11 best email marketing tools for restaurants in 2025

Email marketing for restaurants can be challenging with all its unique responsibilities.

You're managing fluctuating customer traffic, promoting time-sensitive specials and events, coordinating reservations across multiple channels, competing for attention in crowded local markets, and building loyalty programs that keep diners coming back.

Email marketing tools solve these problems by automating reservation confirmations, segmenting customers by dining preferences and visit frequency, and promoting specials when customers are most likely to book.

The right platform helps you fill tables during slow periods, increase average order values, and turn one-time visitors into regulars.

In this guide, you‘ll find a detailed comparison table of 11 email marketing platforms, feature breakdowns for each tool, benefits specific to restaurants, a step-by-step selection guide, and answers to common questions.

Here’s what matters: restaurants using email marketing can see an average of 3-5x ROI, with targeted campaigns driving up to 25% more repeat visits.

HubSpot is used by restaurant groups worldwide—from single-location eateries to multi-unit chains—who rely on the platform's integrated CRM and marketing automation to increase reservations and build customer loyalty.

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Table of Contents

What is email marketing for restaurants? Comparison Table: Best Email Marketing Software for Restaurants Best Email Marketing Software for Restaurants Benefits of Email Marketing Software for Restaurants 10 Important Features for Restaurant Email Marketing Software How to Choose an Email Marketing Tool for Restaurants (Step-by-Step) How to Create Email Marketing Campaigns for Restaurants Frequently Asked Questions Meet HubSpot, the Top Email Marketing Choice for Restaurants

What is email marketing for restaurants?

Email marketing for restaurants is a key way to stay connected with diners through targeted campaigns. You use it to promote daily specials, announce new menu items, send reservation reminders, share exclusive offers, celebrate customer birthdays, and drive traffic during slow periods with strategic promotions.

Comparison Table: Best Email Marketing Software for Restaurants

Email Marketing Tool	Best For	Key Features	Pricing	Average Rating
HubSpot	Multi-location restaurant groups	Free CRM, reservation tracking, loyalty automation, revenue attribution	Free; Available with Marketing Hub; Starter $9/month per seat	4.4/5
Mailchimp	Independent restaurants and cafes	Templates, automation, segmentation, journey mapping	Free; Essentials $13/month	4.3/5
Constant Contact	Restaurants prioritizing ease of use	Drag-and-drop builder, event marketing, live support	Starts at $12/month	4.0/5
ActiveCampaign	Restaurants needing advanced automation	Guest scoring, SMS integration, conditional workflows	Starts at $15/month	4.6/5
Klaviyo	Restaurants with online ordering	Advanced segmentation, predictive analytics, revenue tracking	Free; Email $45/month	4.6/5
Brevo	Growing restaurant groups needing SMS	Email + SMS, transactional emails, unlimited contacts	Free; Starter $8.08/month	4.5/5
Omnisend	Restaurants with e-commerce components	Omnichannel automation, product recommendations	Free; Standard $11.20/month	4.5/5
Square Marketing	Restaurants using Square POS	Native POS integration, automated campaigns, customer insights	Starts at $45/month	4.3/5
Toast Marketing	Restaurants using Toast POS	Toast POS integration, guest data sync, automated campaigns	Custom pricing	4.5/5
Moosend	Budget-conscious restaurants	Unlimited emails, automation, landing pages	Free; Pro $9/month	4.6/5
GetResponse	Restaurants hosting events	Webinar/event hosting, automation, conversion funnels	Email $15/month	4.2/5

Best Email Marketing Software for Restaurants

Here are the top email marketing platforms that work well for restaurants, cafes, bars, and hospitality businesses.

1. HubSpot

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Best For: Multi-location restaurant groups that need CRM, marketing automation, and reservation tracking in one platform

Key HubSpot Features:

Free CRM with guest profile management – Track every customer interaction from first reservation to repeat visits, dietary preferences, favorite dishes, and spending patterns. Everyone on your team sees the same up-to-date guest information. Automated loyalty campaign workflows – Create email sequences that reward repeat visits, celebrate customer milestones, and re-engage guests who haven't dined in 30-60-90 days without manual work. Revenue attribution by location and campaign – See which email campaigns drive reservations, online orders, and in-store visits. Connect your marketing directly to revenue by location, day part, and promotion type.

