being able to create personalized content to suit the behavior and preferences of the email subscribers allows for highly data-driven campaigns that increase relevancy.
For smaller restaurant businesses, the complexity of the platform and the price plans may not make it an ideal choice; instead, it is suited to more complex needs.
Wrapping Up
Email marketing continues to be one of the most powerful digital marketing tools for restaurants, helping them strengthen customer relationships.
Utilizing email marketing solutions alongside a solid marketing plan means a continuous channel of communication can be used, reaching out with exciting menu updates, unmissable offers, and personalized content.
By utilizing the right email marketing tools, following the best practices listed above, and continuing to provide engaging content, restaurants are bound to see long-term results from their email marketing campaigns.
