7 delicious restaurant email marketing examples and strategies

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With social media marketing taking over center stage, even for the food and beverage industry, business owners may think that restaurant email marketing is fading into obscurity. 

Well, the reality is far from it!

Emails remain one of the most profitable channels for businesses to connect with their customers, build loyalty, and drive sales. Email marketing for restaurants can offer a direct line to your customers, establishing an easy connection.

To help you begin with it, we’ll explore seven delicious examples of email marketing for restaurants and strategies to help you harness the power of this ever-effective marketing strategy.

Why email marketing is essential for restaurants

The restaurant industry is competitive. To thrive, businesses need to build and maintain strong customer relationships to gain an edge. Here are some benefits of restaurant email marketing that can help you stay a step ahead:

• Targeted and personalized communication: With email marketing, restaurants can segment their customer base and send targeted messages to specific groups. Tailoring communication to specific group interests can significantly improve engagement rates.
• Cost-effective marketing: Compared to other forms of marketing, email is affordable and offers a high return on investment — in 2023, Omnisend’s US merchants saw an average $73 return for every $1 spent on email marketing. Restaurants can reach a large audience with minimal costs, making it an efficient way to promote their business without going over their budget.
• Promote special offers and events: Restaurants often host special events and promotions. Email marketing is a perfect way to promote these events directly to your target audience, ensuring that your message reaches those who are most likely to attend.
• Feedback and insights: Email marketing can help in gathering customer feedback. You can include surveys or polls in your emails to gain customer opinion on your food and service. This data can help you identify areas for improvement.

5 effective restaurant email marketing strategies

As a restaurant owner, you have to keep attracting new customers while retaining existing ones for continuous sales. You can do this by sending personalized restaurant emails that drive engagement. 

Here are five proven restaurant email marketing strategies to help you maximize your reach and achieve your business goals:

1. Segment your email list

One of the most effective strategies to improve your restaurant email marketing efforts is to segment your email list. Instead of sending the same message to all your subscribers, you can tailor your emails to different groups or segments.

This way, you can create content that’s more likely to resonate with customers and drive higher conversions. Here are some factors to consider when segmenting your restaurant email list:

• Dining frequency: Divide your customers into groups based on how often they visit your restaurant
• Menu preferences: Identify your customers’ favorite dishes or cuisines and send targeted emails according to their preferences
• Past spending: Segment your customers based on their spending habits and offer exclusive deals to encourage patronage
• Location: If you have multiple restaurant locations, segmenting by location allows you to send relevant promotions or events 

2. Craft tasty subject lines

Subject lines are the first point of contact between your restaurant emails and subscribers. They play an important role in determining whether your email gets opened or ignored. A well-crafted subject line should be catchy and spark curiosity among your audience. 

For example, this subject line from Fly By Jing cleverly plays on words to catch the reader’s interest. It hints at the product promoted in the email to get the recipients to click through to learn more: 

To create effective subject lines, focus on using enticing words that reflect the content of your email. You can use tools like the Omnisend Subject Line Generator to brainstorm some creative subject line ideas.

Take your time to experiment with different keyword combinations to create the perfect catchy subject line. You can draw inspiration from some eye-catching email subject lines used for business-related emails from your personal inbox, too.

3. Use mouthwatering visuals

When it comes to restaurant email marketing, high-quality visuals are a game-changer. The best restaurant email marketing campaigns often showcase the restaurant menus and ambiance through stunning images. 

You can also display your restaurant’s unique atmosphere and decor. This can provide a glimpse into the dining experience customers can expect.

The following from Krispy Kreme is one of the best restaurant email examples for this strategy. It uses enticing visuals to show the various cookies and products on sale, making it hard for recipients to resist: 

4. Optimize for mobile

A recent Forbes report revealed that 41% of emails are opened on mobile devices. 

That’s why email marketing for restaurants should be optimized for mobile devices. If the email doesn’t display properly on a smartphone, you risk losing potential customers. Here’s how you can optimize your emails for mobile:

• Responsive design: Your email’s layout should automatically adjust to fit different screen sizes. This prevents users from having to pinch, zoom, or scroll excessively to read your email.
• Clear and concise content: Use bullet points or numbered lists to break up large blocks of text. This makes it easier for readers to skim through the information on smaller screens.
• Readable font sizes: Opt for font styles that are legible on smaller screens. Avoid overly small fonts that may cause eye strain.
• Clickable links and buttons: Ensure that links and buttons are large enough to be easily tapped with a finger. This avoids frustration among your subscribers.

Before sending your emails, test them on various mobile devices and operating systems to identify and address any issues.

5. Include inviting call to actions (CTAs)

Call to actions (CTAs) are an important element of your restaurant email marketing campaigns. They guide your customers on what to do next, making them engage with your business or take the desired action. 

Incorporating CTAs is one of the best restaurant email marketing strategies to drive action. However, they must be clear and compelling. Also, use action-oriented phrases and make it simple for readers to follow through.

For example, in this email from Friendly’s, the CTA “GET THE COUPON’ is direct. It’s also prominently displayed in a bright blue button. The email goes on to include a link for customers to access their accounts and explore their options before ordering: 

7 restaurant email marketing examples

Here are seven restaurant email marketing examples that compel their recipients to take action, drive engagement, and boost success. Let these creative and successful email marketing campaigns help you craft your own restaurant email marketing strategy:

1. Chipotle’s welcome email

Subject line: Welcome to Chipotle Rewards ?

