We Build the System That Turns Guests Into Regulars.
We design and manage email and SMS systems that drive repeat visits, grow guest loyalty, and keep your brand top-of-mind — automatically.
Getting someone in once isn't the hard part.
Getting them to come back — again and again — is what builds real margin.
Email is the highest-leverage channel most teams underuse.
Top-performing brands drive 40–50%+ of revenue from email.
If yours isn’t, you’re leaving money on the table. Every single week.
The Inbox: Where Smart Operators Print Margin.
Most restaurants chase foot traffic.
The best ones build systems that bring guests back — without adding staff or overhead.
A full dining room means nothing if your guests never return.
Yet most restaurants either ignore email and SMS or hand it off without a plan.
We don’t.
Because the brands that win in hospitality aren't just great at service.
They have retention systems that quietly keep tables full and customers loyal.
Black Ink installs a backend that keeps your best customers coming back with personalized messaging that drives bookings, reviews, and loyalty.
This is the kind of infrastructure the best operators use.
And most competitors don't even think about.
Repeat Visits = Revenue
Email/SMS flows increase guest return rates by 20–40%, especially on weeknights.
Email Converts Better Than Social
Email drives 3–6x more bookings and repeat visits than Instagram or TikTok.
Pre-Visit Upsells Increase Check Size
Highlighting cocktails, tastings, or add-ons before a reservation lifts average checks by 10–15% per party.
Post-Visit Review Requests = Ranking
Sending emails 24–48 hours after dining increases reviews by 30–50% — with better sentiment and Google ranking.
Backend Systems That Keep Tables Full and Revenue Flowing
Whether you’re running a high-end concept or a fast-growing coffee spot, these systems are designed to recover revenue, build loyalty, and automate guest retention — without adding headcount.
The Lifecycle Install
Your guest recovery system.
Built to convert.
Most restaurants don’t have a reliable way to bring guests back.
This system changes that.
In under two weeks, we install a full retention backend — built to welcome new diners, increase the chance of a second visit, drive more reviews, and re-engage lapsed guests. Every message is personalized, behavior-driven, and written to sound like your brand.
It’s a one-time setup that drives rebookings, reviews, and repeat traffic behind the scenes without adding staff or extra effort.
First-time visits don’t build a business.
Repeat traffic does.
The Retention Engine
Consistent inbox presence.
Personalized touchpoints.
No staff required.
This is how busy operators stay top-of-mind without lifting a finger.
We manage the campaigns that drive bookings, build loyalty, and keep guests engaged — every month. From event promos to flash offers to chef spotlights, each message is crafted in your brand voice, backed by behavioral data, and designed to deliver margin, not noise.
When inboxes are full of noise, rhythm is how you cut through.
This system gives your best guests a reason to come back again and again.
Stay top-of-mind.
Stay in their rotation.
The Black Ink Process
The proven system we use to install retention, drive rebookings, and compound guest loyalty.
Most guest retention systems in hospitality are duct-taped together or completely missing.
We install a full-stack backend — optimized for your brand and built to grow with your business.
Phase 1
Install
We audit your existing tools, capture voice and tone, and deploy the key flows that drive retention from day one.
- Flow audit + guest journey map
- ESP setup + basic segmentation
- Copy, design, and automation
- Core conversion flows deployed
Phase 2
Expand
Once the foundation is live, we build out the rest of your lifecycle engine — including VIP, birthday, and re-engagement flows — and refine every segment to match how your guests actually behave.
- Lifecycle flow expansion (VIP, sunset, reactivation, etc)
- Segment refinement + tagging logic
- Re-engagement triggers + list hygiene
- Offer sequencing + guest experience mapping
Phase 3
Execute
We manage high-leverage campaigns built around your calendar and guest data. From chef spotlights to rebook pushes, every message is designed to earn loyalty and drive margin.
- Monthly and event-based email/SMS campaigns
- Flash campaigns (fill empty seats, rebook lapsed guests)
- Ongoing campaign performance review + optimization
- Ongoing advanced segmentation + tagging
- Optional strategy syncs with your team
Client Capacity
We don’t juggle dozens of venues or blast cookie-cutter campaigns.
Only a limited number of restaurants are onboarded each quarter.
Each one receives tailored strategy, hands-on execution, and a backend system built to drive rebookings, reviews, and loyalty — not noise.
Retention Systems That Already Work at Scale
Proven frameworks.
Rebuilt to match your voice and brand.
