Guide
Email, still the cheapest way back.
You own the list. Nobody can change an algorithm and take it away from you.
In short
Restaurant email works when the list is built from real customers at checkout, sends are infrequent and specific, and every message has a reason to exist. Two to four sends a month is plenty. The highest-performing emails are triggered ones, such as a win-back, rather than scheduled newsletters.
Updated 28 August 2026
Why email beats social for retention
Reach on social is rented and shrinking. Email lands in an inbox regardless of an algorithm, it costs almost nothing per send, and the list belongs to you. For bringing back a customer who has already ordered, it is the highest-return channel most restaurants have and the least used.
Build the list at the point of ordering
The best source is checkout, because those people have already bought. Ask for the email as part of the order, with a clear opt-in for marketing that is separate from the order confirmation. Do not buy lists and do not add people who only ever gave you an address for a delivery.
- At checkout, with a separate marketing opt-in
- On the wifi login, if you have one
- On a card in the bag, offering something specific
- Never bought, never scraped
Triggered beats scheduled
A newsletter goes to everybody whether or not it is relevant. A triggered message goes to one person at a moment when it makes sense: they have not ordered in a while, they have hit a loyalty threshold, it is their birthday. Triggered emails typically outperform scheduled ones by a wide margin, and they need setting up once rather than writing every month.
What to actually send
Something that has changed or something with a deadline. A new menu, a genuine offer that expires, a closure, a seasonal special. Restaurants get into trouble sending emails when nothing has happened, which is how a list gets trained to ignore you. If you have nothing to say, do not send.
Consent and the opt-out are not optional
In Ireland and the UK you need a lawful basis to market by email and a working unsubscribe on every message. Record when and how consent was given. Honour opt-outs immediately. Beyond being required, this keeps your deliverability healthy, because complaints are what get a sender filtered.
Questions, answered straight.
Not covered here? Just ask us.
How often should I email?
Two to four times a month at most for scheduled sends, plus triggered messages as they fire. More than that and unsubscribes climb faster than orders.
What open rate should I expect?
Open rates have become unreliable because of privacy features that pre-load images. Judge on clicks and on orders attributed to the send, not on opens.
Can I email everyone who has ordered?
Only those who gave you a marketing consent. An email address collected to fulfil an order is not automatically permission to market to it.
Plain text or designed?
Simple wins for restaurants. A short message with one link often beats a heavily designed template, and it is far less likely to land in a promotions tab.
See it run your restaurant.
Twenty minutes on your menu and your numbers. We'll show you what actually changes in the first month and exactly what it costs. If it's not right for your restaurant, we'll tell you that instead.
- Live in days, not months
- We build your menu and train your staff
- No contract, and thirty days to change your mind
Rather just ring us? +353 87 438 8032
Tell us about your restaurant
We reply the same day, usually inside a couple of hours.