Restaurant postcard marketing: ideas and a planning guide

What are good restaurant postcard ideas?

Build each card around an occasion the reader can act on, not around the restaurant in general. The examples below are illustrative. Replace every offer, date and detail with information the business has confirmed.

Who should a restaurant mail postcards to?

There are three main routes, and they reach different people. A customer list, such as past catering clients or loyalty members, reaches people who already know the restaurant and suits return offers. Every Door Direct Mail reaches every address on the carrier routes you choose, which suits openings and new services. USPS says EDDM Retail pieces are addressed to "Postal Customer", and you can send from 200 up to 5,000 pieces per day per ZIP Code. The third route is in person: cards placed in takeout bags, handed out at events or left with neighboring businesses. Treat these as separate audiences when you compare results.

What size postcard should a restaurant use?

Size follows how the card will be delivered. A single card mailed with a stamp gets the First Class Mail postcard price only from 3.5 x 5 inches up to 4.25 x 6 inches and 0.007 to 0.016 inch thick; larger stamped cards pay letter postage. Presorted or automation First Class mailings can use card prices for postcards up to 6 x 9 inches, at least 0.009 inch thick once a card is larger than 4.25 x 6. A 4 x 6 inch card is a practical choice for mailing to a list or handing out. A larger card gives a food photo more room and stands out in a stack, so confirm the postage with your mail provider before you design. Route mailings follow separate flat size rules. The standard postcard range includes 4 x 6, 5 x 7 and 5.5 x 8.5 inch sizes, and cards for route mailing can arrive printed, addressed and bundled as direct mail postcards.

How should food photos be handled?

Use photos of the dishes the card actually promotes, prepared the way guests will receive them. The FTC expects advertising to be truthful and not misleading, and a styled photo that shows a larger portion or different ingredients than the menu delivers can disappoint guests and staff alike. Shoot in daylight or with soft, even light, and supply the image at a resolution that suits the printed size. If you use a concept illustration instead of a photo, make that obvious in the style.

What rules apply to restaurant offers and menu details?

State every condition of an offer where the reader sees the offer. The FTC guide on the word "free" says the terms for receiving a free item should be set out clearly and conspicuously at the outset. That means listing the minimum purchase, dates, locations and limits on the card, not only on a website. If your restaurant is part of a chain with 20 or more locations operating under the same name and offering substantially the same menu items, FDA menu labeling rules require calories on menus and menu boards, so check how they apply before printing menu items with prices. Confirm allergen and dietary statements with the kitchen.

How do you track restaurant postcard results?

Give each mailing a way to be counted. Options include a unique offer code, a card guests hand to staff, or a QR code that opens a menu page with campaign tags. Use a link builder to add consistent UTM tags, and read our guide to QR code tracking before choosing the destination. Record scans and redemptions separately, because a scan shows interest while a redemption shows a visit. Brief the staff before the cards land, so servers and hosts know the offer, accept the card and record the code the same way every time. Note the mailing date, quantity and cost so results can be compared with the next campaign.

When should restaurant postcards arrive?

Work backward from the date guests need the card in hand. Allow time for copy, photos and proof approval, then production and shipping. At Voqado, production takes 2 to 4 business days after artwork approval, then delivery takes a further 5 to 8 business days. Add postal delivery time for mailed cards, and plan for the card to land one to two weeks before the occasion so guests can plan a visit or a booking.

Restaurant postcard checklist

• One occasion, one audience and one response action per card.
• Photos that show the real dish as it is served.
• Dates, hours, address and all offer conditions printed on the card.
• Menu, allergen and pricing details confirmed by the business.
• A tracking method: offer code, redemption card or tagged QR link.
• A timeline that lands the card before the occasion.

Where should you start?

Pick the next occasion on your calendar and write the offer first. If the card promotes a new menu, coordinate it with your printed restaurant menus so the details match, then refine the wording with our offer copy guide and set the final design on standard postcards.