How To Build An Email Marketing List For Your Restaurant
Building a restaurant email marketing list might be the single most underrated move an operator can make to grow their business.
With a restaurant email list, operators have a direct line of communication with guests that can’t be blocked by third-party platforms that hide your customer data or social media algorithms that no one really understands.
Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping your posts get seen, you can send email campaigns straight to the inbox of people who actually want to hear from you.
Use Takeout to Drive Customer Loyalty
Takeout isn’t just a convenience—it’s a powerful tool for building lasting relationships with your diners. But keeping diners engaged and coming back can be a challenge. In this guide, you’ll learn how to optimize your takeout strategy to encourage repeat business, increase direct orders, and strengthen customer loyalty.
And unlike paid ads or delivery apps, your email marketing list is something you fully own.
That means more control, better margins, and a chance to build lasting relationships with your best customers.
If you’re not actively building your restaurant email list, you’re leaving money (and loyal customers) on the table.
In this article, you will learn:
- How to turn in-store and online ordering guests into email subscribers
- What incentives and touchpoints actually grow a valuable restaurant email list
- How to automate your email marketing so it works while you sleep
Let’s start with why email still matters in the age of algorithms.
Why Email Still Matters for Restaurants
There’s a reason every major brand in the restaurant industry invests in email marketing—it works.
Countless studies have shown that email marketing campaigns deliver one of the highest ROIs ($42 for every $1 spent) of any marketing channel, often beating out paid ads, social media, and even SEO.
So why does it work?
Because a restaurant email list is an owned audience, meaning you’re not renting space on someone else’s platform. You’re not at the mercy of an algorithm or fighting to get seen between cat videos and influencer dance trends.
When you send a marketing email, it goes straight to your guest’s inbox—no middleman, no guesswork.
And with an average restaurant industry open rate of 40%, your customers are far more likely to see and engage with your email than anything you post on social media.
But here’s what really matters: people who join your list are already interested in your restaurant.
They’ve either dined with you, placed online orders, or want to hear about upcoming events and menu items.
With the right email marketing strategy, you can keep those guests coming back with personalized updates, promos, and offers that convert.
Let’s learn how to grow your email list with the assets you already have.
Start with What You Already Have: In-Store and Online
You don’t need a lot of fancy or high-tech tools to get started building your restaurant email list. You just need to take a look around your restaurant and reach out to the people already interacting with your restaurant every day.
Start simple: place small signs or table tents near the register or on each table with a QR code that links to your sign-up form.
Keep the language clean and inviting, for example, “Join our email list for monthly deals and exclusive perks.”
You can also train staff to mention sign-ups casually during checkout. You don’t need a hard sell here, just a friendly heads-up about your offers or loyalty program.
If you use an online ordering system, make sure it allows you to collect email addresses and that you get access to the data. Many third-party platforms don’t share guest contact info, which makes it nearly impossible to build your restaurant email database.
A good automated email marketing solution will integrate with your ordering system so you can automatically grow your list every time a customer orders directly from you.
Offer a Good Reason to Sign Up
Here’s the truth: customers won’t hand over their email address just because you ask nicely.
People get bombarded with emails asks daily, so if you want to grow a high-quality email marketing list, you need to offer something in return, and it has to feel worth it.
You don’t have to give away the house—just offer something that makes people feel like they’re getting a little VIP treatment.
Here are a few proven incentives that work:
- A discount on their next online order
- A free appetizer or dessert
- Early access to special events, new menu items, or seasonal offers
When making the ask, use clear language to encourage guests to sign up, whether face-to-face or using signage. The more specific and enticing your offer, the more likely guests are to opt in.
You’re not collecting random email addresses—you’re building a list of new customers and loyal regulars who want to actively stay connected with your restaurant, and that starts by giving them a reason to say yes.
Leverage Your Existing Touchpoints and Make Sign Up Easy
Outside of giving customers an incentive to sign up, successfully collecting hundreds of new email addresses boils down to one thing: convenience.
