For restaurants
Email marketing for restaurants
Booking platforms own the first visit. Your email list owns the second, third and tenth. A restaurant newsletter fills Monday and Tuesday covers, sells tickets for supper clubs and tasting nights, and tells your best customers about the new menu before anyone else.
4 emails every restaurant should send
The new menu, first
Send it to your list a few days before it goes on social, with a "book a table" button. Make regulars feel like insiders.
Event night
Wine pairing, supper club or quiz night with a countdown timer and an Add to calendar button.
Quiet-night offer
A set menu for Monday to Wednesday. Email reaches people who'd never see an Instagram story.
Gift vouchers
In November and early December, a simple email with a link to buy vouchers sells far more than a sign in the window.
Subject lines to steal
- You're first to see our new menu
- Only 24 seats for the wine night
- Midweek set menu: 3 courses, £25
- Christmas bookings are open
- A table for two this Friday?
Check yours with our free subject line checker.
Tips that make the difference
Put the booking button high up
Link straight to your booking page (OpenTable, ResDiary, your own site) near the top of the email.
Use proper food photos
One great photo beats five average ones. Crop it to a wide banner so it looks good on phones.
Ask at the end of the meal
"Want to hear about our events first?" with a QR code on the bill folder works well.
Why restaurants use iynbox Business
- Free for lists under 2,500 people, with every feature.
- Blocks made for local trade: countdown timers, tap-to-vote polls, Add to calendar, QR codes and booking buttons.
- Your own sign-up page at yourbusiness.iynbox.com, ready for a QR code by the till.
- Edit on your phone: tap anything in the email to change it.
- Made in the UK, priced in pounds, with one-click unsubscribe and consent records built in.
Questions
What should a restaurant newsletter include?
One main thing (a new menu, an event or an offer), a good photo, a booking button and your opening hours. Keep extra news to a line or two.
When is the best time to send restaurant emails?
Thursday morning or early afternoon works well for weekend bookings. For a midweek offer, send on Monday or Tuesday morning.
Last reviewed November 2026. More for: cafés, pubs, bakeries, hair salons, beauty salons, gyms.