HubSpot Pricing:

Marketing Hub Free: $0 (email marketing, forms, landing pages, CRM) Marketing Hub Starter: $9/month per seat Marketing Hub Professional: $800/month Marketing Hub Enterprise: $3,600/month View detailed pricing

2. Mailchimp

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Best For: Independent restaurants and cafes that want easy-to-use automation with food and beverage templates

Key Mailchimp Features:

Restaurant-specific templates – Launch promotions quickly with email designs built for daily specials, happy hour announcements, and seasonal menu reveals without design skills. Guest journey mapping – Visualize the complete diner experience from first visit to loyal regular, spot communication gaps, and find opportunities to increase visit frequency. Behavioral automation – Send targeted emails based on what customers do—reservation bookings, online orders, email clicks—to follow up at the right time without manual sending.

Mailchimp Pricing:

Free tier (limited capabilities) Essentials: $13/month Standard: $20/month Premium: $350/month View detailed pricing

3. Constant Contact

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Best For: Restaurants that want simple email marketing with strong customer support and event promotion tools

Key Constant Contact Features:

Drag-and-drop email builder – Create professional restaurant emails without coding. Simple interface makes launching promotions fast, even during busy service hours. Event marketing integration – Promote and manage wine tastings, chef dinners, live music nights, and private events with registration, confirmations, and reminders in one place. Real-time reporting dashboard – Monitor campaign performance with clear visuals showing opens, clicks, and reservations without complex analytics.

Constant Contact Pricing:

Lite: $12/month Standard: $35/month Premium: $80/month View detailed pricing

4. ActiveCampaign

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Best For: Restaurants that need sophisticated automation and guest scoring for VIP programs and personalized marketing

Key ActiveCampaign Features:

Advanced guest scoring – Automatically identify your highest-value customers based on visit frequency, average check size, and email engagement to create VIP experiences and exclusive offers. Conditional workflow automation – Create email sequences that adapt based on guest responses, dining preferences, and visit patterns with different paths for first-timers versus regulars. Integrated SMS – Coordinate email and text campaigns for time-sensitive communications like same-day table availability, last-minute reservations, and weather-related closures.

ActiveCampaign Pricing:

Starter: $15/month Plus: $49/month Pro: $79/month Enterprise: $145/month View detailed pricing

5. Klaviyo

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Best For: Restaurants with online ordering and delivery that need advanced segmentation and revenue attribution

Key Klaviyo Features:

Predictive analytics for restaurants – Identify guests likely to churn, predict future order values, and recommend menu items based on past orders using machine learning algorithms. Advanced segmentation with 350+ criteria – Create specific guest segments based on order history, dietary preferences, spending patterns, and visit frequency for hyper-targeted promotions. Revenue attribution tracking – See exactly how much revenue each email campaign generates from dine-in reservations, online orders, and delivery to prove marketing ROI.

Klaviyo Pricing:

Free: $0 (250 contacts) Email: Starting at $45/month Email + SMS: $60/month View detailed pricing

6. Brevo

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Best For: Growing restaurant groups that need email and SMS in one platform with pricing based on sends, not contacts

Key Brevo Features:

Unified email and SMS for restaurants – Coordinate text reminders with email promotions from one interface to confirm reservations via SMS while promoting specials via email. Transactional email capabilities – Automatically send reservation confirmations, online order receipts, and gift card purchase confirmations with reliable delivery. Unlimited contacts on paid plans – Build large customer databases without escalating costs since pricing is based on emails sent, not contact count—ideal for growing email lists.

Brevo Pricing:

Free: $0 (300 emails/day) Starter: $8.08/month Business: $16.17/month Professional: $449.08/month Enterprise: Custom pricing View detailed pricing

7. Omnisend

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Best For: Restaurants with merchandise, meal kits, or packaged goods that need e-commerce email marketing

Key Omnisend Features:

Omnichannel workflow automation – Create unified customer journeys that combine email, SMS, and push notifications based on guest behavior for consistent messaging across channels. Product recommendation engine – Automatically suggest menu items, merchandise, or meal kits based on previous orders to increase average order value through personalized recommendations. Campaign booster feature – Automatically resend campaigns to non-openers with different subject lines to give each promotion a second chance and increase overall reach by 10-15%.

