Use restaurant email marketing to tell subscribers what’s worth coming in for: a new lunch menu, a quieter service with room for groups or a special evening they can plan ahead for.
Start with one service you want to fill and one clear next step. This guide shows how to plan the message and send it with Email Blaster’s UK email marketing software.
Ask your front-of-house team which services could accommodate extra guests. A neighbourhood café might want more midweek lunch visits, while a restaurant with full weekend sittings may want to promote its early weekday menu. Agree the days, available capacity and a cutoff for stopping promotion before drafting the email.
Put the answer to “Can I go?” near the top. Give the branch, date, service hours and any booking requirement in readable text. If guests often ask about parking or access, link to the venue information that answers those questions. Check the menu and booking pages on a phone before scheduling.
A QR code on the counter or a link on the menu page can invite guests to receive occasional seasonal menus and event news. Describe how often they can expect to hear from you and collect only the details needed for that newsletter.
For several branches, invite subscribers to choose their preferred venue. Start with that preference and keep a shared calendar so a guest who follows two locations doesn’t receive overlapping announcements by accident.
Show one dish and tell the short story behind it. Give the first service date, menu availability and a link to the current menu. Check the kitchen can supply the featured dish throughout the promoted period.
Subject idea: “Our autumn lunch menu starts on Tuesday”. Main link: View the lunch menu.
Pick a service with room for more guests. A café near offices could show a short weekday menu, its service hours and whether tables can be booked. Give people enough notice to arrange lunch with colleagues. Check actual bookings or covers with the venue team.
Subject idea: “Make a plan for Wednesday lunch”. Main link: See weekday lunch details.
For subscribers near the venue, share a confirmed market or theatre date and the service you’re offering around it. Explain when the kitchen closes and how to find you. Link to your existing booking page if you accept reservations.
Subject idea: “Coming to the Saturday market? Here are our opening hours”. Main link: Plan your visit.
Give the menu theme, date, price, capacity and booking terms using confirmed details. Check availability just before sending and keep it up to date on your existing event page. If the event sells out, let that page explain what guests can do next.
Subject idea: “An evening with our local coffee roaster”. Main link: View event details.
Send a short introduction to your opted-in audience. Explain what the newsletter covers and give a useful first link, such as a brunch menu with service hours. For multiple venues, give people a way to find the right location.
Subject idea: “Welcome to our café newsletter”. Main link: Explore our café and menu.
Tell a short story about a supplier or a dish your team is developing. Get permission to use any contributor’s photo or quote. End with a practical detail, such as which day the bakery counter carries the new loaf.
Subject idea: “Meet the baker behind Friday’s sourdough”. Main link: See what’s on the counter.
Imagine a café launching a seasonal weekday lunch menu. The manager wants to make better use of Tuesday and Wednesday tables. The café uses its own menu page, an optional newsletter form and till records. The figures below illustrate planning for a list of 600 people, with 240 interested in this venue’s weekday menu.
Confirm the service hours, dishes and booking or walk-in policy. Update the menu page, check the newsletter signup and record recent comparable weekday covers. Send a test to the kitchen and front-of-house leads.
Newsletter sends: 0Send the launch to 600 eligible subscribers whose signup covers venue news. Use a dish photograph with permission and one link to the menu. Note the campaign date and inspect the menu link clicks.
Illustrative sends: 600Check capacity before scheduling. Send a follow-up to 240 eligible people who chose weekday menu news. Feature a different dish and restate the Tuesday and Wednesday service times.
Illustrative sends: 240Compare weekday covers with similar services. Note differences in opening hours, weather, local events and menu availability. If there is no useful new reason to send, spend the week improving the menu page or next campaign.
Newsletter sends: 0Plan for 840 example sends. Count each campaign’s eligible recipients, then add any other newsletters planned for that month. Review the allowance before a busy period with several venue launches or events.
Use an Email Blaster subscribe form to invite signups on your venue website. In the drag and drop designer, put the branch and service details in live text alongside the photograph. Check the email with images off and tap the menu or booking link from a test email on your phone.
Use send scheduling once your team confirms the offer and the destination page. Allow time for staff to answer questions and amend service details before the send. A/B testing can help you compare two subject lines, such as one naming a dish and one naming the service. Small lists can produce noisy results, so use what you learn alongside feedback from guests and staff.
Read the available delivery, clicks and unsubscribe signals in the analytics suite. Measure covers, bookings or tickets separately in your venue’s own records. A menu click measures interest and cannot tell you whether someone visited. Keep your booking and ordering systems responsible for availability and confirmations.
From a quiet January to a month with several venue events, your mailing needs can change faster than your regular service schedule.
Customer mailing data is stored in the UK. See our UK network information and review the terms for wider processing and any booking or ordering tools you use separately.
Speak to the UK support team if you need help before a menu launch or want to check how to set up a campaign for a second venue.
Email Blaster was founded in 2009 and develops and supports its software in the UK. Read our company story to learn about the team behind the software.
Estimate sends across your planned menus, events and venue newsletters. Compare the allowances and current VAT details on the pricing page.
Move your monthly package up or down as your month-by-month sending volume changes. A month of event invitations might need a higher allowance than a month with one menu update. Check the current terms when planning the change.
Choose a reason to visit, confirm the details and send it to subscribers who asked to hear from your venue.
