How to beef up your restaurant business with a newsletter

By Christopher Elliott

Related Links Get a free Web site and e-mail Newsletter tips for restaurants: How to get started More Expert Advice articles Connect with customers with E-mail Marketing Need help? Visit our Community site

If you're looking for an inexpensive, efficient way to promote your restaurant—and let’s face it, who isn't?—you've probably considered an e-mail newsletter.

My grandfather owned and operated a small restaurant in Charlotte, N.C., for many years, and he never had to worry about publishing an award-winning newsletter. For him, having good food and running an occasional ad in the local paper was a winning recipe.

But what worked in the mid-20th century doesn’t necessarily work in the 21st century. E-mail newsletters are now an integral part of many restaurant marketing efforts. In some cases, they're the primary way restaurants interact with customers outside of the business.

"It depends on the market a restaurant is addressing," says Joseph Carrabis, founder of NextStage Evolution, a consulting and research company in Nashua, N.H. For example, a restaurant catering to the business crowd, where many patrons use personal digital assistants or smartphones, must have an e-mail newsletter, he says. But other types of businesses, including even sports bars, could also benefit from publishing a regular electronic dispatch according to experts. Why? E-mail newsletters can drive more business and increase customer loyalty.

Keep in mind one thing, however: There are newsletters, and there are newsletters.

Garden-variety newsletters are well-meaning promotional e-mails sent to your patrons. Let me be blunt: Many of these electronic dispatches are considered annoying spam. They're deleted almost as quickly as they are sent. You don't want to broadcast that kind of newsletter.

A newsletter, on the other hand, is a must-read, engaging, actionable missive from the chef. The kind that is so delicious, it gets forwarded to friends. I think you know what I'm talking about.

First, check out the E-mail Marketing offering from Office Live Small Business. Once you’ve signed up for the service, which will enable you to publish your own e-newsletter, follow these six tips for making sure the spam stays in your kitchen.

1. Offer exclusives.   Subscribers are likely to tire quickly of your newsletter if they think of it as a virtual ad. Give them something they won't find at the restaurant—recipes, tips, chef profiles, special events—and you'll have them hooked. "Our goal is to keep the restaurant at the top of everyone's mind without feeling pressured," says Jody Richardson, co-owner and sommelier at Niche Restaurant in Geneva, Ill. Specifically, she writes about industry trends, new menu items, and dining concepts that might relate to the Niche experience. "People love feeling like they are getting insider info and a sneak peak behind the scenes," she says.
2. Get creative with your promotions.   Two-for-ones and early bird specials are passé, to hear some of the more experienced newsletter publishers' dish. "In order for the e-newsletter to work, people have to want to receive it," says Ryan Indovina, a partner at Four Corners Tavern Group, which owns and operates six upscale sports bars in Chicago. The more creative and funnier the promotions, the better. For example, one recent e-mail from a Four Corners bar invited patrons to a "Merry Moustachemas" holiday party, where "anyone that has a mustache gets a free beer" (ladies with a hand-drawn mustache were eligible as well).
3. Tell an interesting story.   Readers expect to see specials and promotions, but why not surprise them with something entertaining? Michael Boss writes a newsletter for the Brick Oven Bistro in Boise, Idaho. Each issue of his newsletter includes a section called "The Story Behind The Food." "We want our customers to know what our culinary inspiration was, both as a way of creating intrigue about the dish and adding to their experience," he says. For example, a recent issue features a behind-the-scenes look at a Kobe Corned Beef with Colcannon, examining the history of colcannon as an Irish and Scottish dish made from potatoes mashed with cabbage. "If you just saw that on the menu, you might pass it by in lieu of your current menu favorite," Boss says. "But after reading the description in the newsletter article, you might very well think, 'Man, that sounds interesting ... I've got to try that.'" As a bonus, these kinds of stories increase the chance that your newsletter will go "viral" and get sent to friends.
4. Build anticipation for events.   It's one thing to come back for a meal, but quite another to return for an event. Ali Mackani, the managing partner for Restaurant 55 Degrees in Sacramento, Calif., builds excitement for upcoming events, such as cooking classes or wine tastings. He focuses on promoting only one or two events per newsletter. "We try to keep it very targeted," he says. The results have been promising. Of the 2,200 subscribers to the monthly newsletter, there's an open rate of about 400, well above the average open rate for an e-mail newsletter.
5. Send at the right time.   Don't send your e-mail newsletter out when everyone else does. Many newsletters are broadcast during the late evening or early morning, when mail servers aren't as busy. Big mistake. Think about it; what’s the first thing you do when you open your inbox? Clear out the spam. I've found that sending newsletters out in the morning generates the best response. So has Elliot Feldman, who owns the Nova Bar and Restaurant in San Francisco. "I would launch campaigns between 9:30 and 10:30 in the morning, to avoid being grouped with overnight spam," he says.
6. Let them talk back.   E-mail newsletters aren't as much a lecture as they are a debate. "You have to provide ways for your customers to hear from you," says Lana McGilvray, a vice president at Datran Media, a marketing company based in New York. Getting them to talk back doesn't just makes them more engaged customers. It also supplies you with useful information. What did they think of an entrée? How do they like the new décor? Is the wine list missing anything? That also means there’s someone in your business answering the e-mails in a timely manner. If you put forth the effort, with appropriate responses, these engaged customers may well become repeat and loyal customers.

Creating a specialized, compelling, and interactive newsletter probably won’t happen overnight. But with a little work and by listening to your customers, your newsletter can become an indispensable marketing tool for your restaurant.

About the author   Christopher Elliott is an Orlando, Fla., writer and independent producer who specializes in technology, travel, and mobile computing. His work has appeared in numerous newspapers, magazines, and online. You can find out more about him on his Web site or sign up for his free weekly newsletter.