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Email Marketing for Restaurants

Restaurant Seasonal Menu Email template

A new menu is one of the best reasons you will ever have to email your list. This template announces the change, points to one featured dish and shows a short list of highlights, so guests know exactly what to order first.

Goal
Get guests in to try the new menu, starting with one featured dish.
When
Send it the day the new menu launches, or two to three days before if it starts on a set date. A short reminder a few weeks in catches anyone who missed it.
Tones
Warm, playful, polished
Includes
HTML, plain text, SMS
J

Juniper & Salt · Inbox

The new menu is here at Juniper & Salt · New dishes, made with what's freshest right now. Come taste them with us.

Customize with your details

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

Restaurant Seasonal Menu Email subject lines

Warm

  • The new menu is here at [Restaurant name]
  • Our new menu starts now
  • Fresh from our kitchen this season

Preheader: New dishes, made with what's freshest right now. Come taste them with us.

Playful

  • We changed the menu. You're welcome.
  • The new menu is calling
  • Out with the old, in with the tasty

Preheader: New dishes, new flavors, and a kitchen that couldn't stop tinkering.

Polished

  • Our new seasonal menu at [Restaurant name]
  • A new menu for the season
  • Introducing our new seasonal menu

Preheader: A new chapter in our kitchen, shaped by the best of the season.

The seasonal menu 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 new season on the menu

Hi {first_name}, the season has turned, and so has the menu at {restaurant}. We've been cooking with what's freshest right now, and we can't wait for you to taste it.

If you only try one dish, make it the {dish_name}.

{dish_description}

Here's a look at what's new. Bring a friend, and come hungry.

Playful version

New season, new bites

Hey {first_name}! The seasonal menu at {restaurant} just changed, and the kitchen is a little too proud of it.

The one we keep talking about: the {dish_name}.

{dish_description}

The rest of the lineup is below. Pick a favorite, then tell us we were right.

Polished version

Introducing the seasonal menu

Dear {first_name}, with the change of season, {restaurant} is pleased to present a new menu. Each dish has been developed around ingredients at their best and prepared with care.

We invite you to begin with the {dish_name}.

{dish_description}

The full selection follows. We would be delighted to welcome you at your convenience.

Details you can add: Featured dish, Dish description, Menu highlights.

Tips for your seasonal menu email

  • Lead with one featured dish and a good photo, not the whole menu. A single dish gives people something specific to picture and order.
  • Say when the menu starts. If a dish will only be around for a few weeks, say that too, but only when it is true.
  • Name real ingredients and where they come from if you know. A named local farm or fish source says more than the word 'seasonal'.
  • Mention vegetarian, gluten-free and other dietary options plainly, so those guests know there is something for them.
  • Link the button to a real web page with the menu, not just an image of it. Text loads quickly on phones and works for screen readers.
  • Send a short reminder partway through the season for anyone who missed the first email.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Listing every dish. A long menu in an email turns into a wall of text. Pick three to six highlights.
  • Using a photo of the printed menu as the whole email. It is hard to read on a phone and impossible to search.
  • Announcing the menu before the dishes are actually available, which sends guests in for food you cannot serve yet.

Matching SMS

{restaurant}: Our new seasonal menu is here. Take a look: {cta_url} Reply STOP to opt out.

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

FAQ

Restaurant Seasonal Menu Email questions

How do I announce a new menu by email?

Open with a short note that the menu has changed, feature one dish with a sentence about it, list three to six highlights, and add one button to the full menu. Keep the rest of the email out of the way.

When should I send a seasonal menu email?

On the day the menu launches, or two to three days before if it starts on a set date. A reminder a few weeks later reaches guests who missed the first one.

Should I include photos in a menu email?

Yes, one strong photo of your featured dish is enough. Add a short description in text as well, so the email still makes sense when images are blocked.

How often should I change the menu email?

Send one each time the menu changes in a meaningful way, which for many restaurants means once per season. Smaller changes can go in your regular newsletter.

More holidays & seasons templates

Valentine's Day email

Fill your Valentine's Day tables with an early, clear invitation and an easy way to reserve.

Mother's Day email

Invite guests to bring the mothers and mother figures in their lives to a Mother's Day brunch or dinner.

Thanksgiving email

Share your Thanksgiving hours and menu, and let guests dine in or order takeout.

Part of our free kit for email marketing for restaurants.