Email marketing is crucial for restaurants to attract repeat customers and maximize bookings. It allows owners to quickly and effectively reach their customer base with personalized communication. Despite the variety of marketing strategies available, email marketing remains the primary choice for over 80% of small businesses. However, creating effective email campaigns can be challenging. Utilizing efficient tools can streamline this process, saving time and increasing the return on investment. Research indicates that automation platforms can reduce time spent on email marketing by up to 30%.

In this guide, we explore seven top email automation platforms to assist restaurants in creating successful email marketing strategies.

Email Marketing Software Comparison: What To Look For?

Before delving into the top email marketing software for restaurants, it’s important to consider certain factors. Consider these factors when comparing email marketing tools.

Price:

• Cost is key when choosing email marketing software.
• Free trials are common but check for limitations.
• Paying for a tool with essential features can be worthwhile.

Mobile Optimization:

• Many emails are read on mobile, so choose software with mobile optimization.

Scalability:

• Pick software that can grow with your business to avoid switching later.

Other Considerations:

• Reliability: Ensure emails get delivered by checking reviews.
• Ease of Use: Look for a user-friendly interface.
• List Segmentation: Send targeted emails based on customer stage or location.
• Automation: Saves time and effort with the right platform.
• Customer Service: Make sure help is available when it is required and check service quality.

7 Best Email Marketing Platforms for Restaurants in 2024

Globally, there are 4 billion daily email users, and we anticipate this number to continue increasing. Take the opportunity to connect with them through email. Below, we will outline the top email marketing campaign software for restaurants, making it exceptionally convenient to communicate with your prospects and customers via email.

Milagro – Built for restaurants

Milagro is a powerful AI-powered Marketing Automation platform. It was created for multi-location restaurants and retail. Milagro’s Restaurant Personalized Marketing (RPM) engine automatically creates individual client profiles, allowing targeted and effective campaigns while tracking the ROI of each. The software emphasizes segmentation, enabling users to create segmented lists or utilize Milagro’s program to do so. Additionally, the software runs the campaigns and selects recipients based on their interactions with the emails.

• Usability: Easy to use
• Best features: Split testing, behavioral automation, transactional emails, advanced features
• Cons: No Free plan, only a trial plan is available.

BenchMark

Benchmark’s free plan is more limited than MailChimp, capping at 250 emails per month. The platform offers video integration, categorization of email subscribers, and the ability to create polls and surveys for customer feedback.

• Usability: Easy-to-use interface
• Best features: Excellent segmentation options, complete video integration, and the ability to conduct polls and surveys
• Cons: The free plan is mediocre

ConvertKit

ConvertKit’s free plan allows up to 1,000 subscribers but limits users to sending only newsletters, without the ability to set up automated sequences. However, the paid subscription offers precise targeting and subscriber tagging, making it suitable for restaurants aiming to enhance location-based conversions. The software provides three pre-made templates and an intuitive editor for customization, with responsive elements for mobile design.

• Usability: Setting up their primary processes is easy.
• Best features: Responsive design, drag-and-drop editor, precise targeting, and subscriber tagging.
• Cons: Only three pre-made templates.

AWeber

AWeber’s free plan includes essential features like email templates, sign-up forms, landing pages, and a drag-and-drop editor, with payment only required if the email list exceeds 500 subscribers. The platform offers over 700 free pre-made templates and a user-friendly drag-and-drop email builder, making it ideal for beginners. Upgrading to the pro plan is necessary for advanced features such as split-testing email designs and advanced email automation.

• Usability: Easiest email editor of all.
• Best features: Split testing, detailed insights and analytics, advanced email marketing automation, using Canva in the email editor, and segmentation.
• Cons: More advanced features are only available in the pro plan.

Constant Contact

Constant Contact provides a user-friendly email marketing solution, offering a 60-day free trial in the US and a 30-day trial elsewhere. It features an intuitive interface, 400+ pre-made templates (including ones designed for restaurants), and Canva integration for easy personalization. Additionally, the software offers over 300 integrations to fit with existing workflows. Automation is limited to only three options, but this may suffice for small restaurants that prefer simplicity.

• Usability: Good user interface; beginners can start without explanation.
• Best features: Integration with Canva, split testing, SMS message sign-up, and segmentation.
• Cons: No free plan, not a lot of advanced features.

Sendinblue – Restaurants with Online Ordering

Sendinblue provides a user-friendly interface and a generous free plan with a daily email limit of 300, but unlimited customer additions. The free plan offers all the features of the paid plans except for a landing page builder, making it a valuable option for extended use.

• Usability: Clean and straightforward user experience.
• Best features: Segmentation, personalization, and SMS marketing.
• Cons: The landing page builder is exclusively accessible in the premium plan

Why Milagro is the Best Email Marketing Platform for Restaurants

1. Complex Automation: Our email marketing services provide multi-step automation workflows designed to engage diners after their initial visit and maintain the interest of regular customers through newsletters and exclusive offers.

2. Highly Specific Segmentation: This feature allows for the creation of targeted email campaigns tailored to specific customer groups, including coupon users, individuals with specific dietary requirements, and those interested in particular events.

3. Modern Landing Page Builders: Our well-crafted landing pages are designed to capture new contacts, with the best ones automatically segmenting new contacts for efficient management.

4. Email Personalization Options: Leveraging collected customer data, we create personalized emails and compelling offers to cultivate loyalty among occasional customers.

High-Quality Customer Service: Our email marketing service providers offer 24/7 support channels and ensure prompt responses to facilitate quick issue resolution, particularly during busy periods.

Wrapping It Up

Restaurants can benefit from email marketing automation by turning one-time customers into repeat visitors, attracting out-of-town guests, and selling event tickets. When selecting an email marketing platform, it’s crucial to understand its capabilities and consider scalability. While this guide lists the top 5 platform options, it’s important to conduct additional research on marketing tools and hospitality guides. The choice of provider is significant, so prioritize scalability and consider the value of extra features over the monthly fee. Cheapest isn’t always the best option for restaurant advertising.