Restaurant Email Campaigns: How to Boost Sales With Email

Email is one of the most effective ways restaurants can connect with customers, drive repeat business, and build brand loyalty. With the right tools, you can turn one-time diners into regulars — all while saving time and focusing on what matters most: running your restaurant.

Keep reading to learn more about restaurant email campaigns you can run to boost orders and engage customers.

What are restaurant email campaigns, and how do they work?

Restaurant email campaigns are targeted emails sent to customers with the goal of driving sales, repeat orders, or loyalty.

They usually include:

• Promotions about seasonal items or special deals

• Loyalty reminders to highlight earned rewards

• Winback messages to re-engage customers who haven’t ordered recently

These campaigns work by delivering relevant, timely messages straight to your customers’ inboxes — keeping your restaurant top of mind.

Why Do Restaurants Need Email Campaigns?

Email campaigns matter because they:

Increase sales: Diners who receive targeted emails may order more frequently.
Build loyalty: Consistent communication strengthens your brand.
Save money: Email has a high ROI, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing tools.

Unlike ads or social media posts, email reaches customers directly, without fighting for attention in crowded feeds.

Best Practices: How to Run Effective Restaurant Email Campaigns

1. Experiment with personalization

Use customer data like order frequency or loyalty member status to ensure you're sending relevant messages to different customer segments. With customizable email and text marketing available with the DoorDash Commerce Platform Pro package, you can easily send personalized, targeted emails in a few clicks.

2. Automate campaigns

Set up reorder messages and or winback flows that run automatically, so you can engage your restaurant email list without lifting a finger. With the automated email marketing available with the DoorDash Commerce Platform Boost and Pro packages, launching "set it and forget it" restaurant email marketing campaigns is simple.

3. Stay consistent with branding

Add your logo, colors, and tone of voice so emails feel like your restaurant, not a generic ad. With customizable email and text marketing tools, keeping your email program on-brand is a cinch.

4. Share more than discounts

Promos are effective, but mix in menu updates, chef notes, or loyalty perks. Adding customized messages like these builds your brand, and brings color to your email program.

5. Track and refine performance

Measure open rates, clicks, and orders. Tracking these metrics helps you identify which parts of your email program are working and what areas you can refine. With the DoorDash Commerce Platform you can track email performance directly from the Merchant Portal.

How Can DoorDash Commerce Platform Tools Help?

The DoorDash Commerce Platform was designed to help restaurants build smarter, easier email campaigns:

• Automated email marketing: Ready-to-use reorder and winback series that can boost order frequency by an average of 15% among new and returning customers.*

• Customizable email and text marketing: Create targeted campaigns with advanced segmentation.

• Cross-Channel Loyalty: Reward diners consistently whether they order in-store, online, or through apps. And use the automated loyalty email series to keep members engaged.

Grow Your Restaurant with Smarter Email Campaigns

Restaurant email campaigns are one of the easiest ways to increase sales and strengthen loyalty. By automating campaigns and keeping branding consistent, you can stay connected with diners without adding more to your plate.

With the DoorDash Commerce Platform Pro package, you get a restaurant CRM outfitted with automated email tools, customizable campaigns, and more — all designed to help you boost sales and keep customers coming back for more.

*Based on internal DoorDash data from March 2024 through March 2025