Why Restaurant SMS Works
70% of dining decisions are made within 2 hours of mealtime (National Restaurant Association). Email will not reach them in that window. A text sent at 11am gets read at 11:01. SMS has a 98% open rate compared to 20% for email (Gartner), and the average response time is under 3 minutes. For restaurants, where decisions are impulsive and timing is everything, there is no faster channel.
These 20 templates are organized by use case, ready to copy-paste, and designed to feel like they are coming from a person, not a marketing system. Each one includes character count, best send time, and why it works.
Before sending: build your SMS list through POS opt-ins, WiFi sign-ups, or digital receipts. Always get consent. See our SMS compliance guide for the legal requirements, and our complete restaurant SMS marketing playbook for the full strategy.
Win-Back (Templates 1-4)
Template 1: Soft Check-In (No Offer)
Hey [Name], it has been a couple weeks. No agenda, just wanted you to know your table is always here. Hope to see you soon. - [Restaurant]
Characters: 132 | Send: When a regular misses 1.5x their normal visit interval | Why it works: No discount, no pressure. Just genuine warmth. This is Touch 1 in a multi-step sequence. 15-20% of lapsed regulars respond to the soft check-in alone.
Touch 1: warm, no incentive. Just a genuine check-in. Escalate only if they don't return.
Template 2: Menu-Based Personalization
[Name], since you loved the short rib, you should try the new lamb osso buco. It is on special tonight. Your usual table is open at 7:30.
Characters: 138 | Send: When a regular has been absent 10+ days, timed to 3-4pm for dinner traffic | Why it works: References their actual order history. Feels curated, not blasted. Personalized win-back texts convert at 18-25% vs 4-8% for generic ones.
References his preferences and what's changed. Feels curated, not blasted.
Template 3: Loyalty Points Expiration
Heads up: you have 82 points toward a free entree and they expire on [date]. Do not let them go to waste. Reserve your table: [link]
Characters: 130 | Send: 7-14 days before points expire | Why it works: Loss aversion. People are 2x more motivated to avoid losing something than to gain it. This recovers 25-35% of lapsed loyalty members.
Template 4: Strongest Offer (Final Touch)
[Name], it has been too long. Your first dinner back is on us, a complimentary appetizer for your table. Valid this week only: [link]
Characters: 128 | Send: 14+ days after first touch if no response | Why it works: This is the escalation. After the soft check-in (Template 1) and the personalized nudge (Template 2), the strongest offer comes last. Offer distribution should be 30% no-offer, 70% offer for win-back campaigns.
Slow-Night Flash Deals (Templates 5-7)
Template 5: Tuesday Night Fill
Quiet Tuesday? Not anymore. Complimentary appetizer with any entree tonight only. We have tables at 6, 7:30, and 8:45. [link]
Characters: 124 | Send: 3:30-4:30pm on slow weeknights | Why it works: Time-limited urgency. Specific available times reduce friction. Average SMS response time is under 3 minutes, making flash deals the fastest way to fill empty tables.
Flash offer to fill empty tables on a slow Tuesday. Sent at 3:30pm, response time under 3 minutes.
Template 6: Happy Hour Push
Happy hour just got better. $8 cocktails and half-price apps until 6:30 tonight. Bring a friend, your usual spot is open. - [Restaurant]
Characters: 123 | Send: 4-5pm on slow weekdays | Why it works: Social invitation ("bring a friend") doubles the table size. Specific pricing is more compelling than "discounts available."
Template 7: Weather-Based Offer
First cold night of the season. Come warm up with our new French onion soup and a glass of red. On special tonight only.
Characters: 113 | Send: Morning of significant weather events | Why it works: Contextual relevance. Weather-triggered messages convert at 2-3x generic promotions because the customer can feel the relevance immediately.
New Customer Follow-Up (Templates 8-10)
Template 8: 24-Hour Thank You
Hey [Name], thanks for coming in last night! We loved having you. Here is a free appetizer for your next visit, valid this week: [link]
Characters: 128 | Send: Within 24 hours of first visit | Why it works: The second visit is the most important conversion in the entire guest lifecycle. A guest who visits twice is 40% more likely to become a regular (McKinsey). First-visit follow-ups convert at 22-28% (Bloom Intelligence).
Sent within 24 hours of first visit. Second-visit conversion is the most important metric in retention.
Template 9: What Is New Since Your Visit
[Name], since your visit we added 3 new dishes including a braised short rib that is getting a lot of buzz. Worth the trip back: [link]
Characters: 131 | Send: 2-3 weeks after first visit if no return | Why it works: Novelty gives them a concrete reason to return. "What is new" outperforms "we miss you" by 35-50% in reactivation rate.
Template 10: Reservation Assist
Hey [Name], just wanted to let you know we have a few prime tables open this Saturday night if you want to come back. Book here: [link]
Characters: 127 | Send: Wednesday-Thursday for weekend traffic | Why it works: Proactive reservation offer removes friction. The guest does not have to remember to call or check your website.
