SMS marketing for restaurants — strategies, best practices, and tools

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Audience attention spans are shrinking, and competition is fiercer than ever, especially in the food industry. With new cafes and restaurants opening daily, SMS marketing for restaurants can help you cut through the noise. 

SMS marketing can drive foot traffic to your location by notifying customers about promotions, specials, and discounts. It can also be used to convey transactional messages, such as order confirmations, delivery updates, and abandoned cart alerts.

From reservation reminders to encouraging customers to redeem coupons, text marketing for restaurants encourages immediate action and boosts customer engagement.

With high open rates and the convenience of mobile access, SMS messages keep your business top-of-mind, driving excellent sales results.

This article will explore key strategies and best practices for implementing SMS marketing for restaurants. We’ll also include real-life text marketing samples that you can use to increase orders even during off-peak time.

Why is SMS marketing effective for restaurants?

SMS marketing has several advantages and aligns perfectly with the fast-paced and customer-centered nature of the food and beverage industry. Here’s what makes SMS marketing for restaurants effective:

• High open rates and immediate impact: SMS marketing for restaurants can command exceptionally high open rates compared to email marketing. People are more likely to read text messages within minutes of receiving them, making SMS effective for urgent promotions, such as happy hour deals or limited-time menu items.
• Drive foot traffic and online orders: Another powerful reason to try SMS restaurant promotions is their ability to drive in-store visits and online orders. With direct links in text messages, customers can explore your menu, make reservations, or place orders from their phones. Quick links make it easy for customers to take advantage of promotions, even if they’re just a block away or ordering from home.
• Personalized and timely offers: You can split your customer base into groups based on preferences, past orders, or location. This enables you to target lunch-goers with midday specials or dinner guests with evening promotions.
  
  For example, Papa John’s uses personalized text messages to send Saturday night specials to its customers:

Key strategies for successful SMS marketing for restaurants

With the food service industry projected to reach a staggering $1 trillion in sales in 2024, this is a lucrative and, therefore, popular space to be in. However, adopting effective SMS marketing strategies can make you stand out in this crowded market. 

Here’s a comprehensive look at proven tactics that restaurants can use to maximize their SMS marketing efforts:

Send timely promotions and special offers

Timing is crucial when it comes to SMS marketing for restaurants. To maximize impact, you need to target customers when they’re making dining decisions, encouraging them to act immediately. For instance, you can send a text message announcing “20% off on pizza orders today between 5-7 PM.”

Promote happy hour offers by highlighting an enticing deal and the time frame. For example, you can offer half-priced wine bottles on Tuesdays between 4 and 6 PM, while highlighting your drink selections in the message. 

You can attract more customers with a well-crafted message, like Lift Bistro’s reminder message to its customers:

Automated SMS for reservation reminders

Customers may suddenly change plans or simply forget about a reservation. However, you can help prevent these no-shows with SMS marketing automation, ensuring customers stay committed to their bookings.

An automated SMS system can simplify your restaurant’s booking process and improve customers’ experiences. You can send an automated confirmation text immediately after a booking and a reminder 24 hours before the reservation to confirm the details. Automating these triggers ensures you never miss schedules or send incorrect messages.

You can also use automated text marketing to drive online bookings by including a link to your reservation system in the message. This makes it easy and convenient for customers to book a table on the go, while also improving seating management and streamlining operations.

Ryan’s Bar & Cabaret sends a clear and concise message with a link to the reservation. It also gives guests the flexibility to cancel or modify the booking if necessary:

Beyond reducing no-shows, you can use automated text messages to promote additional services or menu items, such as suggesting a special appetizer or dessert.

You can also include prompts to pre-order wine, learn about chef’s specials, or upgrade to premium seating. This approach creates extra revenue opportunities before guests arrive.

Exclusive VIP programs

Building a stronger customer connection is critical, and an exclusive VIP text club can be an excellent way to establish loyalty while making guests feel valued. You can extract data from the SMS analytics to identify your most active members and reward them with personalized offers.

These offers may include birthday rewards, members-only discounts, and sneak peeks at new menu items. A strategic referral program through your VIP club, like Water Grill, can inspire word-of-mouth marketing. It rewards your existing customers and attracts new customers who are excited to try your restaurant:

Consider creating different tiers for your VIP membership, such as Silver, Gold, and Platinum. This exclusivity can provide your restaurant with a dedicated customer base.

Feedback and review requests

Sending SMS is the easiest way to collect feedback on dining experiences or encourage happy customers to leave online reviews. A quick text with a feedback form or review link makes it convenient for customers to engage further with your restaurant. It also helps you improve your service and restaurant’s online presence.

Round Table Pizza keeps its feedback message short and simple while allowing customers to opt out:

When you receive positive responses, automatically follow up with a link to leave a review on popular platforms like Google or Yelp. But if it’s critical feedback, direct it to the management for immediate resolution.

Regularly collecting feedback ensures customer satisfaction. This approach maintains service quality and generates valuable social proof for your restaurant while showing customers their opinions matter.

Omnisend offers SMS marketing capabilities that are valuable for businesses looking to enhance customer communication and automate business processes. With features like automation, segmentation, and seamless integration with email campaigns, Omnisend makes it easy to manage and optimize SMS marketing for restaurants.

