Updated 2026-02-01

Best Email Marketing Tools for Restaurants

Fill tables, promote specials, and build loyal regulars with the right email marketing platform for your restaurant.

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Running a restaurant is demanding. Between managing staff, inventory, and service, marketing often falls by the wayside. Email marketing helps you stay connected with guests, promote events and specials, and turn first-timers into regulars. But most email tools are built for tech companies, not hospitality. Here are 13 platforms that actually work for restaurants, ranked by ease of use, automation features, and value for money.

Why Restaurants Need Email Marketing

Fill Slow Nights

Tuesday looking empty? A targeted email with a special offer can turn a slow night into a profitable one. Email reaches guests who already know and love you.

Promote Events and Specials

Wine dinners, live music, holiday menus. Email is the fastest way to tell your best customers about what is happening at your restaurant.

Build Regulars

One-time guests become regulars when you stay in touch. Birthday offers, loyalty rewards, and genuine hospitality keep them coming back.

Collect Feedback

Automated post-visit emails help you catch problems early and generate reviews from happy guests.

13 Best Email Marketing Tools for Restaurants

Our Top Pick for Restaurants
#1
Sequenzy

AI-powered email marketing built for service businesses. Creates guest sequences automatically.

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Best for
Restaurants wanting automated guest communication without complexity
Pricing
$29/month for 50,000 emails

Pros

  • AI writes welcome and loyalty sequences
  • Simple interface for busy operators
  • Pay for emails sent, not contacts
  • Direct founder support

Cons

  • Launched in 2025, less track record
  • No built-in SMS
  • Fewer templates than established competitors
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#2
Mailchimp

The most popular email marketing platform. Solid features but can get expensive.

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Best for
Restaurants wanting a well-known platform
Pricing
Free up to 500 contacts, then $13-350/month

Pros

  • Extensive templates
  • Many integrations
  • Strong deliverability
  • Good analytics

Cons

  • Gets expensive fast
  • Interface overwhelming
  • Support has declined
  • Not designed for hospitality
See Full Comparison
#3
Constant Contact

Long-standing email platform popular with small businesses.

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Best for
Restaurants wanting simple email with phone support
Pricing
From $12/month for 500 contacts

Pros

  • Very easy to use
  • Excellent phone support
  • Event management features
  • Social integration

Cons

  • Limited automation
  • Dated templates
  • Higher prices
  • Basic segmentation
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#4
ActiveCampaign

Powerful automation platform with a learning curve.

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Best for
Restaurant groups with marketing staff
Pricing
From $29/month for 1,000 contacts

Pros

  • Excellent automation
  • CRM included
  • Great deliverability
  • Detailed scoring

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Overkill for single locations
  • Complex interface
  • Price jumps with features
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#5
Brevo

Formerly Sendinblue. Good value with transactional email included.

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Best for
Budget-conscious restaurants needing email and SMS
Pricing
Free up to 300 emails/day, then from $25/month

Pros

  • SMS included
  • Generous free tier
  • Transactional included
  • Good automation

Cons

  • Daily limits on free
  • Support can be slow
  • Limited integrations
  • Branding on free tier
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#6
MailerLite

Clean, simple email marketing with good automation.

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Best for
Restaurants wanting simplicity and affordability
Pricing
Free up to 1,000 subscribers, then from $10/month

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Clean interface
  • Good landing pages
  • Generous free tier

Cons

  • Strict approval
  • Limited advanced features
  • Basic reporting
  • Approval can take time
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#7
Drip

E-commerce focused but works for restaurants with online ordering.

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Best for
Restaurants with significant online ordering
Pricing
From $39/month for 2,500 contacts

Pros

  • Strong automation
  • Revenue tracking
  • E-commerce features
  • Detailed analytics

Cons

  • Built for e-commerce
  • Expensive
  • Overkill for dine-in only
  • Learning curve
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#8
GetResponse

All-in-one marketing platform with webinars and landing pages.

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Best for
Restaurants running special events
Pricing
From $19/month for 1,000 contacts

Pros

  • Webinar hosting
  • Landing page builder
  • Automation templates
  • Competitive pricing

Cons

  • Busy interface
  • Email editor could improve
  • Support varies
  • Features feel bolted on
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#9
AWeber

One of the original email platforms. Simple and reliable.

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Best for
Restaurants wanting no-frills reliability
Pricing
Free up to 500 subscribers, then from $15/month

Pros

  • Reliable deliverability
  • Simple to use
  • Good support
  • Long track record

Cons

  • Feels dated
  • Limited automation
  • Basic templates
  • Little innovation
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#10
ConvertKit

Built for creators but works for chef-driven content.

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Best for
Chef-driven restaurants with regular content
Pricing
Free up to 1,000 subscribers, then from $29/month

Pros

  • Great for newsletters
  • Clean management
  • Tag-based automation
  • Creator features

Cons

  • Not for hospitality
  • Limited design
  • No free landing pages
  • Expensive at scale
See Full Comparison
#11
HubSpot

Enterprise marketing platform with email included.

