Building an email list that actually brings guests back
- Author
- Chad Hennig
- Published
- Read time
- 5 mins
Social reach rises and falls with algorithms. Ad prices only rise. The one channel that stays yours is the humble email list: guests who said, in writing, that they want to hear from you.
Collect addresses where orders happen
The best moment to grow the list is the moment someone orders. A guest checking out on your own ordering page has already shared an email for the receipt; a simple, honest opt-in for news and offers at that moment outperforms any clipboard by the register.
Send less than you think, better than you fear
The fear of annoying people kills more restaurant email programs than actual annoyance does. One or two good emails a month is plenty: the new seasonal menu, a dish returning, a weekday offer. Write it like a note from the owner, because it is one. Skip the month when there is nothing to say.
Make every email orderable
The point of the email is the moment a reader thinks that sounds good. End every message with the direct ordering link, so the thought becomes an order in two taps. An email list wired to an ordering page is the closest thing small restaurants have to a demand dial.