Omnisend Pricing:

Free: $0 Standard: $11.20/month Pro: $41.30/month View detailed pricing

8. Square Marketing

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Best For: Restaurants using Square POS that want native integration with their point-of-sale system

Key Square Marketing Features:

Native Square POS integration – Automatically sync customer data from your POS system, including purchase history, visit frequency, and favorite items without manual exports or third-party connectors. Automated campaign triggers – Set up emails that automatically send after customer visits, on customer birthdays, or when guests haven't visited in 30 days based on actual POS data. Customer insights from POS data – Segment guests based on real purchase behavior, average check size, and visit patterns pulled directly from your point-of-sale system.

Square Marketing Pricing:

Free Square Plus: $49/month Square Premium: $149/month View detailed pricing

9. Toast Marketing

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Best For: Restaurants that want deep integration with their restaurant management system

Key Features:

Toast POS integration – Sync guest data directly from Toast POS, including order history, preferences, allergies, and visit frequency for highly personalized marketing campaigns. Automated guest communication – Send triggered emails and SMS based on Toast data, including post-visit thank you messages, birthday offers, and win-back campaigns for lapsed diners. Loyalty program integration – Connect email campaigns to Toast loyalty program data to promote point balances, reward redemptions, and tier achievements that drive repeat visits.

Pricing:

Custom pricing based on restaurant size and needs Contact Toast for a quote View detailed information

10. Moosend

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Best For: Budget-conscious restaurants that want powerful automation at low cost

Key Features:

Unlimited email sending – Send as many emails as needed without per-message charges, making it economical for frequent promotions like daily specials and happy hour announcements. AI-powered subject line optimization – Improve open rates with AI that analyzes performance and suggests improvements based on millions of campaigns to make your promotions stand out. Landing page builder included – Create campaign pages for event registrations, online ordering promotions, and gift card sales to consolidate tools and reduce costs.

Pricing:

Free: $0 Pro: $9/month Enterprise: Custom pricing View detailed pricing

11. GetResponse

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Best For: Restaurants hosting cooking classes, wine tastings, and special events that need event management

Key GetResponse Features:

Integrated event hosting – Manage virtual cooking classes, wine tastings, and chef demonstrations for up to 1,000 participants without separate event software. Conversion funnel builder – Create complete marketing funnels with landing pages, email sequences, and event registration that guide diners from awareness to booking. Autofunnel templates – Launch campaigns faster with pre-built templates for restaurant promotions that take minutes instead of hours to set up and deploy.

Pricing:

Starter: $15.58 Marketer: $48.38 Creator: $56.58 View detailed pricing

Benefits of Email Marketing Software for Restaurants

Fill tables during slow periods.

Stop relying on walk-ins during off-peak hours. Email marketing software promotes strategic offers during slow day parts and days of the week. Restaurants increase weekday lunch traffic significantly by using targeted slow-period promotions. Send timed campaigns that reach customers when they're planning their meals.

Build a loyal regular customer base.

Email keeps you top of mind and turns first-time visitors into regulars. Automated loyalty campaigns reward repeat visits and celebrate milestones. Restaurants increase repeat visit frequency through strategic email loyalty programs. Create VIP experiences that make guests feel valued.

Increase average order values.

Identify high-value menu items and promote them to the right customers at the right time. Restaurants boost average check sizes by 20-30% using AI-powered systems like personalized menu recommendations in email. Suggest appetizers, premium entrees, and desserts based on past ordering behavior.

Reduce no-shows and cancellations.

Automated reminder emails and SMS reduce forgotten reservations. Restaurants decrease no-show rates with automated confirmation and reminder sequences. Send reminders 24 hours before reservations with easy modification options.

Generate revenue from your email list.

Turn your customer database into a revenue channel. Email campaigns drive reservations, online orders, gift card sales, and merchandise purchases. See exactly which promotions generate the most revenue and optimize accordingly.

