What’s New at ChowNow This Spring 2026
Spring is when independent restaurants shift gears. Patio season opens, catering requests pick up, and weekends get busy fast.
But more volume doesn’t always mean more growth.
Too often, orders come through channels that take a cut. Guests dine in and leave without a trace. Marketing becomes something you know you should do but don’t have time to manage.
ChowNow is built to change that.
This spring, we’re launching new products and features designed to work together so every order, every guest, and every interaction builds your business:
Capture every guest.
Bring them back.
Grow higher-value orders.
And manage it all in one place.
Because the value you create should stay with you, not third-party platforms.
Keep Every Guest Coming Back Without Adding to Your Plate
By now, you’ve built a base of customers. The real opportunity is turning them into repeat revenue.
Email & Text Marketing helps you do exactly that.
Most restaurant operators know they should be doing more marketing. Finding the time and knowing where to start is the harder part.
ChowNow handles both.
It’s built directly into the platform you already use, powered by real ordering data, and designed to bring diners back automatically without adding more work.
ChowNow restaurants with a 1,000-diner email list generated about $10K a year from automated emails alone, with even more upside through SMS and audience growth.
Here’s what’s included:
Automated campaigns (set once, run continuously)
- Welcome: reaches every new diner after their first order
- Win Back: re-engages guests who haven’t ordered in 30 or 60 days
- VIP: rewards your most loyal customers
- Seasonal: timed promotions that go out when they matter most
On-Demand campaigns (send when you want)
- Email or SMS for new menu items, events, or limited-time offers
- Built-in editor with your branding already in place
- Schedule ahead or send immediately
Audience segments (no list-building required)
- First Time Diners
- Repeat Diners
- VIP Diners (4+ orders)
- Lapsed Diners (30, 60, 90 days inactive)
All segments are generated automatically from real order behavior.
Campaign reporting also lives inside your ChowNow dashboard: sends, opens, clicks, and unsubscribes. If you’re looking for more ideas on turning first-time diners into regulars, here’s what works for restaurant customer retention.
Now that your marketing is working to bring diners back, let’s talk about the orders most restaurants are missing entirely.
Add a Revenue Stream Your Kitchen Is Already Ready For
Catering orders average $360. They use the staff, kitchen, and ingredients you already have.
But most restaurants miss these orders because there’s no clear way for customers to place them online.
When someone can’t find a catering option on your website, they go somewhere else. Usually to a marketplace taking 15% or more and owning the customer relationship.
ChowNow Catering gives you a better way.
A dedicated, branded catering storefront on your website and app so you can capture high-value orders directly, keep more of the revenue, and own the relationship.
At just 5% per order, the difference is significant.
On a $500 catering order: ChowNow costs $25. A marketplace costs roughly $90.
What the experience looks like for your team:
- Catering orders flow into the same ChowNow dashboard as takeout
- Orders are clearly labeled as catering so your kitchen can plan ahead
- Set lead times and order minimums to stay in control
- Flex Delivery supports scheduling up to 30 days in advance
What the experience looks like for your guest:
- A dedicated catering page on your website and app
- Serving size guidance to simplify group ordering
- Dietary labels for mixed-group needs
- A hosted inquiry form for large or custom requests
Instead of losing high-value orders to marketplaces, you turn them into predictable, direct revenue. Every order also builds your customer base.
Get More From Every Guest Already in the Room
Your dine-in guests are some of your best customers.
They chose to show up. They had a great experience. Then they leave with no way to reach them again.
ChowNow’s QR Code Ordering changes that.
Guests scan a code at the table, browse your menu, order, and pay from their phone. No app required.
At checkout, their name, email, and phone number are captured automatically and added to your marketing database.
Restaurants using ChowNow’s QR Code Ordering have grown their marketing lists by over 40%.
Here’s what the experience looks like, from scan to seated:
- Guest scans the QR code at the table
- Browses your full menu and builds their order
- Pays directly from their phone, including tip
- Their contact information is captured automatically
- Order routes instantly to your ChowNow dashboard alongside other orders
If you are worried about the dining experience, this adds flexibility, not friction.
Guests who want a server still have that option. Guests who prefer to order at their own pace now can. Every guest interaction becomes an opportunity to build a lasting relationship.
See What’s Launching This Spring
This launch for ChowNow is built around the same idea: independent restaurants should own their customer relationships, grow revenue on their terms, and keep more of what they earn.
Explore everything launching this Spring here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s new at ChowNow in spring 2026?
Email and Text Marketing, Catering, QR Code Ordering, and new pricing plans designed to help restaurants grow revenue and own customer relationships.
How does QR code ordering help restaurants grow their marketing list?
Every dine-in order captures guest contact information at checkout and adds it directly to your database.
Does ChowNow support catering orders?
Yes. ChowNow Catering provides a dedicated storefront, flexible controls, and a 5% commission model so you can capture and manage high-value orders directly.
What’s included in ChowNow’s new Marketing?
Automated email and SMS campaigns, loyalty and rewards, smart segmentation, unified customer data, and reporting tied to real revenue.
