Guest WiFi Marketing for Restaurants and Diners

The opportunity

Why guest WiFi works for restaurants

A restaurant visit has a natural rhythm. Guests arrive, settle in, order, wait, eat and often linger over a last drink. Phones come out at the table in between, which is exactly when a WiFi login can start working for you, without a server hunting for the password or a laminated card on every table.

With Wayv, first-time diners sign in with a social account or a short form. You choose what to ask for, such as an email address, a mobile number, a birthday or a custom question like a favourite dish. Marketing is a separate opt-in, so your list is made up of people who said yes. Returning diners are recognised and connect automatically.

The real value comes after the bill is paid. A thank-you, a birthday treat, a note to someone who has not been in for a while, an announcement about the new seasonal menu: these are the moments that turn a good meal into a regular booking.

Benefits

How Wayv helps restaurants

Four ways guest WiFi marketing earns its keep for restaurants, from the first sign-in to the next visit.

Password-free at the table

New diners sign in once with their Google or Facebook account, or a short form. Returning guests are recognised and connect automatically, so nobody has to wait for a server to find the code or squint at a menu insert.

See who is coming back

Every guest has a profile showing their visits and how they respond to your messages. Guests are grouped automatically as new, loyal or lapsed, so you can see who is becoming a regular and who has drifted away.

Reviews and feedback

After a visit, Wayv can email diners to ask how it went, with a link to leave a review on Google. Ratings and comments land in one dashboard, so you can thank people and put things right quickly. Review tools depend on your package.

Tills kept off guest WiFi

You can put guests on a dedicated guest network, so your tills, card machines and back-office systems are not sharing a network with customers. Sign-in also records consent, so you know when each guest opted in.

Inspiration

Campaign ideas for restaurants

Each idea works by email or text, and most can run automatically once set up. Our guide to WiFi marketing has more on consent, timing and measuring results.

Favourite dish discount
Ask a custom question at sign-in, then send an email featuring the dish or drink a guest told you they love, with a small offer and a reason to come back for it.
We have missed you
Set an automation for diners who have not returned within the time you choose. A friendly note, and perhaps a treat on their next visit, can bring lapsed regulars back to the table.
Menu news on the login page
Use the screen guests see after signing in as a digital menu board. Announce the new seasonal menu, a tasting evening or a chef's special to everyone who connects, with nothing to reprint.
Birthday table treat
Collect birthdays at sign-in and send a birthday email automatically, offering a dessert or a drink and a button to your booking page, so the celebration happens at your restaurant.

How it works

How guest WiFi marketing works

Your guests get quick, free WiFi. You get a growing list of opted-in customers and simple tools to welcome them back.

Connect
Guests join your free WiFi
Sign up
A quick social or email sign-up with consent
Market
Send targeted emails, texts and offers
Grow back
Bring guests back again and again

FAQ

Guest WiFi for restaurants: common questions

Can I keep guests away from my tills and card machines?

You can place guests on a dedicated guest network, separate from the network your tills, card machines and back-office systems use. The exact set-up depends on your equipment, so we will talk you through it for your restaurant.

Do diners have to give me their email address?

You choose which details to ask for, and guests can sign in with a social login or a quick form. Marketing consent is a separate opt-in with a clear skip option, and Wayv records each choice, which helps you show when consent was given under GDPR.

Where can I see what diners say about us?

Reviews from connected sites such as Google and Facebook are collected in one dashboard, where you can see your average score, filter by star rating and follow up on any feedback guests send you.

Got another question? Read our guest WiFi marketing FAQs or see every Wayv feature in one place.

Explore more

Good ideas travel well between trades. See how guest WiFi marketing works for venues with a lot in common with yours.