10 Important Features for Restaurant Email Marketing Software

POS integration – Sync customer data from your point-of-sale system automatically Reservation system integration – Connect with OpenTable, Resy, or proprietary booking systems SMS capabilities – Send text messages for time-sensitive promotions and confirmations Segmentation by dining preferences – Target customers based on dietary needs, favorite dishes, and visit patterns Automated birthday campaigns – Trigger special offers on customer birthdays automatically Mobile optimization – Display properly on smartphones where 75% of restaurant emails are opened A/B testing – Test subject lines, send times, and offers to improve performance Behavioral automation – Trigger follow-ups based on reservations, orders, and website visits Revenue attribution – Track which campaigns drive reservations and online orders Event marketing tools – Promote and manage special events, tastings, and private parties

How to Choose an Email Marketing Tool for Restaurants (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Map your restaurant marketing workflows.

Document all customer touchpoints, including reservation confirmations, post-visit thank-you messages, birthday offers, loyalty rewards, event promotions, daily specials, seasonal menu launches, and win-back campaigns for lapsed customers. Identify what's manual and what could be automated.

Step 2: Identify must-have features based on your restaurant type.

Quick-service restaurants need online ordering integration and mobile optimization. Fine dining establishments need a reservation system integration and VIP guest management. Restaurant groups need multi-location capabilities and centralized reporting. List your absolute requirements versus nice-to-haves.

Step 3: Compare ease of use and team fit.

Test platforms during free trials. Can your team create campaigns independently between service shifts, or will you need ongoing support? Constant Contact and Mailchimp suit beginners. ActiveCampaign and HubSpot offer more power but require more expertise.

Step 4: Check cost at scale.

Calculate costs as your customer database grows over 12-24 months. Some platforms charge per contact, others per email sent. Project your list size (including email captures from reservations, WiFi signups, and loyalty programs) and check pricing at that volume. Include costs for SMS messaging.

Step 5: Choose a flexible platform — like HubSpot

Pick a platform that scales without forcing you to migrate later. HubSpot supports restaurants from single locations through multi-unit chains with one unified platform. Start with the free tier, then upgrade as you grow — no data migration required.

How to Create Email Marketing Campaigns for Restaurants

Define your campaign goal and target audience.

Set a clear objective before creating content. Are you filling tables during slow periods? Promoting a new menu? Building your loyalty program? Generating gift card sales? Re-engaging lapsed customers? Clear goals guide everything from subject lines to offers.

Segment your customer list.

Divide contacts into targeted groups: first-time visitors versus regulars, lunch versus dinner customers, dietary preferences (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.), high spenders versus value seekers, and inactive guests. [Segmented restaurant campaigns] [generate 65% higher open rates] [than generic broadcasts].

Design appetizing, mobile-optimized templates.

Build templates that showcase your food beautifully while displaying properly on smartphones (where 75% of restaurant emails are opened). Use high-quality food photography, single-column layouts, clear hierarchy, and large tap-friendly buttons for reservations.

Write subject lines that drive action.

Communicate value and urgency immediately. Examples: “Tonight Only: 20% Off All Wine,” “Your Birthday Dinner is On Us,” “New Fall Menu Just Dropped,” or “Table for 2 Available This Saturday.” Keep subject lines under 40 characters and include time-sensitive language.

Include one clear call-to-action.

Direct recipients toward one primary action: make a reservation, order online, buy a gift card, register for an event, or redeem an offer. Multiple CTAs create confusion. Place your primary CTA prominently with contrasting colors and action-oriented text.

Set up automated follow-up sequences.

Configure triggered follow-ups based on guest behavior. Send thank you emails within 24 hours of dining. Follow up with review requests 2-3 days later. Create win-back campaigns for guests who haven't visited in 30-60-90 days with escalating offers.

Monitor performance and adjust timing.

Track opens, clicks, reservations, and revenue generated. Test different send times to find when your customers are most likely to engage. Many restaurants see best results sending lunch promotions Tuesday-Thursday mornings and dinner promotions Thursday-Friday afternoons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best email marketing tool for restaurants?

