Hello there Sea Changers. Welcome back to my series of program lists to assist those of you looking to fund your sea change with affiliate marketing. Today we head into the world of fine food with a look at my 10 restaurant affiliate programs to simmer with in 2021. Food is always a popular subject and the likes of Uber Eats etc. have also opened up new previously unthought of avenues to the online market. Then there is the restaurant management and stocking side of things as well so with a little work, this could be one that can be turned into quite a nice little sea change funding online business.

Before we begin however, I am conscious that there are a number of different areas or sub niches within this subject hence the quantity of affiliate programs to choose from may be just as large. So how have I picked my best 10? Well… I really just wanted to give you a good cross section of what is out there so I did some searching around and checked a few out and chose them by looking at:

• What they offer
• Commission rates
• Payment terms
• Cookie duration
• Application processes
• Affiliate/Marketing materials provided

Before we start however, let’s have a look at what I mean by the term ‘restaurants’ and how it can be incorporated within an affiliate marketing website…

What do we mean by restaurants?

I did some research, and within the United States alone, restaurants are a $899 billion dollar a year industry via over $1 million locations – and that obviously doesn’t include European countries where eating out is practically a part of life. To be honest, I actually think that this is a niche that could be broken down a little however the purposes of this post I am going to focus on restaurants from a number of angles just so that you can gain a good understanding as to what is out there. This way, you may be able to start to narrow down to what it is that you wish to focus on for your own affiliate marketing business.

So with all that in mind, I have tried to cover a good cross section of restaurant affiliate program options covering:

• Coupons and discounts
• Delivery
• Fitout and equipment
• Stock
• Scheduling and management

And of course anything else you can think of when it comes to making money with food online… So, if you are looking to set up an online business in this space, let’s check out our promotion strategies….

What can affiliate marketers promote?

There are essentially no real barriers to what affiliate marketers can promote when it comes to restaurants. However, there are some things to be aware of as you run your eye over restaurant related affiliate program possibilities that may suit your site. These are:

1. Know your audience, some are looking for specifics and want the best whilst others are hoping to just get their equipment on a budget. Choose your affiliate sites accordingly.
2. Hard core foodies and/or professionals will not take risks if they don’t trust you or your affiliate site. Make sure the programs you choose are reputable and have good recourse options if the purchaser is not happy.
3. Those purchasing as a new restaurant will need to know exactly what they need and that the products you are promoting will fit in with their requirements. Make sure your programs can provide the products to back up the information that you are covering.
4. Food delivery is a huge market – but make sure the programs you choose are reputable and deliver on time – nothing can insight a poor review more than a ‘hangry’ person waiting too long for their food.

That said, stats show that people will spend money on restaurant related products and services online if it can make their lives easier so as long as you are meeting their needs and solving problems, then you are on the right track. And to give you a boost, let’s have a look at 10 programs that I have found below:

1. Restaurant.com

Let’s start with the discount coupon side of things with Restaurant.com. Restaurant.com offers dining deals at thousands of restaurants across the United States where customers search based on dining, food type and location then purchase certificates at discounted rates. For example, a $25 voucher for a restaurant might cost the purchaser $12 on the site. Shoppers can also purchase Restaurant.com cards for use in numerous restaurants around the country as well.

This is a great site for affiliates in just about any niche you can think of that has anything to do with food including restaurant, dining, food or wine blogs, student, date night or any other special occasion sites as well.

Commission Rate:

• 15% to start for Restaurant.com purchases
• 3% commission to start based on sales volume for Specials by Restaurant.com purchases

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 30 Days.

Application required?: Yes, Restaurant.com’s affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliates. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Restaurant.com affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: HTML, zip code banners, emails, text links and a detailed product catalog

---

2. LocalFlavor.com

LocalFlavor.com is a food and restaurant based coupon and deals site offering discount dining to any number of restaurants and takeaway shops to suit every taste and budget. Choices are made via location and dining option.

If you are looking at the budget or coupon side of things, then this site could certainly be utilised as a base for an affiliate marketing business due to its inclusion of other coupons and discount options such as:

• Fun
• Salon/Spa
• Fitness
• Auto
• Services

And for those working within the restaurant niche then this could be a good addition if you are discussing takeaway or family options as well as again, student or discounted dining.

Commission Rate: Not Stated

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not stated

Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and contact information to apply.

Marketing material provided: HTML and banners, email and text links

---

3. Grubhub

Now we move into the food delivery side of things with Grubhub. Put simply, Grubhub delivers food via the following processes:

1. Type in an address.
2. Grubhub tells you the restaurants that either deliver or offer pickup within that locale.
3. Food is ordered and picked up or delivered as requested.