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Best for
Restaurant groups with marketing staff
Pricing
Free basic, paid from $50/month (realistically $200+)

Pros

  • Full CRM
  • Great for teams
  • Excellent reporting
  • Many integrations

Cons

  • Overkill for single locations
  • Expensive
  • Complex setup
  • Ecosystem commitment
See Full Comparison
#12
Moosend

Budget email marketing with solid features.

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Best for
Very price-conscious restaurants
Pricing
From $9/month for 500 subscribers

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Good automation
  • Responsive support
  • Landing pages

Cons

  • Less known
  • Limited integrations
  • Smaller templates
  • Fewer features
See Full Comparison
#13
Campaign Monitor

Professional email marketing with beautiful templates.

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Best for
Restaurants prioritizing email design
Pricing
From $9/month for 500 contacts

Pros

  • Beautiful templates
  • Professional emails
  • Reliable delivery
  • Link review

Cons

  • Contact-based pricing
  • Limited automation
  • Gets expensive
  • Not hospitality-specific
See Full Comparison

Feature Comparison

FeatureSequenzyMailchimpConstant ContactActiveCampaign
Reservation confirmations
Birthday offers
AI content generation
Drag-and-drop editor
Automation workflows
Basic
SMS marketing
Free tier available

Email Sequences Every Restaurant Needs

These are the essential automated email sequences that will help you grow your business and keep clients coming back.

New Guest Welcome

Trigger: After first visit or signup

Welcome new guests and encourage their second visit. The second visit is where loyalty starts.

Immediately
Thanks for dining with us, {{first_name}}

Thank you message. What makes your restaurant special. Invitation to return.

Day 7
A little something for your next visit

Special offer for their second visit. Make it compelling.

Day 14
Have you tried our {{signature_dish}}?

Highlight menu item. Create anticipation for their return.

Birthday Sequence

Trigger: 7 days before birthday

Birthday offers drive reservations and feel personal. Guests remember and share these experiences.

7 days before
Your birthday is coming up, {{first_name}}!

Birthday greeting with special offer. Encourage advance reservation.

On birthday
Happy Birthday, {{first_name}}!

Warm birthday wishes. Reminder of offer if they have not used it.

Post-Visit Feedback

Trigger: Day after visit

Collect feedback and generate reviews. Catch problems early and amplify positive experiences.

Day after
How was your visit, {{first_name}}?

Short feedback request. Happy guests directed to leave review, concerns handled privately.

Win-Back Sequence

Trigger: 60 days since last visit

Re-engage lapsed guests. Life gets busy but a compelling offer can bring them back.

Day 0
We miss you, {{first_name}}

Friendly check-in. Mention what is new since their last visit.

Day 14
A special reason to come back

Compelling offer to return. Create urgency.

Create These Sequences with AI

How to Choose the Right Email Tool

The best email marketing tool depends on your situation:

Single vs multiple locations. Single restaurants can use simpler tools. Restaurant groups need platforms that handle more complexity.

Online ordering matters. If you do significant online ordering, consider tools with e-commerce features.

Budget is real. Restaurants run on tight margins. Calculate cost at your expected guest list size.

What Actually Works for Restaurants

After talking to many restaurant operators about email marketing:

Be visual. Beautiful food photography drives engagement. Make guests hungry when they open your email.

Automate the basics. Birthday offers and post-visit feedback should run automatically. These drive loyalty without daily effort.

Respect the inbox. Do not over-email. Guests want to hear about events and specials, not daily promotions.

Getting Started

Pick a tool from this list. Then:

  1. Import your guest list
  2. Set up birthday offer automation
  3. Create post-visit feedback sequence
  4. Send a monthly newsletter

Start simple and expand later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most successful restaurants send 2-4 emails per month. This includes event announcements, seasonal menu updates, and occasional special offers. Do not over-email or guests will tune out.

Visual content performs well. Beautiful food photography, behind-the-scenes glimpses, chef stories, and exclusive offers. Make guests hungry when they read your email.

Collect at reservation booking, loyalty program signup, and WiFi login. Offer an incentive like a birthday offer or first-time discount for signing up.

Both work together. Email for confirmation with details. Text for day-of reminders. Text has higher open rates for time-sensitive messages.

Make signup valuable. Offer a birthday treat, first-time discount, or exclusive access to events. Train staff to mention signup. Use table tent cards.

Open rate (aim for 25%+), click rate (3%+), unsubscribe rate (under 0.5%). Most importantly, track reservations and visits attributed to email campaigns.

Respond personally and quickly. Thank them for feedback, apologize sincerely, and offer to make it right. Many unhappy guests become loyal when you handle problems well.

Check local regulations, but generally yes if you have a business relationship. Include easy unsubscribe and be respectful. Start with a re-engagement offer.

Create hunger and curiosity. Examples: 'Our new fall menu is here' or '{{first_name}}, your table is waiting' work well. Avoid spam triggers.

Segment by dining patterns if possible. Send targeted offers for typically slow nights. Make the offer time-limited to create urgency.

Ready to grow your restaurant practice?

Start your free trial today. Set up your first email sequence in minutes with AI-powered content generation.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com