The Truth About Restaurant Newsletters
Your restaurant newsletter should be more than just a way to send promotions and deals. The biggest mistake restaurants make is using their newsletter only to talk about themselves.
Instead, think bigger: make your newsletter the #1 local food and dining resource.
This might feel controversial—why would you talk about other restaurants or events? But real food lovers explore multiple places. By positioning your restaurant newsletter as the go-to for everything food-related in your city, you stay top of mind. When foodies think about where to eat, your restaurant will always be in the conversation.
Click on the image above to download 30 ideas for your newsletter!
Table of Contents
- A Wild Idea: Become the #1 Local Food & Dining Newsletter
- The Bigger Picture: Building Trust & Brand Recognition
- “But I’m Not a Writer!” How to Get Started
- Copywriting Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
- Wrapping It Up: Your Restaurant Newsletter Strategy
- FAQ: Common Questions from Restaurant Owners
A Wild Idea: Become the #1 Local Food & Dining Newsletter
Skip the typical restaurant newsletter focused solely on self-promotion. Instead, make it the go-to source for locals who love food.
📌 Cover food events, restaurant openings, pop-ups, and insider dining tips.
📌 Share music, art exhibitions, and experiences that enhance the local dining scene.
📌 Yes, you will talk about other restaurants—but that’s a good thing!
Why? Because foodies explore. If your restaurant newsletter is where they get their dining news, they’ll see your name regularly. And when you do promote your restaurant, you’ll have built enough trust that they’ll pay attention.
💡 Consider “who” is sending your newsletter:
- “By Your Restaurant”: Builds up your restaurant’s brand. You can easily use staff recommendations on where they love to eat in the newsletter as well.
- By You, the Chef or Owner: Builds your personal brand in the food scene–only do this if you feel up for it and have time available.
Whichever one you choose, please understand that the more valuable your newsletter is, the more people will subscribe and keep reading. For the far majority of restaurants I’d recommend the “by your restaurant” approach, as this will allow you to also outsource the work to your staff.
The Bigger Picture: Building Trust & Brand Recognition
The real power of a restaurant newsletter isn’t just getting your news in front of people. It’s about becoming the go-to source for dining recommendations.
If you do this well, your restaurant will be the first name people think of when:
✔ Someone asks, “Where should we eat?”
✔ A friend visits town and needs recommendations.
✔ A foodie wants to try something new.
A newsletter goes further than social media—people might miss a post, but an email sits in their inbox, ready to be opened.
💡 Make it engaging! If you run an Italian restaurant, share behind-the-scenes stories of your trip to Tuscany to find the perfect olive oil. If you’re a sushi bar, highlight a special fish flown in for the week.
“But I’m Not a Writer!” How to Get Started
1. Crowdsource Content ✍️
- Ask your team for their favorite local spots—bartenders, chefs, and waitstaff know the food scene better than anyone!
- Work with local food bloggers and influencers—feature their picks, interview them, or invite them to contribute.
- Run a giveaway: Win a free dinner for two—just subscribe to our newsletter! This is one of the best ways to grow your email list.
2. Choose Your Frequency ⏰
- Bi-weekly newsletters are ideal for keeping your restaurant top-of-mind.
- Weekly newsletters are great if you have a lot of content and if you love to write.
- Monthly newsletters are less effective for brand awareness but better than nothing.
3. Don’t Over-Promote Your Restaurant 🚫
- Keep self-promotion to just 20% of your restaurant newsletter.
- Tell stories instead of just pushing deals:
- Instead of “Here’s our new dish,” say “We traveled to Thailand to perfect this curry—here’s what inspired us.”
4. Promote Your Restaurant Newsletter 📣
- Run a giveaway to boost sign-ups.
- Collaborate with other businesses—cafés, breweries, bakeries—to cross-promote.
- Encourage subscribers to forward the newsletter to food-loving friends.
- Include sign-up links on your business cards—hand them out with the check.
5. Balance Content & Promotions ⚖️
- 80% valuable food & dining content
- 20% restaurant updates & promotions
This way, your audience stays engaged, and when you do promote your restaurant, they pay attention.
6. Keep Your Design Simple & Engaging 🎨
- Use Beehiiv or another easy-to-use email tool.
- Keep the format clean, visual, and easy to scan.