Searches can also be made by cuisine, restaurant name or menu item.

To be honest, there is not really a food, restaurant, cuisine specific, budget, special occasion or student type affiliate business that this site could not be included within. There is also a great food blog as well allowing affiliates to match the content of the blog with restaurants that meet those food types/cuisines.

Commission Rate: Not Stated

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.

Marketing material provided: Text links

---

4. Tundra Restaurant Supply

Let’s move away from the food side of things and focus on the restaurants themselves starting with Tundra Restaurant Supplies. Tundra Restaurant Supply is an all encompassing restaurant supply site with options for high end to budget family setups and everything in between. They offer over 50000 items so obviously they cannot all be listed here however hopefully you can gain an insight via the below graphic:

I know that is a small list for a site that contains that many items so be assured that they really do cover everything for every need within:

• Full Service Restaurants
• Fast Casual Restaurants
• Bars and Night Clubs
• Cafeterias & Food Halls
• Ghost Kitchens
• Commissaries
• Coffee Shops
• Catering
• Food Trucks

They stock all of the well-known brands and there is definitely enough on this site to base an entire affiliate marketing business around as there are good options for all restaurant types as well as those dealing with specific culinary needs also.

Commission Rate: 7%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes, the Tundra Restaurant Supplies affiliate program is managed by Rakuten. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Tundra Restaurant Supplies affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.

Marketing material provided: Banners, text links, product feed

---

5. Napkins.com

Napkins.com is another huge supply site offering disposable tableware and paper products for use in restaurants, catering, event planning, and food service applications. Their range of products is way too large to list here but their main categories include:

• Napkins
• Tableclothes
• Tabletop
• Drinkware
• Events – special occasion and holiday
• Decorations
• Serveware
• Eco
• Bakery ware

The list above really doesn’t do the site justice however rest assured that they have just about everything that could be required to deck out any outdoor restaurant or catering requirement. The site could definitely be utilised to build a generalist restaurant supply business around or as a great addition to the professional, catering or party niches as well.

Commission Rate: 13% (2% on coupons)

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 60 Days

Application required?: Yes, Napkins.com’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Napkins.com affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Text links, banners

6. Lollicup Store

For this next site, the Lollicup Store is an online coffee, tea, and restaurant supplier offering a great range of both food and non-food items. Their product range includes:

Food & Beverages

• Boba (Tapioca Pearls)
• Canned Toppings
• Chips & Chunks
• Coffee
• Concentrate
• Dessert Mix
• Jellies
• Mini Mochi
• Non-Dairy Milk
• Popping Pearls
• Powders
• Purées
• Sauces
• Smoothie Mix
• Syrups
• Tea Leaves

Restaurant Supplies

• Bowls & Plates
• Cups & Lids
• Cup Accessories
• Catering Supplies
• Food Preparation
• To-Go Packaging
• Napkins
• Stirrers & Straws
• Utensils

Appliances & Tools

• Equipment & Machinery
• Kitchen Essentials

General Supplies

• Beverage Service Supplies
• Gloves
• Receipt Paper Rolls
• Janitorial Supplies
• Store Display
• Warehouse Supplies

There is maybe enough here to base an affiliate marketing business around as their product range is quite large. It would however probably make a better inclusion to an overarching restaurant or catering niche site instead. There is a great blog on the site as well including recipes, menu ideas and restaurant tips and tricks.

Commission Rate:

• 7% base commission
• 8% commission for Sales ≥ $500
• 8.5% commission for Sales ≥ $7,500
• 9% commission for Sales ≥ $15,000
• 9.5% commission for Sales ≥ $25,000
• 10% commission for Sales ≥ $75,000

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 45 Days

Application required?: Yes, the Lollicup Store affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliates. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Lollicup Store affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.

Marketing material provided: Text links and banners

---

7. Zwilling

I was attracted to this site for this post based on the fact that it is one for the chefs with a great range of knives. However on further investigation, Zwilling is an all encompassing cookware and tableware site with a huge range of products for both the restaurant and home including :

• Cutlery
• Cookware
• Electrics
• Flatware
• Glassware
• Tools

Like many within this post, the list above probably doesn’t do the site justice however there is certainly enough here to supply an entire restaurant within any of the categories listed above. They also stock a good range of well-known brands including:

• Zwilling
• Staub
• Miyabi
• Demeyere
• Ballarini
• Henckels

You could maybe base an affiliate program on this one if your site is aimed at the kitchen side or things when it comes to restaurants and catering. It would also make a great addition to any of those niches as well as chef, home cooking or kitchen sites too.