VIP Recognition (Templates 11-13)
Template 11: VIP Event Invite
[Name], you are one of our top guests this year. We are hosting a private wine dinner next Thursday, 20 seats. Your table is reserved if you want it.
Characters: 148 | Send: 2 weeks before exclusive events | Why it works: Exclusivity. VIPs want experiences, not discounts. A wine dinner invite costs less than 10% off and feels far more premium.
Experiential perks beat discounts. A wine dinner invite costs less than 10% off and feels premium.
Template 12: New Menu First Look
[Name], our spring menu drops Friday. You get first dibs: come in tonight or tomorrow to try it before anyone else. On us, chef is sending out a tasting plate.
Characters: 154 | Send: 1-2 days before public menu launch | Why it works: First-to-know access makes VIPs feel like insiders. The tasting plate costs $5-$10 but generates massive goodwill and social media sharing.
Template 13: Anniversary Recognition
One year since your first visit! You have become one of our favorite regulars. Next time you are in, dessert is on the house. Thanks for being part of the family.
Characters: 152 | Send: On the anniversary of their first visit | Why it works: Emotional milestone. Anniversary messages trigger reflection on the relationship and strengthen attachment.
Birthday (Templates 14-16)
Template 14: Birthday Week Offer
Happy birthday, [Name]! Your favorite table is waiting. Complimentary dessert for your whole table, valid all birthday week. Enjoy!
Characters: 116 | Send: 2-3 days before birthday | Why it works: Birthday parties average 4.5 guests (NRA). A free dessert costs $8 but the table spends $150-$300. Birthday week window increases redemption by 25-30%.
Template 15: Birthday Group Incentive
Birthday coming up? Celebrate at [Restaurant]. Your dessert is free, and bring 3+ friends for a complimentary bottle of wine for the table.
Characters: 131 | Send: 7-10 days before birthday | Why it works: Explicitly encourages a group. A bottle of wine costs $12-$20 wholesale but drives a 4-6 person table worth $200-$400.
Template 16: Birthday Win-Back
Your birthday is next week and we have missed you! Come celebrate with us. Complimentary dessert for your table, no strings. We would love to see you.
Characters: 142 | Send: 7-10 days before birthday, for lapsed regulars | Why it works: Combines emotional birthday pull with win-back. Birthday win-back texts recover 30-40% of drifting guests.
Post-Visit (Templates 17-20)
Template 17: Feedback Request (RCS with Sentiment Pills)
How was dinner last night? Tap one: 1=Loved it 2=Good 3=Meh 4=Not great
Characters: 68 | Send: Next morning at 10am after an evening visit | Why it works: On RCS-capable phones, this renders as one-tap sentiment pills. Positive responses trigger a Google Review request. Negative responses capture private feedback. For every guest who complains publicly, 26 leave silently (TARP).
Sent 2 hours after the visit. Captures sentiment while the experience is fresh.
Template 18: Post-Feedback Review Request
That means a lot, thank you! Would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It really helps us out: [link]
Characters: 103 | Send: Immediately after positive sentiment response | Why it works: Catches the guest at peak satisfaction. Timing is everything for review requests.
Template 19: Negative Feedback Follow-Up
Sorry to hear that. What could we do better? Your feedback goes straight to the manager and we will make it right.
Characters: 106 | Send: Immediately after negative sentiment response | Why it works: Shows genuine care. Captures the complaint privately before it becomes a public 1-star review. Guests whose issues are resolved well often become more loyal than guests who never had a problem.
Template 20: Referral Ask
Glad you enjoyed dinner! Know someone who would love [Restaurant]? Share this and you both get a free appetizer: [link]
Characters: 118 | Send: 2 hours after a visit from a highly engaged loyalty member | Why it works: Catches guests at peak satisfaction. Dual-sided reward removes friction.
The Rules
- 2-4 texts per month maximum. More than that and opt-out rates triple.
- Never text before 9am or after 9pm.
- Always include the guest's name when possible.
- Reference their actual history (favorite dish, last visit, usual table).
- Include a clear CTA in every message (link, "show this text," or "reply YES").
- Time for the decision window. Lunch texts at 10:30-11am. Dinner texts at 3:30-4:30pm.
Where to Start
Three templates to automate on day one:
- Template 8 (24-hour follow-up) for first-visit conversion
- Template 1 (soft win-back) for lapsed regulars
- Template 5 (slow-night flash) for weekday traffic
Read the complete Restaurant SMS Marketing Playbook, or use our retention calculator to see the revenue impact.
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Founder of Regulr and Denver Curated
I built Denver Curated into a local marketing platform reaching 300,000+ people across Denver, Austin, Chicago, and LA. Now I build retention technology at Regulr. I write about keeping customers because I have run the campaigns myself.