Customers are a restaurant's best friends, and to keep that relationship thriving, it's important to stay in contact.

But how can restaurants ensure they don't ghost their customers?

Menufy by HungerRush’s restaurant success experts recommend using email marketing! 

Email is considered one of the most effective marketing channels. Over 80% of consumers would like to receive promotional emails from businesses at least once a month. When done effectively, this popular form of communication helps both the restaurant and customer! 

We spoke with the Menufy team to uncover the intricacies of email marketing and learn how it can benefit restaurants.

The Story Of Email Marketing 

What is Email Marketing?

Can you guess what year the very first email was sent? 

You are correct if you guessed over fifty years ago, in 1971. 

And, as the number of emails sent every year grows, businesses have begun using emails to capture the attention of existing customers. Communication and awareness are the foundation of email marketing.  

Eve Butler, a Menufy restaurant success manager, knows how important email marketing is in the restaurant industry: "In this day and age, humans are receiving a plethora of emails. But how many are from their favorite restaurants? It's so important to cut through the clutter and come up with stand-out emails that catch customers' attention and entice them to order again soon." 

The most effective marketing emails have catchy subject lines, a clear purpose, and, most importantly, a call to action. For example, if a restaurant wants to increase weekly orders, the email should be built to support that purpose.

Nikki Finley, a digital marketing specialist, has been creating effective marketing emails for Menufy clients for years. She believes that even simple messages can make all the difference to a restaurant:

"Email marketing can be great for making sure customers are in the know about any additional promotions or specials you have going on. They also are helpful if a restaurant has an important announcement to share, such as that they will have limited hours or are closing early or for a day or they're under construction," suggested Nikki.

The Benefits of Email Marketing

Stay in Touch

Emails make customers feel as if a business is thinking of them. Customers who receive semi-frequent messages will also remember what they love about a restaurant, which will inspire them to order again!  

Most email marketing platforms require customers to sign up or opt in to receive email messages. This means that the customers on the mailing list WANT to hear from their favorite restaurants and will likely enjoy receiving marketing emails—as long as they are worth reading.

Carlos Gomez, a web optimization specialist, helps Menufy restaurants find success in a digital world. He insists that email marketing is the perfect choice for hitting up current customers: "Email marketing hits the customers that opt in, the ones that believe in helping restaurants by ordering direct."

Carlos also believes that the perfect email message isn't as hard to create as you'd think: "Emails can be as simple as sharing information about weekly specials, holiday events, etc.," he suggested.

Email marketing is very effective at generating interest and making customers come back for more. When done right, it's a simple way to keep customers up-to-date and excited about new menu items or promotions.

There's Still Love for Emails

Even with new ways to communicate, such as Snapchat and TikTok, humans still love sending and receiving emails. 

As the years have gone by, email remains one of our main communication choices, and in 2022 alone, 333.2 billion emails are expected to be sent daily.

Social media is an important marketing channel for the restaurant industry, but customers may miss announcements if they aren't online. Emails, on the other hand, go directly to the subscriber's inbox and can be read at their leisure. 

With about 50% of consumers buying something based on marketing emails at least once a month, it's time that restaurants capitalize on the popularity of digital mail! Restaurateurs can, at minimum, use emails to drive customers to a preferred ordering website. 

Affordable and Effective Marketing

Restaurateurs know the power of a regular. 

Studies show that it costs five times as much to gain a new customer compared to re-engaging established patrons. This point alone should convince restaurants to harness the power of email marketing!

Email marketing enables restaurants to nurture a relationship with dine-in and online customers without costing a fortune, unlike other marketing options.

"Social media just isn't helping reach customers like it used to. Nowadays, these platforms require a big chunk of cash to be effective," explained Carlos Gomez.

Unlike other platforms, for every dollar spent on email marketing, businesses can expect to see a $42 return on investment.

Most third-party marketing platforms are easy to use and offer free accounts. However, free accounts often mean basic features and restrictions on how many contacts can be messaged a month. 

How Menufy Can Help

In addition to a custom-built website, all Menufy restaurant partners have access to a variety of marketing tools. One of these features is a FREE email campaign feature that can be found alongside familiar tools on the manager dashboard. Restaurant owners can create custom marketing campaigns without navigating to a third-party website.

The best part is that restaurateurs don't have to mess with uploading email addresses. The free email marketing tool automatically handles customer contacts.

"The free email tool is great around the holidays for special offerings or notices about limited hours. It's also a great tool to encourage preorders before Thanksgiving or other holiday gatherings," recommended Nikki Finley.

Customers who order through the Menufy-built website can opt in to email promotions. As more online orders come in, more customer contacts are collected. 

The best part of this continually growing email list? Restaurants OWN this data! Unlike some services, Menufy doesn't hold customer information hostage. Using the manager portal, Menufy clients can access their collection of customer contacts at any time!

Many clients love a hands-on approach to creating custom marketing emails. However, some restaurant owners prefer to let the Menufy experts drive when it comes to digital marketing. 

In these cases, we recommend that restaurant owners take advantage of Menufy's white-glove email and text marketing program, HungerRush 360 Marketing. A certified in-house digital marketing coach will create irresistible text and email campaigns that encourage customers to hit that order now button.

"HungerRush 360 Marketing is about nurturing your customers after they place their first order and engaging customers that haven't ordered in a while. The automated process and custom graphics make this product the ideal set-it-and-forget-it marketing," explained Nikki.

The Last Byte

Email marketing isn't going away anytime soon. People continue to check their email for deals, promotions, and announcements from their favorite businesses. 

The best way to increase online orders is by communicating regularly with your regular patrons! Email marketing is an affordable and effective solution for doing just that. 

It's time for restaurants to claim space in their customers' inboxes! 

Is your restaurant ready to dive into the world of email marketing? 

Check out this step-by-step guide for creating amazing messages using Menufy's FREE email marketing tool! If a premium marketing solution is what your restaurant needs, explore our HungerRush 360 Marketing demo!

Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Manager
Melissa is the Marketing Manager for Menufy by HungerRush. She began working with restaurant managers and executive chefs over a decade ago, coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.