Most people are on their phones, in a hurry, and easily distracted, so your sign-up process needs to be ridiculously easy.
Start with your website. Add an opt-in form that’s quick and simple—no more than a name and email address.
Same goes for your online ordering system. If it’s not helping you collect guest emails during checkout, it’s time to switch.
Beyond that, don’t overlook the everyday places where guests already engage with your restaurant business:
- Wi-Fi sign-ins
- Loyalty program enrollments
- Online reservations or waitlist confirmations
Each of these is a natural moment to collect guest emails, just add a quick checkbox or email field, and include a short call to action like “Get updates on the latest news and exclusive offers.”
Also, link your signup form in your Instagram bio, Facebook page, and anywhere else your restaurant’s branding lives online. The more touchpoints you use, the faster your restaurant email list will grow.
The goal is to make joining your list feel like a natural part of visiting, ordering from, and interacting with your restaurant, not a separate chore.
Get the Most Out of Your Email List with Automation
Once your restaurant email list starts growing, it’s time to put it to work, but that doesn’t mean extra effort on your part if you put the right strategies in place.
With the right email marketing solution, you can set up smart, hands-off restaurant email marketing campaigns that reach the right people at the right time without needing to write and send every message manually.
A few must-have email types:
- A welcome email that goes out the moment someone signs up
- A re-engagement email to check in with guests who haven’t placed any online orders in a while
- Monthly promotional emails to encourage reordering and engagement
For example, this is an automated re-engagement email from ChowNow encouraging diners to reorder.
Automated email campaigns help you stay connected with your guests, drive repeat business, and save time behind the scenes.
Plus, they make your marketing efforts more consistent, no more long gaps between sends or last-minute scrambles to promote something, and since these emails are triggered, they feel more relevant and not like spam.
Set it up once, and your email marketing keeps working while you focus on what you do best: running your restaurant.
Best Practices for a Healthy, High-Performing List
A strong email list isn’t just about size—it’s about quality. A bloated list full of outdated or disinterested email addresses won’t do you any favors.
Here’s how to make sure your list stays valuable and effective.
Don’t buy email lists
It might seem like a shortcut, but it’ll hurt more than it helps. You’ll likely end up with people who’ve never heard of your restaurant, which means poor engagement, higher spam reports, and a damaged sender reputation.
Instead, focus on collecting email addresses using the strategies we covered above from real guests who’ve interacted with your restaurant business.
It might take longer to build your list, but results from customers who signed up will speak for themselves.
Make it easy to unsubscribe
It might sound counterintuitive, but it’s necessary for a healthy email list. If someone no longer wants to hear from you, let them go.
Honoring opt-outs keeps your email marketing clean and trustworthy. You don’t want your list stuffed with addresses that no longer wish to receive your emails.
Lean on automation to help with retention
A simple welcome email, a follow-up after a missed visit, or a reminder about a loyalty reward can keep your email marketing efforts consistent without adding extra work to your plate.
Keep your list clean
Remove inactive subscribers once in a while, and keep an eye on your engagement. A smaller, more active list will consistently outperform a big, unresponsive one.
Your Restaurant Email List Is One of Your Strongest Assets
Your restaurant email list isn’t just a list—it’s a direct connection to the people most likely to come back, order again, and spread the word.
Start growing it intentionally, and you’ll turn everyday interactions into long-term loyalty.
Contact ChowNow to learn how Direct Online Ordering and Automated Email Marketing can help you grow and get the most out of your restaurant email marketing list.
Use Takeout to Drive Customer Loyalty
Takeout isn’t just a convenience—it’s a powerful tool for building lasting relationships with your diners. But keeping diners engaged and coming back can be a challenge. In this guide, you’ll learn how to optimize your takeout strategy to encourage repeat business, increase direct orders, and strengthen customer loyalty.