Commission Rate: 4%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 45 Days

Application required?: Yes, Zwilling’s affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliates. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Zwilling affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.

Marketing material provided: Text links, banners

---

8. Touch Bistro

Touch Bistro is an iPad based Point of Sale (POS) system designed to assist restaurants to “make more money, deliver a great customer experience, and take the guesswork out of making business decisions”. Their system offers a range of features including:

• At table ordering
• Table management
• Credit card/payment processing
• Menu management
• Staff scheduling and management
• CRM
• Inventory management
• Reporting and analytics
• Loyalty and gift cards

There are also accompanying hardware options and pricing varies dependent upon the services purchased/needed on a business by business basis.

The program does appear geared towards those within the industry on a referral based arrangement. However, there is the option for active affiliates to join as well so at $1000 per sale contact with the company to discuss may be well worth your while if you have influence within the restaurant industry.

Commission Rate:

• $100 per demo
• $1000 per sale

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 365 Days

Application required?: Yes, you will need to enter personal and business information as part of the application.

Marketing material provided: Referral based program

---

9. Restaurant Engine

Restaurant Engine is a web design service that “streamlines the professional web design process with an all-inclusive package, tailored specifically to the needs of restaurants.” Websites are created from a series of tailored restaurant specific solutions for both desktop and mobile and include Social and SEO tools as well. Sites are suitable for:

• Restaurants
• Food Trucks
• Online Ordering
• In restaurant management

This is a great one to add to any restaurant based site or if you are working within the restaurant management or establishment niches as well. The affiliate page also outlines this program as beneficial to:

• A consultant serving restaurant clients.
• A friend of a restaurant owner.
• A blogger or other publication with an audience of restaurant owners.
• A loyal restaurant-goer seeking to help your favorite restaurant improve their website.

Commission Rate: $100 per referral

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and website information with promotional strategies to apply.

Marketing material provided: Text Links

Note: Reseller programs also available.

---

10. 7shifts

And finally let’s discuss restaurant scheduling with 7shifts. 7shifts cloud-based staff scheduling software designed exclusively for small, medium and large restaurants with functionality including:

• Restaurant Scheduling
• Mobile Scheduling Apps
• Team Communication
• Manager Log Book
• Time Clocking
• Workforce Management
• Employee Engagement
• Integrations
• Reports

As with the previous two sites, this one would work best as an add on to any restaurant, catering or food truck related affiliate business or those dealing with restaurant establishment or management.

Commission Rate:

• $5 per free trial
• $50 per sale

Payment Terms: Monthly.

Cookie Duration: 120 Days

Application required?: Yes – the 7shifts affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account and then for the 7shifts affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.

Marketing material provided: Text links and banners

---

Amazon Associates

Alternatively, should you wish to set up your site up with a range from a few different brands or companies on the same site then you can do so via Amazon. Amazon provides access to a good range of restaurant related products and has a fairly good affiliate program as well. So if you wish, join the Amazon Associates program, locate the best products relevant to your site within Amazon itself and you can post links on your own site as per below:

Amazon’s commission rates are not too bad and some prefer this avenue due to the sheer amount of traffic and trustworthiness that comes with a company site of this size.

How to find your own affiliate programs

As stated earlier, by outlining the sites above I have really just tried to give you a good cross section of the types of programs that are out there by listing the really good ones in each ‘category’. That does not mean that you cannot find affiliate programs that better suit what it is that you are trying to do within this space especially as I could never even begin to cover every restaurant related requirement or sub niche in the one post. Luckily for us, there is a simple way to find these programs online.

All you need to do is enter “affiliate: niche type” into your search engine (substituting ‘niche type‘ for whatever product it is that you are choosing to sell).

There are restaurant related affiliate programs for everything else that we have listed at the top of this page as well – you will just need to have a look around until you find one or two that suit your site. Once you have completed your searches, you can look through and find programs that:

• Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
• Have quality products – your brand can be severely damaged if you promote poor quality products.
• Have solid payment and customer service arrangement.
• Pay decent commissions.
• Have good testimonials covering commission payouts and quality of product.

In most cases, you will need to apply for the program before you are allowed to promote their products – don’t take this step lightly or you will be rejected. Affiliate programs will generally want to know:

• Your website name.
• Traffic levels.
• Why you want to join – (so I can make money by selling your flatware is unfortunately not generally a good enough answer).
• How you plan to promote their products.

Conclusion

So… There are 10 of the best restaurant affiliate programs to simmer with this year. I hope it has been helpful for you as you commence your own restaurant or food based affiliate marketing business and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share. Oh, and especially comment if you have any experience with these, or any other programs as well.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own restaurant or food based website?

Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO and social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.