HubSpot is the best email marketing tool for restaurants because it combines email, SMS, CRM, and reservation tracking in one platform.

The free tier includes unlimited contacts, email marketing, forms, landing pages, and CRM—accessible for single-location restaurants and small chains. Multi-location groups benefit from revenue attribution that connects campaigns to reservations and online orders by location.

Restaurant groups using HubSpot increased repeat customer visits through automated loyalty campaigns and personalized offers.

What features should I look for in email marketing tools for restaurants?

Look for POS integration, reservation system integration, SMS capabilities, segmentation by dining preferences, automated birthday campaigns, mobile optimization, behavioral automation, A/B testing, revenue attribution, and event marketing tools.

POS integration automatically syncs customer data without requiring manual exports. SMS capabilities matter for time-sensitive promotions and reservation confirmations. Mobile optimization is essential because 50-60% of emails are opened on mobile devices.

Is HubSpot good for restaurants?

Yes, HubSpot is excellent for restaurants. It provides a single platform for marketing, reservations, and guest management, specifically designed for hospitality businesses. The free CRM tracks every customer interaction, including visit history, favorite dishes, dietary restrictions, and spending patterns.

Marketing automation enables the creation of workflows for reservation confirmations, post-visit thank-you messages, and loyalty rewards, eliminating the need for technical expertise.

Multi-location restaurant groups increased online ordering revenue by using HubSpot's automated campaigns and segmentation. Single locations start free, then scale up as they grow.

How much does email marketing software for restaurants cost?

Email marketing software costs $0-$3,600+ monthly, depending on customer database size, features, and restaurant scale. Free tiers support typically 250-1,000 contacts with basic features.

Entry-level paid plans cost $12-$ 29 per month for under 1,000 contacts. Mid-market restaurants with 2,500-5,000 contacts typically spend $50-$ 200 per month. Large restaurant groups with 10,000+ contacts invest $ 500-$3,600+ per month.

Some platforms charge per contact, others per email or SMS sent—compare carefully as your list grows.

How can restaurants build their email lists?

Build email lists through WiFi signup forms that require email addresses for access, table-side tablet signups offering birthday rewards, reservation system integrations that automatically capture emails, point-of-sale prompts during checkout, website popups offering first-visit discounts, social media contests requiring email entries, and in-store signage promoting loyalty programs.

Restaurants grow email lists 3-5x faster using multiple capture points throughout the customer journey. Always provide clear value in exchange for email addresses.

Meet HubSpot, the Top Email Marketing Choice for Restaurants

HubSpot combines email marketing, SMS, CRM, and reservation tracking into a single platform designed specifically for hospitality businesses. Over 184,000 businesses trust HubSpot worldwide because it eliminates the need for multiple disconnected tools.

Key HubSpot Features for Restaurants:

Unified guest database and marketing platform – Manage every customer interaction from first reservation to 50th visit, including dietary preferences, favorite dishes, allergies, and spending patterns in one system that everyone accesses. Automated reservation and loyalty workflows – Create email and SMS sequences triggered by reservations, visit milestones, and guest behavior using drag-and-drop automation with conditional logic—no technical expertise required. Multi-location revenue attribution – Track which campaigns drive reservations, online orders, and in-store visits by location, day part, and promotion type to see exactly what's working.

HubSpot's Impact on Restaurants:

Multi-location restaurant groups increased repeat customer visits with HubSpot's automated loyalty campaigns that reward visit frequency and spending milestones.

Restaurants using HubSpot generated more online ordering revenue by segmenting customers by order history and sending personalized menu recommendations.

Independent restaurants reduced no-show rates by using HubSpot's automated confirmation and reminder sequences via email and SMS. Restaurant chains saved 15 hours weekly per location by automating birthday offers, post-visit thank you messages, and win-back campaigns.

HubSpot's free tier offers complete CRM and email marketing capabilities without requiring a credit card. Paid tiers start at $9 per month and scale up to enterprise solutions, featuring advanced analytics, multi-location reporting, and API integrations with major POS and reservation systems.

Ready to fill more tables and build customer loyalty? Get started with HubSpot's free platform or schedule a demo to see how it works for restaurants like yours.