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Email Marketing for Restaurants

Restaurant Loyalty Program Email template

A loyalty program only works if guests know it exists and understand it in a few seconds. This template announces your rewards program, shows how it works in your own words and adds an optional sign-up bonus.

Goal
Get guests to join your rewards program and come back to earn.
When
On launch day, once staff can answer questions and points are actually working. Follow up once, a couple of weeks later, to guests who haven't joined.
Tones
Warm, playful, polished
Includes
HTML, plain text, SMS
J

Juniper & Salt · Inbox

Rewards are here at Juniper & Salt · A simple way for us to say thank you every time you dine with us.

Customize with your details

Preview uses a fictional restaurant, Juniper & Salt. Every detail is yours to change.

Restaurant Loyalty Program Email subject lines

Warm

  • Rewards are here at [Restaurant name]
  • A thank-you for our regulars
  • Join the [Restaurant name] rewards program

Preheader: A simple way for us to say thank you every time you dine with us.

Playful

  • Eat. Earn. Repeat. Rewards at [Restaurant name]
  • Our rewards program is finally here
  • Start earning at [Restaurant name]

Preheader: You were going to eat here anyway. Might as well get something back.

Polished

  • Introducing rewards at [Restaurant name]
  • An invitation to join our rewards program
  • A token of our appreciation

Preheader: A quiet way of thanking the guests who return to [Restaurant name].

The loyalty program email copy

Words in braces are placeholders. The generator fills them in, and drops any line whose detail you leave blank. “Copy text” gives you [bracketed] placeholders to replace by hand.

Warm version

A thank-you that adds up

Hi {first_name}, our guests are the reason {restaurant} is here, and we wanted a better way to say thank you. So we're starting a rewards program.

Here's how it works: {reward_details}

Join today and we'll start you off with {offer}.

{offer_terms}

Playful version

You eat. We reward.

Hey {first_name}, big news: {restaurant} now has a rewards program! You were already going to order the good stuff, so now it counts for something.

The short version: {reward_details}

Sign up now and we'll toss in {offer} to get you started.

{offer_terms}

Polished version

A token of our appreciation

Dear {first_name}, your loyalty to {restaurant} means a great deal to us. In appreciation, we are pleased to introduce our rewards program.

The program is simple: {reward_details}

Upon joining, you will receive {offer} with our compliments.

{offer_terms}

Details you can add: How the reward works, Offer, Offer terms.

Tips for your loyalty program email

  • Explain the rule in one sentence, such as "Earn 1 point per $1, 100 points = $10 off". If it takes a paragraph, guests won't join.
  • Give one way to join and one place to see points, whether that is an app, a phone number or a card. Three options feels like homework.
  • Add a small sign-up bonus, like a free dessert on the next visit, so joining pays off immediately. Put the terms in the email.
  • Train your team before you send. A server who can sign someone up at the table is the easiest way to get people in.
  • Say plainly whether points expire and what they can be spent on. Surprises here cost you trust.
  • If you enroll guests by text, you need their prior express written consent to send marketing texts. Email enrollment still needs a working unsubscribe in every message.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Burying the reward math. If the value isn't clear on the first read, people close the email.
  • Launching before your register or app can actually award points, so the first guests who join see nothing happen.
  • Promising perks the program doesn't deliver, like "free meals", when the rules say something smaller.

Matching SMS

{restaurant}: Our rewards program is here. Earn on every visit and get something back. Join: {cta_url} Reply STOP to opt out.

Text messages need their own, explicit opt-in. An email subscription does not cover SMS.

FAQ

Restaurant Loyalty Program Email questions

What should a restaurant loyalty program email say?

What the program is, how guests earn and spend rewards in one or two lines, how to join, and any sign-up bonus with its terms. Keep it short and give one button.

How do I get guests to join a restaurant rewards program?

Announce it by email, then have servers mention it at the table and put the sign-up link on receipts or table cards. A small bonus for joining gives people a reason to do it now.

Do I need permission to email loyalty members?

Tell people at sign-up that they will receive emails, and include your postal address and a working unsubscribe link in every marketing email. Marketing texts require prior express written consent under the TCPA.

Should I tell guests when points expire?

Yes. State the expiry rule in the program details so guests are not surprised later.

More bring guests back templates

Birthday email

Send each guest a small treat on their birthday and give them a reason to celebrate with you.

Win-back email

Reach out to guests who haven't visited in a while with a friendly nudge and a reason to come back.

Thank-you email

Thank guests the day after they dine, give them a way to reach you and invite them back.

Part of our free kit for email marketing for restaurants.