Restaurant Welcome Email Template
A welcome email is the first message new subscribers get, and the one they're most likely to open. This template thanks them for joining, says what your emails will bring and invites a first visit. Copy it as is and fill in the brackets, or let the generator write one for your restaurant.
Updated
No. 01Overview
At a glance
- Goal
- Say hello the moment someone joins your list.
- Best for
- Any restaurant collecting emails at checkout, on Wi-Fi or on its website
- Send to
- Everyone who just joined your list
- When
- Right after sign-up
- What you need
- Your restaurant name, cuisine and neighborhood
- One dish you're known for
- How often you'll email
- A welcome offer and its end date, if you give one
- Your booking or ordering link
- Skip it for
- People who booked or ordered without opting in to marketing emails
- A list you bought, or addresses you imported without permission
No. 02Template
Copy the welcome email
Three subject lines that take different angles, preview text that adds a second detail, and the full email with every detail only you know in [brackets]. Copy each piece into your email platform, then check the phone preview to see how it reads on a small screen.
Subject lines
Welcome to [Restaurant Name]
Glad you're here. Here's what to expect
A quick hello from our kitchen
Preview text
What our emails bring, plus an easy way to book your first visit.
The email
Hi there,
Thanks for joining the [Restaurant Name] list. We're glad you're here, and we'll keep our emails worth opening.
Here's what to expect: news when the menu changes, first word on special nights, and a note before your birthday if you share it with us. We'll write about [Number] times a month, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
A little about us: we're a [Cuisine] restaurant in [Neighborhood], and our kitchen is proudest of [Dish]. If you haven't been in yet, a weeknight is a relaxed time for a first visit.
As a thank-you for joining, enjoy [Welcome Offer] on your next visit, good through [Date]. Just show this email to your server.
We hope to see you soon. Book a table below, or stop by whenever it suits you.
See you soon,
The [Restaurant Name] team
Reserve a table
Button link [Reservation Link]
Upscale version
Same email, different voice. Use whichever sounds more like your restaurant.
Hello,
Thank you for joining the [Restaurant Name] list. We'll write only when there's something worth sharing: a new menu, a special dinner, or a note before your birthday if you choose to share it.
Expect to hear from us about [Number] times a month, and know that every email has an easy way to unsubscribe.
Our kitchen is known for [Dish], and the dining room is at its calmest on weeknights, a fine time for a first visit. As a thank-you for joining, please enjoy [Welcome Offer] through [Date].
We look forward to welcoming you.
Warm regards,
The [Restaurant Name] team
Reserve a table
Button link [Reservation Link]
No. 03Timing
When to send a welcome email
Send it automatically, right after someone joins. In most email platforms that's an automation, sometimes called a flow or journey, that starts when a contact is added to your list.
- Send it to every new subscriber, wherever they signed up: online ordering, Wi-Fi, a QR code or your website.
- Collect sign-ups on paper or a tablet? Import them once a week and let the automation greet each batch.
- Keep one standing welcome email and update it when your menu or hours change, instead of writing a new one each time.
Take care
Don't guess when or how someone joined, and don't claim they've already visited. Many subscribers haven't eaten with you yet, so write to everyone as a first-time guest.
No. 04Before you send
Before you send it
Run through this list before the email goes to your whole list. It takes two minutes and catches what guests notice first: a wrong date, an offer your team hasn't heard about, or a button that goes nowhere.
- Every [bracket] is filled in, or its sentence deleted
- No welcome offer? Delete the sentence with [Welcome Offer]
- The button goes to your booking or ordering page
- Your email platform adds your address and an unsubscribe link
- You sent yourself a test and read it on your phone
Common mistakes
- Waiting days to send it. A welcome works best within minutes, while people still remember signing up.
- Promising a schedule you won't keep. If you say twice a month, send twice a month.
- Hiding the offer's limits. If it's dine-in only or ends on a date, say so plainly.
No. 06FAQ
Welcome email FAQ
When should a restaurant send a welcome email?
Right after someone joins your list, sent automatically by your email platform. Waiting a day or a week loses the moment when they remember signing up and are most curious about you. Set it up once as an automation and it greets every new subscriber without more work.
Should a welcome email include a discount?
It doesn't have to. A clear reason to visit, such as a dish you're known for or a weeknight that's easy to book, can be enough. If you do offer something, keep it simple, give it an end date and state any limits, such as dine-in only.
Can I send a welcome email to guests who booked online?
Only if they opted in to marketing emails, usually with an unchecked box at booking. A booking confirmation alone doesn't make someone a subscriber. Add an opt-in to your booking and ordering forms so new guests can choose to join. This isn't legal advice.