SMS Marketing for Restaurants: What to Know, Examples [2024]

The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air as Maria flipped the sign on her family-owned Italian restaurant to "Open."

It was another Tuesday morning, and she couldn't help but sigh at the sight of empty tables. The quaint eatery, once bustling with loyal patrons, had been struggling to keep up lately.

As Maria wiped down the counter, her phone buzzed. It was a text from her favorite coffee shop down the street: "Rise and shine! Your usual cappuccino is waiting. Stop by before 10 AM for a free croissant."

She smiled, grabbed her jacket, and headed out the door.

On her way back, cappuccino in hand and croissant crumbs on her jacket, an idea struck Maria.

What if she could reach her customers the same way? What if she could send them personal text messages, just like her local barista did?

That was the day Maria discovered the power of SMS marketing for restaurants. Little did she know, this simple revelation would transform her business, bringing back familiar faces and attracting new ones.

Although Maria’s story is fictional, its spirit rings true—SMS has a lot of untapped potential for marketing your restaurant.

The question is…

How do you tap into that potential?

Let’s unpack that for you in this guide.

What You Should Know Before Getting Started with SMS Marketing for Restaurants

Before you fire up your SMS marketing campaign and start sending out messages, there are a few key things you should keep in mind.

SMS Marketing Has Amazing Benefits for Restaurants

Think about this…

As far as we know, about 100% of all text messages are at least viewed, even if they're not opened.

With that kind of startling realization, it’s no wonder that SMS marketing can have an incredible impact on restaurants, including, but not limited to:

• More visibility
• More engagement with your customers
• More traffic to your restaurant
• More sales

Think about fictional Maria’s example from the introduction…

A simple text message got Maria to step into the cafe, which led to her purchasing a coffee and having an overall positive experience with the brand.

It’s such a simple concept and yet so underutilized—but this type of scenario is totally possible for your restaurant too.

SMS Marketing Has Strict Guidelines

While SMS does have amazing potential for your business, you do need to keep in mind that there are strict guidelines you’ll need to follow in order to use it.

Not all of these requirements are necessarily legal, but if you don’t follow them, your messages may end up getting filtered out by the mobile carriers as spam, so you’ll be wasting your time and effort.

Some of those guidelines include:

• Pre-register your brand and traffic with the mobile carriers—you can do this in just a few minutes using online forms provided to you by your SMS marketing software.
• Get people to opt in—sending cold SMS isn’t best practice; it’s better to text people who have clearly opted in to receive your messages.
• Clearly identify your restaurant—when you send your messages, make sure your identity is clear so there’s no confusion as to who is sending the message.
• Make opt-out instructions clear—you should make it clear and obvious how people can opt out of your messages; this is typically handled automatically if people reply STOP to any of your messages.
• Avoid mentions of alcohol (among other “questionable” content)—mobile carriers don’t look favorably on mentions of alcohol (among other topics such as sex and tobacco), so you’ll want to avoid that. If you absolutely can’t avoid it due to the nature of your business, chat with our experts and we can help you strategize on how you can still use SMS.

Your SMS Marketing Lists Won’t Be as Big as Your Email Lists

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to SMS marketing for your restaurant is that you shouldn’t compare it to email.

If you're accustomed to email marketing, you might be in for a surprise: your SMS list is likely to be significantly smaller than your email list.

People are less likely to be willing to provide their phone numbers than their email address, so it can be more difficult to build as large of an opt-in list for SMS.

BUT… that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Since SMS has higher view rates than email, you don’t need as big of a list in order to see results.

And while your SMS list may be smaller than email, it often comprises your most engaged and loyal customers. These are people who really want to hear from you.

You’ll Need an Effective Strategy to Get Opt-Ins

Since people are less willing to hand over their phone numbers to opt in to a marketing campaign, you’ll need an effective strategy to get people to join your list.

For restaurants, one of the most common ways (probably the most common way) to get people to subscribe is to offer a free item if people opt in.

This could be a free appetizer, drink, side item, or anything else you want it to be.

But you also need a way to advertise this opt-in offer—and in this case it might be best to go the omnichannel approach.

In other words, you can advertise your SMS program via in-store print-outs, on your menus, in social media posts, in email blasts, in physical mailings, and anywhere else you’re currently reaching people.

For some more info and tips you can download our free restaurant marketing guide.

35 SMS Marketing Strategies and Examples for Restaurants

Now that we've covered the essentials of SMS marketing for restaurants, it's time to dive into the meat and potatoes of this powerful tool.

Quick-Service and Casual Restaurants

Welcome Offer:

“

Welcome to Luigi's! Enjoy 20% off your first meal. Show this text to redeem. Valid for 7 days.