Copywriting Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
Writing a great restaurant newsletter doesn’t mean you need to be a professional writer. The key is to sound natural—like you’re talking to a fellow foodie. Think of your newsletter as a conversation, not a sales pitch.
Here’s how to make writing easier:
🤖 Use AI as an assistant, not a writer. Write your first draft yourself, then use AI to refine it—but be specific. Tell it not to change your tone of voice.
💨 Keep it concise and skimmable. Break up text with short paragraphs, lists, and visuals.
🗣️ Make it feel human. Write like you’re recommending a great spot to a friend.
📚 Storytelling beats selling. Instead of “We have a new dish,” try “We traveled to Tuscany to perfect this pasta—here’s what inspired us.”
📸 Use your best photos–but don’t overthink it. Pretty pictures of dishes, behind-the-scenes kitchen moments, or shots of guests make your newsletter more dynamic.
Wrapping It Up: Your Restaurant Newsletter Strategy
Creating a restaurant newsletter is about more than just sending emails—it’s about building community and keeping your restaurant top-of-mind.
The real goal: When someone asks, “Where should we eat?”—your restaurant is the first name they think of.
How to make it happen:
✔ Focus on valuable content—local food events, new openings, and hidden gems.
✔ Promote your restaurant sparingly but effectively—storytelling beats sales pitches.
✔ Stay consistent—start with a manageable frequency and plan ahead.
✔ Engage locals—partner with businesses, collaborate with foodies, and create an insider experience.
Start today! Brainstorm ideas, involve your team, and launch your newsletter (use Beehiiv for an easy-to-use tool!). With the right balance of content and strategy, you’ll build something that food lovers actually look forward to reading—and that keeps your restaurant top-of-mind in your community.
📩 Want more restaurant marketing tips? Check out this article and sign up for our newsletter!
Click on the image above to download 30 ideas for your newsletter!
FAQ: Common Questions from Restaurant Owners
1. How can I create a restaurant newsletter on a budget?
You don’t need a big budget to create a successful restaurant newsletter! Here’s how to keep costs low:
✔ Use free email marketing tools—Beehiiv offers a free plan to get started.
✔ Write the newsletter yourself or ask your team for ideas (bartenders, chefs, and servers all have great insights!).
✔ Use free design tools like Canva to create visuals.
✔ Leverage your existing customers—ask for sign-ups when they dine with you instead of running ads.
A great restaurant newsletter doesn’t have to be expensive—it just has to be valuable.
2. What if I don’t want to write?
If writing isn’t your thing, you still have options:
✔ Delegate the task—your team might have someone who loves to write.
✔ Use AI—write a rough outline and let AI refine it (just make sure to review it so it still sounds like you!).
✔ Focus on images & lists—a newsletter doesn’t have to be long; just include quick updates, event highlights, and great food photos.
✔ Interview local foodies—feature their recommendations instead of writing long articles yourself.
You don’t have to be a writer—you just need good content.
3. What if the tech is too difficult?
Technology shouldn’t stop you from building an amazing restaurant newsletter. Beehiiv is one of the easiest platforms out there, and you don’t need any technical skills to use it.
✔ Simple drag-and-drop editor—you can create a professional-looking newsletter in minutes.
✔ No design skills needed—choose from pre-made templates.
✔ Automation tools—schedule emails ahead of time so you don’t have to do everything manually.
👉 Get started with Beehiiv here: Sign up for free
4. What if my town is too small for a restaurant newsletter? Who would I send the newsletter to?
Even in a small town, you can build a valuable audience:
✔ Reach locals—people want to know about new dishes, restaurant events, and local dining news.
✔ Target nearby areas—expand your content to include neighboring towns.
✔ Use travelers—if your town gets visitors, your newsletter can be a must-read guide for dining & experiences.
Small towns often don’t have food-focused newsletters, which makes this a huge opportunity for you!
5. Why should I compete with food bloggers and restaurant bloggers?
You don’t have to compete with food bloggers—you have an advantage they don’t:
✔ You already have customers—you can ask diners to sign up in person, while most bloggers rely on social media alone.
✔ Giveaways & in-restaurant sign-ups—you can easily grow your list with exclusive perks.
✔ Most food bloggers don’t focus on newsletters—they use Instagram, YouTube, or blogs, so there’s less competition in email marketing.
✔ You become the go-to voice in your community—local diners will trust your recommendations more than an influencer who isn’t local.