These are the same systems trusted by 7–9 figure brands in ultra-competitive markets to recover revenue and lock in loyalty.
Now applied to your guest list, with messaging that feels in-house and brings your best customers back.
What You Get When We Build Your Backend
This isn’t templates and guesswork.
It’s strategic execution built on what converts, managed by us, and optimized every week.
Copy That Converts
$5,000 one-time
Strategic writing that sounds like your staff and sells like your best GM.
Lifecycle Flows That Drive Visits
Includes welcome, re-engagement, VIP, review requests, and more. All personalized to your guest journey.
Proprietary Voice Model
Trained on your content and menu. Every message feels like it came from your team.
Positioning & Narrative Strategy
We define your voice, guest triggers, and story before we write. Every email lands with purpose.
Fast, Flexible Setup
Delivered in two to three weeks. Clear timeline. Minimal work for your team.
Conversion-Optimized Design
$5,000 one-time
Layouts that look sharp, load fast, and drive bookings.
Revenue-Focused Email Design
Styled to match your brand and crafted to move guests to action.
Modular Layout System
Custom sections built for promos, events, chef features, and loyalty perks.
Visual Hierarchy That Sells
Every element supports the message. Nothing gets in the way.
Pop-Up & QR Code Creative
Capture emails online or in person. Works on websites, menus, tables, or receipts.
Frictionless Execution
Mobile-first, fast-loading, and ready to implement.
Hands-Off Execution
$5,000 one-time
Revenue-driving email and SMS, handled start to finish.
Smart Campaign Cadence
Schedule built around your calendar, your goals, and how your guests behave.
Behavior-Based Segmentation
Messages triggered by visit history, loyalty status, booking patterns, or inactivity.
Performance Reviews & Iteration
Weekly internal audits to test, improve, and keep your system sharp.
Performance Monitoring & Optimization
Live ESP dashboards. Weekly reviews. Constant iteration.
Let’s Clear a Few Things Up.
How is Black Ink different from a typical agency?
Most agencies focus on social media, paid ads, or influencer hype.
We focus on the highest-ROI channel in hospitality — retention. Instead of chasing visibility, we build systems that turn one-time guests into repeat customers and let your brand compound loyalty over time.
It’s the difference between content… and infrastructure.
What kind of impact can this have on my restaurant?
Restaurants using automated retention flows often see 20–40% more repeat visits, stronger midweek traffic, and a steady lift in bookings, reviews, and guest loyalty.
It’s not about sending more emails. It’s about building a system that fills tables, keeps VIPs coming back, and drives results when foot traffic slows down.
How involved does my team need to be?
Not much at all. We handle strategy, copy, design, and execution.
You approve final drafts and give occasional input for promos or events — that’s it.
This is built to run without adding work to your plate or pulling your staff away from service.
How do you grow the list?
We build the list from multiple angles — without disrupting service or asking your staff to do more.
That includes custom popups on your website, QR codes for menus, tables, receipts, or front windows, and optional offers to incentivize signups. We also capture reservation emails and segment based on visit behavior, when possible.
The result is a clean, growing list of real guests — ready to rebook, review, and come back.
Can I give feedback or request edits?
Yes. You’ll get a shared workspace to comment, review, and approve everything before it goes live. Most edits are simple and included. We’re focused on performance and always open to refinement.
Why don’t you share client names?
To protect our clients and the systems we build. We’ve had strategies copied, flows ripped, and playbooks lifted by people who never hired us. The results are real. The anonymity is intentional.
The Brands Stay Quiet.
The Results Don’t.
Founders don’t hire us to talk. They hire us to drive revenue.
Here’s what they say once the system’s working.
"Before Black Ink, our list barely moved. After launching their opt-in system, it started growing every week. And the people signing up actually buy, not just browse."
"Our space is brutally competitive, but the emails Black Ink delivered consistently outperformed our internal benchmarks. The brand voice was tighter, the strategy was clearer, and the backend actually brought customers back."
"Black Ink took email off our hands and turned it into our highest-ROI channel. Every week the list grows, customers come back, and everything sounds exactly like I want the brand to show up."
"We hired Black Ink for a few emails. Then we hired them for everything. They rebuilt our entire retention system, from flows to weekly campaigns, and it became the one part of the business I don’t even think about anymore."
You’ve probably read our work. You just didn’t know it.
Stop Paying for Foot Traffic.
Start Compounding Margin.
We install the system that makes every visit count.