Collecting Email Addresses in a Restaurant Setting

publication date: May 16, 2008

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author/source: Scott McCutchen

Allow me to expound upon a few areas of any successful email marketing system and hopefully I can shed some light on certain trouble-spots, rough patches and bottlenecks.

Let's start with email collection strategies. The best way to gather names and email addresses is to ask for them! Create a simple form on your computer, take it down to your local Kinko's or Staples, and have them make about 1000 copies for you.

Then simply make sure they are placed in each check presenter. It is crucial that you train your staff to mention the form and ask them to fill out. Just by mentioning it your email collection rate will go up by more than 50%!

The collection itself form can be rather simple. I recommend that you resist the urge to make it complicated. The less information that the guest has to fill out the more email addresses you will collect. If you start asking for their first and last name, email address, date of birth, anniversary, favorite food item, etc… then you've gone from requesting the email address to trying to survey them. That's a bad idea. I recommend that you ask for nothing more than their name, email address, and perhaps their birthday month.

Another thing that we have found successful in over dozens of implementations is to include blanks on the form for multiple names and email addresses. We have discovered that we get more names and email addresses, and that the card is often passed around the table for everyone to fill out.

A Critical Email Collection Strategy

Another absolutely crucial email collection strategy is the HTML signup form on your website. This adds a certain level of interactivity and a level of credibility to your site and to your restaurant. And please, when someone fills out that form make sure that they automatically get a response saying that you have received their email and thank them for signing up!

Often, this easy "Thank You" message can include a printable coupon. If you're not into discounting consider offering a "comp" like a complimentary appetizer or dessert good on their next visit. And naturally you're going to want to include an expiration date on anything that goes out along with several other disclaimers. Some disclaimers may include "dine in only", "with the purchase of an entrée", "holidays excluded", etc. Just remember that the important thing is that you're collecting names and email addresses for future communication.

Continuing with effective email strategies... the ol’ glass bowl at the door can be effective. This strictly at your discretion a bowl is not the most effective means for collection but I’ve seen it work well for some. This one can be skipped, but if you do have the space you should consider it.

The #1 key to email collection and list building is systematic consistency.

Don't just implement one strategy. Do your best to implement several systematic strategies, because if you garner just a handful of email addresses from multiple methods you can increase the number of email addresses on your list very rapidly. Get creative and build the list, because your list is the single most important part of an email marketing strategy.