Instead of competing, collaborate—feature local bloggers in your restaurant newsletter, and they may promote it in return!
6. I don’t have time—how long does it take to create a restaurant newsletter?
A newsletter doesn’t have to take hours. You can:
✔ Block just 1-2 hours per month to create and schedule multiple emails in advance.
✔ Reuse content from your social media posts or blog.
✔ Delegate to a staff member who enjoys writing or organizing content.
✔ Use AI to polish your writing and save time.
Start small—one email every two weeks is enough to stay relevant!
7. What kind of content should I include?
Your newsletter should be a mix of local food content and restaurant updates:
✅ New restaurant openings, pop-ups, and food events.
✅ Behind-the-scenes stories from your kitchen.
✅ Seasonal menu changes or limited-time dishes.
✅ Insider dining tips & staff recommendations.
✅ Collaborations with local businesses, breweries, or coffee shops.
Keep self-promotion to about 20%—focus on engaging foodies first.
8. How do I make my newsletter fun & engaging?
The best restaurant newsletters feel personal and interactive:
✔ Use fun subject lines—make them intriguing, like “Our chef just created something WILD 🍽️”
✔ Add polls & surveys—ask your readers what dish they want on the menu next!
✔ Feature customer stories & photos—encourage them to send in dining experiences.
✔ Include GIFs, images & quick lists—keep it visually appealing and easy to scan.
A good restaurant newsletter feels like a conversation, not a boring update!
9. How do I get more people to sign up?
The key is to make signing up easy and rewarding:
✅ Ask customers in person—train staff to mention it at checkout or add it onto the business card you give along with the bill (a QR code works well!)
✅ Run a giveaway—“Subscribe & win a dinner for two!”
✅ Put a sign-up link in your Instagram bio & social media posts.
✅ Offer newsletter-only perks, like a free appetizer on their next visit.
✅ Collaborate with local businesses—have them promote it in exchange for a feature.
Make sure everyone who dines with you knows about your newsletter!
10. How do I keep my email list engaged so they don’t unsubscribe?
Avoid making your newsletter too salesy—instead, provide value:
✔ Keep it short & fun—nobody wants to read a long, boring email.
✔ Send consistently—but not too often (bi-weekly is great).
✔ Make readers feel special—include “secret” menu items or VIP events.
✔ Use a conversational tone—write as if you’re chatting with a foodie friend.
If you give them something worth reading, they’ll stay subscribed.
11. What’s the best platform to send my restaurant newsletter?
I highly recommend Beehiiv because:
✔ It’s super easy to use—no tech skills required.
✔ It has beautiful templates—so your emails look professional.
✔ You can automate emails—schedule newsletters in advance.
✔ It helps you land in inboxes, not spam folders.
👉 Sign up for Beehiiv here and get started today!
12. Can I send my newsletter through Gmail instead?
Technically, yes—but it’s not a good idea. Gmail is not designed for sending mass emails, and you’ll likely:
❌ Get marked as spam.
❌ Have trouble managing subscribers.
❌ Look unprofessional (a proper newsletter platform has better formatting).
A free Beehiiv account is way better for building a real restaurant newsletter.
13. How do I collect emails legally and avoid GDPR issues?
To stay compliant:
✔ Always get permission before adding someone to your list.
✔ Include an unsubscribe link in every email.
✔ Don’t buy email lists—build your audience organically.
Most newsletter platforms (like Beehiiv) help ensure legal compliance.
14. What if my town is too small for a newsletter?
Even in a small town, your restaurant newsletter can thrive:
✔ Locals love knowing what’s happening—events, specials, pop-ups.
✔ You can expand slightly—include news from nearby towns or foodie day trips.
✔ Even with a small but engaged audience, your newsletter keeps your restaurant top-of-mind.
You don’t need thousands of subscribers—just the right ones!
15. Why should I even try when food bloggers already exist?
You’re not competing with food bloggers—you have an advantage:
✔ You already have customers—they dine with you and trust you.
✔ You can collect emails easily—in-person sign-ups and giveaways give you a head start.
✔ Most food bloggers focus on Instagram, YouTube, or their website—they rarely have newsletters.
✔ Your newsletter builds relationships—a direct, consistent way to stay connected with food lovers.
Instead of competing, collaborate—feature bloggers in your newsletter, and they may promote it too!
