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It has rightly been said that timing isn't the main thing, but it's the only thing.
As a restaurant owner, you're likely feeling overwhelmed by the numerous marketing channels available today. You see competitors flooding customers' inboxes with promotions, yet you're cautious about annoying your loyal patrons. You know email marketing is cost-effective, but you're losing sleep over choosing the right send times and creating content that truly engages rather than irritates.
When it comes to targeting the right customer at the right time, email marketing can be a win-win for your business. Email marketing is one of the most popular and cost-effective mediums for building strong relationships with your customer. Marketers, across industries, are leveraging email marketing to promote deals, reach out to customers in real-time, and boost brand engagement manifolds.
With the advent of new technologies and the push back due to the COVID pandemic, restaurants today are going online. Since the delivery business is booming at the moment, restaurants now have the opportunity to reach even a wider audience, expanding to locations that earlier seemed out of reach. This also means that strategizing the outreach and marketing campaigns has become crucial to beat competitors. According to a DMA study, for every $1 you spend, email marketing can give you up to $42 in return. Email marketing continues to deliver a strong return on investments made by businesses. An amalgamation of email marketing and personalization can do wonders for your restaurant business. Learn how to attract more customers to your restaurant.
But the key to successful email marketing for restaurants is to know WHEN to send the promotions.
Why Timing Matters in Restaurant Email Marketing
The goal is to stay on top of your customers' minds. When to send an email totally depends on your audience. Knowing the demographics of people around is one of the most important things for successful email marketing.
The best time to send promotional newsletters to restaurant customers is generally mid-week (Tuesday-Thursday) during the morning (9-11 AM) or early afternoon (1-3 PM). This timing aligns with when people are likely to check their emails during work breaks, while avoiding the early morning and late afternoon rush.
Timing matters because:
- Emails sent at optimal times can increase open rates by up to 20%
- Proper timing ensures your message reaches customers when they're making food decisions
- Strategic timing can help you stand out in crowded inboxes
- Seasonal and time-specific promotions drive urgency and action
Remember that your customers are saying, "I want to connect with my favorite restaurants without feeling spammed." They're researching the best times to engage with promotional content, and you need to meet them where they are. Avoid common customer engagement mistakes to build strong relationships.
Best Days to Send Promotional Newsletters
Monday Blues
Often people send promotional newsletters on a Monday to gain a high response rate. However, it may not be what you'd expect. Most of the customers, especially millennials, are already bummed out about the end of the weekend. People start their office on Monday with an inbox flooded with emails.
Restaurants should consider sending promotions later in the day or preferably the next day. According to a MailChimp study, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the most suitable weekdays to send food promotions. The approach leaves ample time to target customers for weekdays as well as for weekends. Learn more about text message marketing for your restaurant.
Weekday vs. Weekend Strategy
Different days serve different purposes for restaurant promotions:
- Tuesday: Ideal for promoting weekday lunch specials and happy hours
- Wednesday: Perfect for mid-week dinner promotions to break the routine
- Thursday: Excellent for promoting weekend specials and events
- Friday: Can work for late-afternoon sends promoting weekend dining
- Saturday-Sunday: Generally lower open rates, but can be effective for Sunday brunch or dinner promotions if sent in the morning
Monthly and Seasonal Considerations
A fresh pay-check arrives as the new month begins. Popular brands such as Starbucks, McDonald's target millennials with multiple email marketing strategies. One of them being sending out promotions when they get credited with salary. People tend to spend more in that span.
Consider these monthly and seasonal timing strategies:
- Send special offers at the beginning of the month (1st-5th) when customers have just received paychecks
- Promote holiday specials 1-2 weeks before major holidays
- Adjust timing based on seasonal changes (e.g., earlier dinner promotions in winter)
- Create special campaigns around local events and festivals
Optimal Times of Day for Sending Emails
Before Lunch & Dinner Time
Speaking on a granular level, sending mouth-watering pictures of food with amazing offers right before noon & around 2 PM can boost your business. Emails have higher opening rates just before lunch, in which 47% of emails are opened outside work hours.
