How Balance Hospitality Group Drove $1.3M Across 3 Venues With Email Marketing

For Filipa Castanheira, Manager and Event Coordinator of Balance Hospitality Group, creating emails is about more than sharing updates—it’s about making each guest feel like they’re on the VIP list. 

From exclusive wine dinners to masquerade parties, Filipa knows her guests well, and it shows in every marketing campaign. Over the last year and a half, she’s turned email into one of Balance Hospitality Group’s most powerful sales tools, generating over $1.3M and 18,000 covers across three venues.

Crafting personalized emails that keep guests coming back

Balance Hospitality Group is a collection of three distinct dining experiences in Greenwich, Connecticut: MŌLÌ, an upscale Chinese-inspired restaurant, perfect for special occasions and exclusive events; Hinoki, a Japanese venue that shifts from family-friendly to nightlife-ready as the day goes on; and Miku, known for its approachable, family friendly Japanese menu. Together, these venues have carved out a place in the Greenwich dining scene, each offering something unique.

Filipa has been with the group for two years and is laser-focused on ensuring each venue’s personality shines through their marketing. “Each restaurant has its own vibe, so our approach to connecting with guests has to match that,” Filipa explains. “Our goal isn’t just to fill seats but to build excitement that keeps people coming back.”

Why Balance made the switch to SevenRooms' Email Marketing

When Filipa joined Balance Hospitality, the team was using a mix of Constant Contact, MailChimp and OpenTable. She quickly saw an opportunity to streamline their tools. “All of our guest data was in SevenRooms, so moving our email campaigns there just made sense,” she says. With SevenRooms' integrated Reservation, CRM and Email Marketing solution, Filipa could leverage a single database of detailed guest profiles to target the right guests with the right messages at the right time. 

This shift proved especially valuable at MŌLÌ, where Balance hosts many signature events. For limited-seating dinners, Filipa starts by emailing targeted groups like VIPs and high spenders, ensuring loyal guests get priority access. After that, the invite goes out to the wider guest list, building demand and filling seats quickly.

“Many companies avoid email these days, assuming it’s outdated, but we see it differently,” Filipa explains. “Yes, younger people may be on Instagram or Facebook but there’s a core audience that relies on email daily—often for work, signing documents and handling important tasks. They may not check their mailboxes, but they check their email…so our messages have a place there.”

With SevenRooms' Email Marketing, Filipa can track metrics like open rates and unsubscribes, but she’s also able to see which emails directly convert into reservations and revenue, helping her understand exactly what works. 

In just 18 months, the group’s combined email campaigns have generated over $1.3M and 18,000 covers with an impressive average open rate of 59%.

Filipa’s tips for successful email marketing

Balance Hospitality Group’s success with email marketing is rooted in understanding their audience and crafting messages that matter. Below are Filipa’s top insights for creating emails that resonate:

1. Create catchy subject lines to pique curiosity: “If the subject line doesn’t make them curious, it’s just another email,” Filipa says. She recommends focusing on subject lines that hint at exclusivity or a unique experience. “Phrases like ‘Join us’ or ‘You’re invited’ create that little extra pull,” she says. Her goal is to make readers curious enough to open and see what they might be missing.
2. Use visuals to transport guests: For MŌLÌ events and Hinoki’s special dinners, visuals are key. Filipa ensures that every email has high-quality images that reflect the vibe of each venue. “We want our guests to feel like they’re already there,” she explains.
3. Reward loyalty with early access: For exclusive events, Balance gives VIPs first access to reservations—a practice made simple through SevenRooms’ guest tagging. “Our loyal guests deserve the first pick, and this approach helps us show our appreciation,” says Filipa.
4. Time emails to match guest habits: Filipa knows the community well, and she times her emails accordingly. “3 p.m. is golden for us—it’s when parents are waiting in car lines to pick up their kids, checking their emails,” she explains. For lunch specials, she aims for mid-morning so readers are inspired to make a reservation before the noon rush.
5. Closely monitor unsubscribes: Filipa also keeps a close eye on unsubscribes. “If we start seeing that number rise, we know it’s time to ease up,” she says. Filipa adjusts email frequency based on guest expectations, reducing emails during quieter times and ramping them up during high-demand periods, like the holiday season.