Limited-Time Special:

“

Flash sale! Next 2 hours only: Buy one pizza, get one free at Pete's Pizzeria. Order now!

Promoting Loyalty Program:

“

Introducing our new loyalty app! Download now and get a free signature side with your next purchase. Text APP to 12345 for the link.

Loyalty Program Reminder:

“

You're just 2 visits away from a free meal at Burger Bliss! Stop by this week to earn more points.

Menu Update Alert:

“

New at Green Leaf: Try our Impossible™ Burger! Available starting tomorrow. Reply YES to reserve yours.

Slow Day Booster:

“

Beat the Monday blues! 50% off all appetizers today at The Hungry Hound. Dine-in only.

Weather-Based Promotion:

“

Rainy day? Warm up with our homemade soup, now 30% off at Cozy Corner Café.

Feedback Request:

“

How was your experience at Taco Town? Reply with a number 1-5 (5 being excellent). Your feedback helps us improve!

Late-Night Offer:

“

Midnight munchies? Owl's Diner is open 24/7. Show this text for 20% off between 11 PM - 4 AM.

Order Ahead Incentive:

“

Skip the line! Order ahead on our app and get a free side. Use code FAST at checkout.

Lunch Break Deal:

“

Pressed for time? Try our new 15-minute lunch menu. All items under $10! Available 11 AM - 2 PM.

Dessert Promotion:

“

Sweet tooth alert! All desserts half price after 8 PM at Sugar Rush Café.

Family Night Offer:

“

Every Tuesday is Family Night at Mama's Kitchen. Kids eat free with adult entrée purchase."

Takeout Promotion:

“

Too busy to dine in? All takeout orders 15% off this week. Use code TOGO when ordering online or by phone.

Fine Dining Establishments

Reservation Reminder:

“

Your table for 4 at Chez Marcel is confirmed for tonight at 8 PM. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule.

Event Promotion:

“

Join us for live jazz night this Friday at Blue Note Bistro. Show this text for 10% off your bill.

Chef’s Special:

“

Today only: Chef Maria's award-winning paella is back! Limited portions available. Text PAELLA to reserve yours.

New Menu Promotion:

“

Experience our new 7-course tasting menu, curated by Michelin-starred Chef James. Limited seating this weekend. Reply TASTE to reserve your table.

Happy Hour Alert:

“

It's 5 o'clock somewhere! Happy Hour at Skyline Bar from 4-7 PM. All cocktails half price!

Seasonal Menu Launch:

“

Fall flavors have arrived at Harvest Table! First 50 to show this text get a free pumpkin spice latte with any meal.

Exclusive Tasting Invite:

“

VIP invite: Be among the first to taste our new drink selection. This Friday, 7 PM. Reply YES to RSVP. Limited spots!

Local Ingredient Spotlight:

“

This week's special: Farm-fresh tomato basil soup using tomatoes from Johnson's Farm. Limited daily batch!

Cooking Class Promotion:

“

Learn to make sushi like a pro! Join our sushi prep class this Saturday. Text ROLL to reserve your spot.

Customer Appreciation:

“

You're one of our top customers! Enjoy a complimentary appetizer on your next visit to thank you for your loyalty.

Waitlist Management:

“

Your table at Pasta Paradise will be ready in approximately 15 minutes. Reply OK to confirm you're still coming.

Wine Pairing Suggestion:

“

Tonight's feature: Grilled salmon pairs perfectly with our house special. Mention this text for $5 off the pairing.

Brunch Reminder:

“

Weekend plans? Don't forget our famous Sunday Brunch Buffet! Show this text for a free mimosa.

Dietary Accommodation Reminder:

“

Did you know? We offer gluten-free options! Ask your server for our special GF menu on your next visit.

Food Trucks and Pop-ups

Food Truck Location Update:

“

Taco Truck alert! We'll be at Central Park today from 11 AM - 3 PM. First 20 customers get a free churro!

Game Day Special:

“

Big game today! Order our Party Platter and get 6 free wings. Perfect for sharing!

Meatless Special:

“

Meatless Monday at Grille Gourmet: 20% off all fruit and/or veggie items.

New Location:

“

New location this week! Find us at Downtown Square. Show this text for $2 off your order.

Weather Update:

“

Rain or shine, we're here! Visit our food truck today and get a free hot beverage with any meal purchase.

Event Notice:

“

Food Truck Festival this weekend! Find us there and enjoy our special festival menu. 10% off with this text.

Secret Menu promotion:

“

Secret menu alert! Text the word HIDDEN to us for access to our exclusive off-menu items, available only to SMS subscribers. Limited daily quantity!