People are often looking for quick food on their mobile phones. Promoting dinner specials just right can entice people to make an easy choice and get good food. Promos work without fail since you're appealing to basic human desires of getting something at a discount. Learn more about digital marketing for restaurants to increase sales.
Time-of-Day Optimization
The ideal times to send restaurant promotional newsletters are:
- 9-11 AM: Catch people during their morning work break when they're planning lunch
- 1-3 PM: Target the post-lunch period when people are checking emails and potentially planning dinner
- 6-7 PM: For late-night promotions or next-day breakfast specials
Remember to consider your customers' time zones if you serve multiple geographic areas. Segmenting your email list by location can help ensure your promotions arrive at the optimal time for each customer. Understand the future of email marketing for restaurants.
Crafting Engaging Content for Restaurant Newsletters
Beating the Rush
Harvard Business Review recommends brands to not flood people with emails. Sending too many emails can annoy people, and in no time, people will mark you as spam. You can always do more with less.
An email saying 'Drop 15% off your lunch today' is motivating enough to make customers eat with you. You can beat the rush with exclusive and tailored offers sent out at the right timing. 'Happy Hour Drinks', 'Get 'em Before They're Gone', 'Get a Head Start On Lunch' are some of the flavors of communication you can use.
Nothing engages better than 'Exclusive Deals Just For You'. Mastering the perfect message and timing the same can help you fully utilize the potential of your restaurant. A simple 'Happy Hour' email can ensure attendance in off times of the day. Create a restaurant marketing calendar to plan your campaigns.
Content Ideas That Drive Engagement
Here are some more ideas to send a promotional restaurant newsletter:
- Share some exclusive recipes
- Highlight new menu items and share menu updates
- Share daily chef's specials
- Let your customers take a virtual tour of your kitchen
- Celebrate your customers' milestones
- Behind-the-scenes content featuring your staff and chefs
- Customer testimonials and reviews
- Local community involvement and events
- Cooking tips and food pairing suggestions
- Seasonal menu highlights and limited-time offers
Newsletter Building Basics
When creating your restaurant newsletter, follow these fundamental principles:
- Clear subject lines: Keep them under 50 characters and make them action-oriented
- Mobile optimization: Ensure your newsletter displays properly on smartphones where 60% of emails are opened
- Visual appeal: Use high-quality food images that evoke hunger and desire
- Concise copy: Keep text brief and focused on benefits to the customer
- Strong call-to-action: Make your CTA buttons prominent and clear about the next step
- Brand consistency: Maintain your restaurant's visual identity and voice
Leveraging Customer Data for Personalization
The true power of email marketing comes from personalization. Today's customers expect communications tailored to their preferences and behaviors. With Restolabs' customer data platform and integrations, you can collect and utilize valuable customer information to create highly targeted email campaigns.
Segmentation Strategies
Effective segmentation can increase open rates by up to 30%. Consider segmenting your restaurant customers by:
- Order history: Promote similar items to what customers have ordered before
- Visit frequency: Send special offers to re-engage lapsed customers
- Average order value: Tailor promotions based on spending patterns
- Dietary preferences: Highlight vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options to relevant segments
- Special occasions: Send birthday or anniversary offers
- Geographic location: Promote to customers within delivery radius differently than those who dine in
Personalization Techniques
Beyond basic name personalization, consider these advanced techniques:
- Recommend menu items based on past orders
- Send time-sensitive offers based on typical ordering times
- Create loyalty tiers with exclusive offers for frequent customers
- Personalize subject lines with reference to favorite dishes
- Tailor content based on customer engagement history
With Restolabs' platform, you maintain full ownership of your customer data, allowing you to build deeper relationships without third-party interference or commissions.
Avoiding Common Email Marketing Mistakes
Even with perfect timing, restaurant email marketing can fall flat if you make these common mistakes:
Frequency Errors
One of the biggest concerns restaurant owners have is determining how often to send promotional emails. Send too many, and you risk annoying customers; send too few, and you might be forgotten.
