Owner guide · Guests and texts

Restaurant email marketing: what to send and when

Texts are for today. Emails are for news: a new menu, holiday hours, catering season. Use both from the same guest list.

Run the free check · Call (515) 493-0243 · Tiếng Việt · Español

Step by step

  1. Send one email a month. Enough to stay in mind without wearing people out.
  2. One photo, one message, one button. A new dish, a holiday tray or new hours. Then an Order button.
  3. Use a clear subject line. “New: crispy pork banh mi” beats “Our October newsletter”.
  4. Send before meal decisions. Late morning or mid afternoon works for most restaurants.
  5. Make unsubscribing easy. Every marketing email needs a working unsubscribe link and your business address.

Guests and texts

Text or email?

Text for same-day offers and reminders. Email for news, menus and catering. Some guests prefer one or the other, so ask which they want when they join.

EatFuti is in Des Moines, Iowa, and works with independent restaurants across the United States, most of all in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas and Texas.

How it works with EatFuti

  1. Run the free check. Three minutes, no sign-up. See your Google page, where your Order button goes and how your site does on a phone.
  2. Say yes. Send your photos and menu, or we take the menu from your POS or online. Online ordering is live 48 to 72 hours after signup.
  3. Your website goes up. Built for you from your photos, menu and reviews, right after ordering is live. You approve it before it goes up.

Questions owners ask

What should a restaurant email newsletter include?

One main story with a photo, an Order button, and a short line with hours. That is enough.

Is email marketing still worth it?

Yes for news and catering, especially to guests who opted in. It costs little and reaches people who already know you.