Best frequency for restaurant marketing emails, by unsubscribe rate
What the answer looks like
Illustrative output on sample data
Illustrative example: how Lexi answers this for a ramen chain with 20 locations. It groups subscribers by how many emails they received each month over the past six months, then compares unsubscribes and visits.
- 2 emails a month: 0.3% unsubscribed, 6.1% visited within 30 days
- 4 emails a month: 0.5% unsubscribed, 7.4% visited
- 8 emails a month: 1.6% unsubscribed, 7.6% visited
What the data shows
Moving from two to four emails a month added visits for a small rise in unsubscribes. Going to eight tripled unsubscribes and added almost nothing.
What it means
Regulars tolerate four a month. Occasional guests start leaving the list above two.
What to do
Cap occasional guests at two emails a month, send regulars up to four, and suppress anyone who has not opened in 90 days.
Want me to build the frequency groups as segments in Klaviyo?
Why it matters
Every extra email can bring in visits or push guests to unsubscribe, and the balance differs by guest. Seeing how unsubscribes and visits move as frequency rises shows how often each group will tolerate hearing from you before the list starts to shrink.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a restaurant send marketing emails?
There is no single right number. Test frequency against your own list by comparing unsubscribes and visits for guests who received different numbers of emails. Many restaurants find regulars accept more emails than occasional guests, so set frequency by guest type.
What is a warning sign that a restaurant is emailing too often?
Rising unsubscribes and spam complaints after each send are the clearest signals, along with falling open rates among guests who used to engage. If visits do not rise when frequency does, the extra emails are costing subscribers without adding trade.
Should all guests get the same number of emails?
No. Regulars and recent visitors usually welcome more news, while lapsed or occasional guests respond better to fewer, more relevant emails. Setting frequency by guest group keeps the list healthy and puts your best content in front of the people most likely to act.