- Restaurant email marketing tools compared
- Eleven email marketing tools for restaurants
- When can you email guests who booked?
- Do you need a hospitality platform?
- Emails that fill tables
- Before you pick a tool for guest emails
- Signs your restaurant emails need a rethink
- My plain advice on choosing email marketing for a restaurant
- Frequently asked questions
The best email marketing tools for restaurants help you turn first-time guests into regulars with menus, offers, event news and loyalty updates. Some are general email platforms, others are hospitality systems that use booking, ordering and POS data to send personal emails. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
Every restaurant has a quiet Tuesday. A short, friendly email to guests who loved their last visit is one of the simplest ways to fill those tables.
The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the tool's own website, read this week. For help writing menus and offers, my collection of AI prompts for restaurant menus is a handy shortcut.
Restaurant email marketing tools compared
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version, a free account, a free allowance or open source software. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start for free.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| BentoBox | Restaurant marketing and commerce platform | Restaurant websites with marketing | Not stated |
| Brevo | Email, SMS, CRM and automation platform | Email and texts for regulars | Not stated |
| Fishbowl | Restaurant marketing and guest relationship platform | Multi-site restaurant groups | Not stated |
| Mailchimp | Email and SMS marketing platform | Good-looking menus and offers | Trial only |
| Owner.com | Online ordering and restaurant marketing system | Independent restaurants growing direct orders | Not stated |
| Paytronix | Digital guest engagement platform | Loyalty-led email programmes | Not stated |
| Popmenu | Restaurant marketing and online discovery | Filling tables and bringing guests back | Not stated |
| SevenRooms | Hospitality and restaurant marketing and operations software | Reservations data driving email | Not stated |
| SpotOn | Restaurant technology and POS | Guest data from the till feeding marketing | Not stated |
| Square Marketing | Email and automation tools from Square | Cafes already on Square | Not stated |
| Thanx | Restaurant guest engagement software | Loyalty for quick service brands | Not stated |
Eleven email marketing tools for restaurants
BentoBox
Best for: Restaurants that want a website, online ordering and guest marketing from one hospitality-focused platform.
Brevo
Best for: Independent cafes that want newsletters and text offers for regulars from one general marketing platform.
Fishbowl
Best for: Restaurant groups that want guest data, loyalty and email marketing managed across many locations at once.
Mailchimp
Best for: Single-site venues that want attractive emails, menus and simple automations from a familiar email tool.
Owner.com
Best for: Independent restaurants that want direct online ordering and automated marketing to bring guests back.
Paytronix
Best for: Restaurant brands that want loyalty, gift cards and email tied together in a guest engagement platform.
Popmenu
Best for: Restaurants that want online discovery, menus and marketing that brings regulars back more often.
SevenRooms
Best for: Hospitality groups that want reservation and guest data driving automatic, personal marketing emails to every guest.
SpotOn
Best for: Venues using or choosing SpotOn's POS who want marketing connected to their guest data.
Square Marketing
Best for: Cafes and small restaurants already using Square that want email campaigns built from their customer directory.
Thanx
Best for: Quick service and fast casual brands that want loyalty and personalised email to drive repeat visits.
When can you email guests who booked?
In the UK, the rules are stricter than many owners realise. The Information Commissioner's Office says you can't send marketing emails or texts to individuals without specific consent, but there's a limited exception for your own previous customers, often called the soft opt-in.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Guests who booked or ordered from you may fall under that exception for similar offers, as long as they were given a clear chance to opt out when you collected their details and in every message. When in doubt, ask for consent at booking with a simple tick box.
Do you need a hospitality platform?
General email platforms give you attractive templates and simple automations, and they're easy to learn. Hospitality platforms connect to your reservations, online orders or POS, so they can email guests based on what they ate, when they last visited or how often they come.
Single-site cafes often do well with a general tool. Restaurant groups and busy venues get more from a platform that knows their guests.
Emails that fill tables
Send fewer, better emails: a monthly newsletter with a new dish, an event or a seasonal menu, plus automatic emails for birthdays and guests you haven't seen in a while. Keep them short, with mouth-watering photos and one clear way to book.
Then track bookings from each email so you know what works. My guide to improving a hospitality brand's online presence has more ideas for staying front of mind.
Before you pick a tool for guest emails
- Can it collect guest emails at booking or checkout?
- Does it connect to my reservations, ordering or POS?
- Can I send birthday and win-back emails automatically?
- Does it handle consent and unsubscribes cleanly?
- Can I see which emails led to bookings?
- Will it work across all my locations?
Signs your restaurant emails need a rethink
- Guests never hear from you. Start a monthly note.
- Every email is a discount. Share stories too.
- You can't see results. Track bookings.
- Emails look the same each time. Use fresh photos.
Do you make email marketing software for restaurants? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing email marketing for a restaurant
Collect emails with permission at every booking and order, because your guest list is worth more than any discount site. Then email like a host, not an advertiser.
A warm note about a new dish or a quiet-night offer for regulars will do far more than a weekly blast of promotions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best email marketing for restaurants?
It depends on whether you run one cafe or a group of venues. The list above is in no particular order.
Can I email guests who booked a table?
The ICO says the soft opt-in may allow emails to previous customers about similar offers, if they could opt out.
Is there free email marketing for restaurants?
Some tools offer trials or free sign-ups. The free plan column shows what each tool's own site says.
How often should a restaurant send emails?
Monthly updates plus automatic birthday and win-back emails suit most venues.
What should a restaurant email include?
A new dish, an event or a seasonal menu, a great photo and one clear way to book.
Do I need a hospitality-specific tool?
Not always. Single venues often do well with a general tool. Groups benefit from guest data.
