Win-Back Email Generator for Restaurants
The 90-day win-back. It is the email most restaurants never send, and it works. Pick a version, add your restaurant name, and send it.
Step one — what are you emailing about?
Step two — your details
Your details stay in your browser. Nothing is sent to us and we cannot see it.
Step three — copy and send
We have not seen you in a while, [First Name]
Your table is still here, [First Name]
Come back and we will make it worth it, [First Name]
When to send it
| Timing | Best for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| 60–90 days after the last visit | The first nudge. Long enough to have been forgotten, short enough to still recognise you. | Do not send it to someone who came in last week. |
| Again at 120–150 days | The second nudge, with the offer. | Change the offer, not just the subject line. |
| Once a year, to the whole lapsed list | A seasonal win-back. | Then stop. Three win-backs a year is the limit. |
The offer that works
The offer should be worth the gap, not the gap itself. A free dessert, a drink on us, or a returner’s price on one item works. Do not send a percentage discount to a guest who already pays full price — you are training them to disappear.
What to change before you send
The generator fills in the placeholders and hands you a complete email. What it cannot do is know your restaurant — so change these two things before you send:
1. The offer. "A slice on us" is a placeholder idea. Make it the thing you actually give: a dessert, a drink, a no-fee reservation, double points. Do not send a discount code.
2. The link. Every template has a reservation link. It must go to your reservation page, not your homepage.
Everything else — the subject line, the length, the sign-off — send as it is the first time. You are testing the template, not your copywriting.
Questions we actually get
When should I send a win-back email?
Sixty to ninety days after the last visit — long enough that they have moved on, short enough that you still feel you know them. Send it again at 120 to 150 days with a different offer, and once a year to the whole lapsed list. Three win-backs a year is the limit.
What should I offer a lapsed guest?
Something worth the gap, not the gap itself. A free dessert, a drink on us, or a returner’s price on one item. Do not send a percentage discount to a guest who already pays full price — you are training them to disappear.
Written by the emailforrestaurants.com team. Every price on the comparison page was read from the vendor's own site and re-checked on the first of each month.