Best Practices for Restaurant SMS Marketing

As you explore implementing SMS marketing for your restaurant, there are a few best practices you’ll want to make sure to follow.

1. Follow all carrier guidelines

We mentioned some of the carrier guidelines above in the “What You Should Know Before Getting Started” section, but it bears repeating again.

To make sure you get the best message delivery possible, you’ll need to follow all mobile carrier guidelines when sending your messages.

When it comes to restaurants, one unique aspect of this best practice is that you can’t send messages related to alcohol.

What that means is that if your establishment sells alcoholic beverages, you need to refrain from any specific mentioning of those products in your messages.

2. Make full use of SMS for a variety of purposes

As can be seen in the “Strategies and Examples” section above, your potential uses for SMS in your restaurant aren’t confined to a single case.

So don’t limit your efforts to just one thing.

Use SMS for promotions. And for loyalty rewards. And for announcements. And for reminders. And anything else that comes to mind in regards to communicating with your audience!

Making full use of SMS for a variety of purposes will help you maximize the impact your SMS marketing has.

3. Don’t over-send

While you want to make full use of SMS for a variety of purposes, be careful not to “over-send.”

Your customers will grow numb to your messages if you send too many, and then your SMS marketing will lose its impact.

So plan your campaigns carefully, so that you’re not sending too many messages in too short a period of time.

For restaurants, customers probably don’t want to hear from you via SMS more than once per week at maximum.

4. Use SMS and email together

SMS will be best used for your business not as a standalone marketing effort but in conjunction with your email campaigns.

These two marketing channels don’t need to compete but rather can complement each other.

For example, you can actually send the same promotions out via email and SMS—then your customers will see the campaign from multiple touchpoints.

Using SMS and email together will help you maximize both to their fullest potential.

How SMS Marketing for Restaurants Works

SMS marketing for restaurants works similarly to email marketing:

1. Build a subscriber list—you can get people to opt in via website forms, QR codes which you can display at your location, or by texting a keyword to a particular phone number.
2. Log in to an online platform (or use an API)—you’ll use an SMS service provider to send out your SMS, so you need to log in to the platform or get an SMS API set up (which will allow you to programmatically send your messages).
3. Create your messages—you can create your messages within the online SMS platform or via an SMS API; you can then schedule your messages as desired or set up automated campaigns.
4. Analyze results—after your messages have gone out, you can analyze the results using the metrics provided in your SMS platform or any other analytics you’re able to track on your end.

The process typically flows like this:

1. A customer opts in to receive messages from your restaurant.
2. You create a targeted message using your SMS platform.
3. The message is sent out to your subscribers or a specific segment.
4. Customers receive the message and can take action (e.g., make a reservation, use a promo code).
5. You track the results and use the insights to improve future campaigns.

How to Get Started with SMS Marketing for Restaurants

Getting started with SMS marketing for your restaurant isn’t hard.

Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough.

Find an SMS Marketing Service for Restaurants

One of the most difficult parts in getting started is simply finding the right service.

The good news is that you don’t need a restaurant-specific SMS platform—restaurants have a broad enough use case that any major SMS platform should be able to accommodate your needs.

Mobile Text Alerts is one of the services you can use for SMS marketing for your restaurant.

Start a Free Trial

Once you’ve found a service you’d like to try, you can start a free trial so that you can get a feel for how the service will work for your restaurant.

Usually you’ll get 14 days and a limited number of messaging credits to try it out, so that should be enough to see if you like the platform.

Plan a Campaign

To plan a restaurant SMS campaign, one common approach would be to incentivize people to sign up for your texts by providing a free item (such as a free appetizer).

Then you can have their info on hand so that you can send them whatever campaign you’re hoping to send—such as a holiday discount.

Implement Your Campaign

When you’re ready to start implementing, you can advertise your opt-in method wherever you’d like it to be displayed and schedule out or automate your messaging content within your SMS platform.

(As mentioned above, you can also use an SMS API to set things up if you have developer resources.)

Check Your Analytics

You can keep an eye on your campaign metrics in your online SMS service dashboard, or if you have other means to track analytics (such as Google Analytics, UTM tracking, etc.).

Some metrics you can track directly within your SMS platform include:

• Link clicks
• Response rates
• Delivery rates
• Opt-out rates

As you notice elements of your campaign being successful or unsuccessful, you can make adjustments and optimizations as necessary.

Take the First Step to Getting Started

Now you’ve got the info you need to help you move forward with your first steps in regards to SMS marketing for your restaurant.

All you need to do now is to get a free trial, just to get a feel for how services work.

Try SMS marketing for your restaurant today.