Emailing Will Keep Your Restaurant Full

In the good old days, your ambience was sufficient to bring in the crowds, they stayed for the good food and your gracious servers, and they knew where to return to without a reminder.

The good old days don't have to be gone, if you take the time and lend some effort to smart steps to make sure their interest is undeterred by leaner times.  There are a bunch of great ways to maintain and boost traffic, but perhaps none better than a well-managed email campaign.

Email is a most welcome communication if it's a reminder of time well spent.  Not all email is spam or considered intrusive.  If you take care about how you go about it, the perception will be positive, and the results can be substantial.

It's highly unusual for restaurants to maintain email lists of their clientele.  It's too much like merchandising, too much like hawking.  Your patrons would never respond to a pitch in an email.. or would they?

An email is more than a reminder.. it's an invitation, and that's the way all your communiques ought come across.  "Old friend, Tupper's is having a party this Friday night, and our chef is preparing a Scottish Lamb Roast that's never been seen on this side of the Atlantic.  We'd love for you to join us.  Let us know that you are coming, and your first glass of wine is gratis."

There's not a single reason on Earth that your email can't be gracious, short and sweet, classy and dignified.

Ok, it's a thought.. but where do I get the names?  Check through your online reservations, and you'll find hundreds upon hundreds of bona fide names- people who came and would come again but for an invitation to do so.  Begin to gather emails from your diners.  Ask for their email as they are finishing up dessert, and let them know the purpose.  Yes, we absolutely intend to contact you by email a few times a year, but we promise it's just between you and me, and we promise it will always be about something good, new and delicious on our menu, or something special that will be happening.  

Half will decline, but half will say:  Sure!   Why not??  You can place a simple card on their restaurant placemats with a space for a name and an email.  The card can also reiterate that you won't share their email address with anyone.. not for love nor money, and you mean it.  (And you must keep your word!)

Designate an internet savvy person on your staff to manage your list and your campaign, and use a hosted web service that makes list management and bulk emailing simple and very cost-effective.  You can find them easily by Googling "email management."

You may have your reservations about this strategy now, but as you will soon have new reservations by the score that plainly come from your diligence in emailing, your concerns will fly out the window and a convert you will be.  Happy emailing!