Content and Design Pitfalls
Avoid these common content mistakes:
- Overly promotional language that feels pushy
- Poor quality images that don't showcase your food properly
- Too much text and not enough visual content
- Inconsistent branding across emails
- Missing or unclear call-to-action
- Not optimizing for mobile devices
Legal Compliance Issues
Email marketing must comply with regulations like CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and other privacy laws. Ensure you're following these legal requirements:
- Include a physical address in every email
- Provide a clear and easy way to unsubscribe
- Honor unsubscribe requests promptly
- Use accurate subject lines that reflect email content
- Only send to customers who have opted in
- Maintain proper records of consent
Avoiding these mistakes will help ensure your restaurant's email marketing campaigns remain effective and compliant.
Using Automation and Scheduling Tools to Optimize Sends
Modern email marketing requires sophisticated tools to maximize effectiveness. Automation can save time while improving targeting and personalization.
Benefits of Email Automation
Implementing email automation for your restaurant offers several advantages:
- Consistent timing of campaigns based on optimal send times
- Triggered emails based on customer behavior (first order, abandoned cart, etc.)
- Automated welcome series for new subscribers
- Birthday and anniversary messages sent automatically
- Re-engagement campaigns for lapsed customers
- Time-saving workflows that reduce manual tasks
Data-Driven Optimization
To truly optimize your email marketing, you need to track and analyze performance metrics:
- Open rate: Indicates subject line effectiveness and send time optimization
- Click-through rate (CTR): Shows content engagement and CTA effectiveness
- Conversion rate: Measures how many recipients completed desired actions
- Bounce rate: Helps maintain list hygiene and deliverability
- Unsubscribe rate: Indicates content relevance and frequency issues
- Revenue per email: Tracks direct ROI from email campaigns
With Restolabs' partner integrations, you can connect your email marketing platform with your online ordering system for seamless data flow and campaign tracking.
A/B Testing for Continuous Improvement
Regular testing helps refine your email strategy:
- Test different send times to find your audience's optimal engagement windows
- Compare subject line variations to improve open rates
- Test different CTAs to see which drives more conversions
- Compare image-heavy vs. text-focused layouts
- Test different promotional offers to identify what resonates best
Planning Your Email Campaign Calendar
Strategic planning ensures your restaurant's email marketing remains consistent and effective throughout the year.
Creating a Sustainable Email Calendar
Develop a comprehensive email marketing calendar that includes:
- Regular promotional newsletters at consistent intervals
- Seasonal campaigns tied to holidays and local events
- Special occasion emails (restaurant anniversary, chef specials, etc.)
- Automated triggered emails based on customer behavior
- Content variety to maintain engagement
Email marketing is one of the most low-cost marketing strategies, yet the most effective for small and independent restaurants. Maybe your restaurant is new on the block, but implementing email marketing to your digital marketing plan lets you compete harder with established brands.
Integrating with Your Overall Marketing Strategy
Your email campaigns should work in harmony with your other marketing channels:
- Coordinate email promotions with social media campaigns
- Align newsletter content with website updates and blog posts
- Use email to amplify in-restaurant promotions
- Connect email marketing with your loyalty program for enhanced customer retention
- Ensure consistent messaging across all customer touchpoints
With Restolabs' commission-free online ordering system, you can create cohesive marketing campaigns that drive customers directly to your owned platforms, maximizing your profit margins while building valuable customer relationships.
Stay ahead with ready-to-use marketing calendar tailored for restaurants. Get campaign ideas, key dates and tips to fill more table year-round.
Stay ahead with RestoLabs unlimited
Take control of your restaurant's email marketing with Restolabs' comprehensive platform. Our commission-free online ordering system gives you complete ownership of your customer data, allowing you to create highly targeted email campaigns that drive direct orders.
Schedule a call today to learn how our platform can help you optimize your email marketing strategy and increase customer engagement.
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