The platform allows you to combine SMS marketing strategies and email promotions to reach your audience more effectively. For example, if a customer abandons their cart, you can send an initial email reminder, followed by a more urgent SMS message, as shown in the image below: 

Additionally, its automation tool allows you to schedule reservation reminders so guests won’t miss their bookings. Plus, its segmentation feature lets you categorize customers based on their dining preferences or past visits, allowing you to send personalized offers. 

Omnisend’s multichannel approach makes it a valuable asset for streamlining reservation reminders, sharing promotional offers, and building lasting customer loyalty. Its intuitive interface also makes it simple to design and schedule promotional messages.

Best practices for SMS marketing in restaurants

To drive excellent results from SMS marketing for restaurants, following some of the best industry practices is always a good idea. This will help safeguard your business and maintain a positive reputation. 

Get permission and stay compliant

Getting explicit customer permission is essential before launching any SMS campaign. Under regulations like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), businesses must have consent before sending marketing messages.

Getting the customer’s consent before sending messages makes customers feel respected, improves SMS deliverability, and helps avoid legal complications. You can obtain permission through signup forms on your website, reservation system, or even in person. However, what they’re signing up for should be clear, whether it’s promotional offers, event updates, or loyalty rewards.

Maintaining detailed records of how and when customers opted in is also important. Include disclosures, such as “Reply STOP to unsubscribe,” in your initial message, and approve opt-out requests immediately. 

Keep messages short and clear

Effective SMS marketing for restaurants relies on concise, value-driven messages. It involves keeping texts under 160 characters and ensuring delivery as a single message. An SMS calculator can help you check your text length and SMS spending.

Also, avoid using spammy language, which can irritate customers and damage your brand reputation. Examples include:

• Deceptive subject lines: “You won a free gift!” (when it’s an advertisement)
• Excessive use of capital letters and exclamation marks: “FREE MONEY TODAY!!! CLICK HERE NOW!!”
• False urgency: “Last chance! The offer ends tonight!” (when it doesn’t)

Timing is key

Reaching customers at the right time increases the chances of your message resonating and driving action. 

Consider sending lunch specials between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM when people plan their midday meals. You can also schedule dinner promotion messages between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM to influence evening plans.

Timing also matters in terms of respecting customers’ schedules. Avoid sending messages too early in the morning or late at night, which can feel intrusive. 

Pay attention to local events, weather conditions, and seasonal patterns. For example, you can promote indoor seating during rainy weather or outdoor dining on pleasant evenings. 

Use a strong call to action (CTA)

Your SMS marketing campaigns should guide customers toward a specific action with a compelling CTA. Avoid vague phrases like “Visit us soon” and use direct ones such as “Reserve Your Table” or “Order Now.”

Also, ensure your CTA is relevant and positioned at the end of the message so it stands out. Test different CTAs to identify which ones drive the most engagement.

Examples of restaurant SMS marketing messages

Here are a few examples of successful text message marketing for restaurants:

• Burger King’s “Whopper Detour:” This campaign redirected customers from McDonald’s, offering a Whopper for only one cent each time the customers were around a McDonald’s store. Customers would receive SMS messages that link to the Burger King app for quick access.
  
  After placing an online order, they would move to the nearest Burger King store to receive their food. With geo-targeted ads and social media support, the app got 1.5 million downloads, significantly increasing foot traffic and sales:

• Momofuku feedback SMS: This culinary brand used an SMS to engage with a new subscriber, offering them a choice of update frequency. With this strategy, Momofuku gained valuable insights into customer preferences.
  
  This personalized approach enhances customer satisfaction and strengthens brand loyalty. The recipe link also drives traffic to their website, potentially increasing online sales and brand awareness:

• Starbucks’ reward program: Starbucks integrated an SMS program with its mobile app. As customers purchased items, they amassed stars, which determined their reward tier. The brand used SMS marketing to send personalized offers with a unique registration code. This exclusive discount increased Starbucks’ customer retention and app downloads:

Choosing an SMS marketing platform for your restaurant

You need reliable restaurant SMS marketing software to execute your strategies successfully. While there are several service providers, here are two crucial features to consider:

• Automation and scheduling: Like email automation, an automated SMS system can streamline reservation reminders by sending timely text messages to customers, reducing last-minute cancellations.
  
  It can also schedule promotional messages for delivery at optimal times. This level of efficiency is crucial for restaurants managing multiple campaigns and customer touchpoints.

• Integration with other marketing channels: When considering restaurant SMS marketing software, prioritize those that seamlessly integrate with your technology stack. This includes POS systems, email marketing, or loyalty programs.
  
  Platforms like Omnisend allow data synchronization across channels, giving you a complete view of each customer. This feature makes it easier to customize offers and build long-term loyalty.

Conclusion

SMS marketing for restaurants offers a direct and engaging way to connect with customers and increase loyalty. Restaurant text marketing has unmatched open rates and immediate impact. It can create personalized customer experiences and drive in-store visits and online orders.

Use automated text reminders, VIP programs, and feedback requests to boost your SMS marketing efforts. Ensure you follow best practices to maintain compliance with laws like the TCPA.

More importantly, choose an effective SMS marketing software to execute your strategies. We recommend Omnisend as it offers powerful features like automation, scheduling, and integration with other marketing channels.