Chipotle’s welcome email is one of the best email marketing ideas for restaurants to engage new customers. It combines a friendly tone with clear information about the rewards. As a result, subscribers are more likely to make their first purchase.

The email design is appealing, featuring vibrant images of the food to entice the reader. Clear CTAs are included to guide recipients on how to start earning rewards.

To craft the best welcome emails, focus on simplicity, clear messaging, and enticing offers to engage customers from the get-go:

2. PizzaExpress’ summer promotion

Subject line: Since we can’t all win the lottery…

This email by PizzaExpress exemplifies some of the top promotional restaurant email marketing strategies to learn from. First, it uses a catchy subject line that taps into a relatable feeling to grab attention. 

The email copy follows a humorous tone and highlights the value proposition upfront (discounted set menus and 30% off food) with highly visible CTAs to encourage action.

These core elements — clear value proposition, bold CTAs, and a touch of the brand’s personality — are timeless for crafting effective restaurant email marketing campaigns:

3. Wendy’s countdown email

Subject line: Time’s up. Forks down.

This restaurant email marketing example uses urgency to drive action right from the subject line. Using the phrase “It’s the FINAL COUNTDOWN”, the copy creates a sense of urgency around its limited-time offer.

This is similar to incorporating a countdown in emails to tap into consumers’ fear of missing out (FOMO) to drive engagement. There’s more to learn from this email than just urgency, though. Notice how it includes all customers by providing alternative salad options to those whose favorite isn’t the seasonal salad:

4. Starbucks’ happy hour email

Subject line: See you at Starbucks® Happy Hour

We can get more effective restaurant email marketing ideas from this Starbucks email. First, the subject line informs you of a deal to pique your interest. 

The copy is short, but the overall tone is friendly and inviting. The key offer? A very tempting 50% off a grande or larger Frappuccino after 3pm on Thursdays. The discount is clear as it includes a high-quality image of the offering and a designated time to create a feeling of exclusivity: 

5. Reserve’s new locations announcement

Subject line: Welcoming new cities and restaurants to Reserve…

Several restaurant email marketing best practices are highlighted in Reserve’s announcement email.

Instead of just listing new locations, Reserve showcases specific restaurants with catchy descriptions and unique offerings. It includes mouthwatering dish details and high-quality photos to further attract recipients. Also, clear CTAs are placed strategically to make it easy for customers to take the next step:

6. Burger King’s promotional email

Subject line: Our newest offer: The Mc…

This Burger King email is an excellent example of a promotional email for restaurants. It clearly presents an enticing offer: a McLaren F1 Team Meal Bundle. Aside from promoting a meal, the email offers a chance to win exclusive prizes. 

For restaurant email marketing, it’s essential to pair strong visuals with a compelling offer, just like this one does. Putting a time limit on this offer also adds urgency, nudging customers to act quickly:

7. Blank Street’s new menu email

Subject line: Let the good energy in

This is another example of effective restaurant communication through emails. 

It captures subscribers’ attention with a relatable tone and offers a seasonal remedy through a new menu. 

It features enticing descriptions of new menu items with vibrant imagery to capture interest. Meanwhile, the emphasis on convenience through the app encourages immediate engagement:

Choosing the right email marketing software for your restaurant

While creativity in emails is necessary, selecting the right email marketing software is equally important for marketing success. With the ideal platform, you can create personalized communication, automate campaigns, and gain actionable insights for improvement. 

Here are some things to look out for when choosing an email marketing solution for your restaurant:

• Ease of use: Your restaurant email marketing software should be user-friendly. This is essential for creating and managing campaigns without requiring extensive training. A simple, intuitive interface is preferable rather than having to grapple with complex tools.
• Automation features: Automating routine marketing tasks can help save time and effort. Look for software that offers automated workflows for your email campaigns. This will help you maintain consistent communication with customers.
• Segmentation and personalization: Choose software with advanced segmentation tools to help you target different customer groups. This way, you can send tailored messages that are relevant to your subscribers.
• Analytics and reporting: Understanding the performance of your email campaigns is crucial. Opt for software that provides detailed analytics and reporting. This feature lets you track open rates and other key metrics to assess the success of your campaigns.

For example, Omnisend is an excellent email marketing tool for restaurants looking to implement effective strategies. It offers advanced automation capabilities, enabling you to create customized workflows for different customer interactions. 

Its easy integration with ecommerce platforms simplifies the setup process. Another highlight of Omnisend is its ready-made newsletter templates. This makes it easy to design professional emails even without expertise. 

Wrap up

Restaurant email marketing remains a powerful tool, even in a highly digital space dominated by social media. As we’ve explored in this post, well-crafted email campaigns can connect you directly with your customers, promote your brand, and drive significant sales. 

By implementing strategies like list segmentation, compelling subject lines, eye-catching visuals, mobile optimization, and more, you can elevate your restaurant’s email marketing efforts.

Take inspiration from the seven restaurant email examples discussed in this article and start crafting email marketing strategies to make your restaurant stand out.