Restaurant SMS Marketing: Turn Texts Into Repeat Guests

Restaurant SMS marketing involves sending promotional or informational text messages to guests who have agreed to receive them. Restaurants can use SMS to share limited-time offers, promote online ordering, announce events, and automatically follow up after a signup.

Because effective messages reflect what guests actually do, connected data matters. Toast Marketing brings guest, transaction, and campaign data together, helping restaurants send more relevant texts and see which campaigns lead to orders.

This guide explains how restaurant SMS marketing works, the one-time and automated campaigns restaurants can send, and the best practices that can improve results.

Key takeaways

• Restaurant SMS marketing sends timely offers directly to guests who have opted in.

• One-time campaigns address immediate needs, while automated campaigns respond to guest behavior.

• Connected POS data helps restaurants target messages and link campaigns to orders.

• Effective texts focus on one offer and provide a clear next step.

• Restaurants should measure sales and engagement while respecting consent requirements.

What is restaurant SMS marketing?

Restaurant SMS marketing is a strategy in which restaurants send promotional or informational text messages to guests who have agreed to receive them. Unlike a social media post that depends on an algorithm, an SMS campaign is delivered directly to a restaurant’s subscriber list. 

Messages are typically short and focused on one action, such as ordering a special, making a reservation, joining a loyalty program, or returning for another visit.

How does restaurant SMS marketing work?

Connecting SMS with a restaurant POS system can bring order history, guest information, and marketing activity into the same platform. This means operators can build audiences and measure results without manually reconciling separate systems.

However, restaurants must obtain appropriate consent and follow federal and state laws, platform terms, and carrier rules. 

The Federal Communications Commission considers text messages “calls” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which restricts certain automated texts sent without prior express consent.

1. Guests opt in: A guest expressly agrees to receive texts through Text to Join, online ordering, loyalty enrollment, a QR code, a POS text receipt, or another signup form.

2. The restaurant builds an audience: Contact information and relevant guest activity are organized within the restaurant’s marketing platform.

3. The restaurant selects a campaign: Operators can schedule a one-time message or activate an automated campaign triggered by guest behavior.

4. The message is delivered: The guest receives a concise offer, announcement, promo code, or link.

5. The restaurant measures the response: Deliveries, clicks, unsubscribes, orders, and estimated sales help show how the campaign performed.

Why should restaurants use SMS marketing?

Restaurant SMS marketing gives operators a direct way to reach interested guests when an offer or announcement is most relevant. Toast research found that 57% of guests are interested in receiving communications from their favorite restaurants by text.***

• Promote immediate action: Send time-sensitive offers intended to generate orders, reservations, or visits.

• Encourage repeat business: Reengage guests based on signup, spending, purchase, or visit activity.

• Support quieter periods: Promote a special during a slow day, daypart, or season.

• Build an owned audience: Communicate with subscribers without depending entirely on third-party platforms.

• Automate guest outreach: Keep welcome and retention campaigns running without scheduling every message individually.

• Measure results: Connect campaign activity with clicks, orders, and estimated sales.

SMS works best as one part of a broader restaurant marketing strategy. Email and social media can communicate longer stories, while text messages can deliver concise, timely prompts.

Types of restaurant SMS marketing campaigns

Restaurants can send one-time campaigns for immediate opportunities or automated campaigns triggered by guest behavior. The right format depends on your restaurant’s goal and when the message will be useful.

One-time SMS campaigns

A one-time campaign works best when a restaurant has something timely to communicate. The message is created and scheduled for a specific audience rather than triggered automatically by individual guest behavior. Restaurants can use one-time campaigns to:

• Promote a limited-time menu item.

• Increase orders during a slower daypart.

• Announce an event or holiday menu.

• Fill last-minute reservation availability.

• Share a subscriber-only offer.

• Direct guests to online ordering.

• Promote an offer at a particular restaurant location.

Real-time promotions can attract attention while guests are deciding where to eat. According to the National Restaurant Association, 86% of full-service restaurant customers said they would likely pay attention to and use a real-time promotion from a restaurant in their area.

Restaurants can also coordinate SMS with other marketing channels. During the 2022 NBA Finals, Chipotle displayed text-to-claim keywords in television ads for buy-one-get-one-free offers. The first offer was exhausted in two minutes, while offers during Games 3 and 4 were claimed in under 30 seconds, according to Marketing Dive.

Chipotle executive Tressie Lieberman said the campaign “taps into the consumer behavior of watching sports alongside a second screen.”

Automated SMS campaigns

Automated campaigns send messages when a guest meets a specified signup, visit, purchase, or spending condition. Once the campaign is active, the restaurant doesn’t need to schedule each message individually. For example, Toast supports several automated SMS campaign types:

• Welcome: Send an introductory message or offer when someone joins the SMS list.

• We Miss You: Contact a guest after a selected number of days without a visit.

• Big Spender: Recognize guests who meet a chosen spending threshold.

• Repeat Guest: Thank or reward guests after they reach a selected visit count.

• Post-Purchase: Follow up one day after a guest’s order.

Connecting automated messages with a restaurant loyalty program can help operators recognize returning guests and provide relevant reasons to visit again. Jason Wolbransky, general manager of Dog & Bull Taphouse and Kitchen, described the benefit of keeping these campaigns running in the background:

“The automated campaigns are great, too—I turn them on, and they run in the background. On average we’ve been able to generate $34 in sales per automated text sent, which can add up quickly as I grow my subscriber list.”**

Restaurant SMS marketing best practices

Effective SMS marketing is relevant, easy to act on, and respectful of the guest’s permission and attention. These practices can help restaurants build a healthier subscriber list and produce stronger campaigns.

1. Grow the subscriber list through existing touchpoints

Guests need a clear and convenient way to join the SMS list. Restaurants can promote enrollment through:

• Email campaigns

• Social media

• Restaurant signage

• QR codes

• Text to Join

• Online ordering

• Loyalty enrollment

• POS text receipts

Regardless of the signup channel, restaurants should clearly explain what subscribers are agreeing to receive.

2. Keep each message concise and focused

An effective restaurant text should communicate its value quickly. Guests should immediately understand who sent the message, why it matters, and what they can do next.

• Identify the restaurant: Use a recognizable sender name.

• Give the text one purpose: Focus on one offer, event, or announcement.

• Lead with the value: Put the reason to act near the beginning.

• Use a consistent voice: Write in a style guests will recognize from the restaurant.

• Account for message length: Emojis, special characters, and additional segments may affect text usage.

Trying to promote several unrelated offers in one message can weaken the call to action. Save the wider update for email and use SMS to highlight the most timely opportunity.

3. Create a direct path to the next action

Every promotional text should make the next step clear. Depending on the campaign, that could mean including a promo code or link to:

• Online ordering

• Reservations

• Loyalty enrollment

• Gift cards

• An event page

• The restaurant’s website

For example, a restaurant promoting last-minute availability can direct subscribers to Toast Tables, where they can join a waitlist or make a reservation. Connecting the message directly to the intended action reduces the number of steps between receiving the text and responding to it.

4. Respect timing and message frequency

Send texts when the information is useful and the restaurant can handle the response. A lunch offer should arrive before guests have made lunch plans, while an event announcement needs enough lead time for them to act. Restaurants should also:

• Follow applicable quiet-hour requirements.

• Avoid texting so frequently that guests tune out or unsubscribe.

• Coordinate SMS with email and social media campaigns.

• Make it easy for subscribers to opt out.

There is no universal sending frequency that fits every restaurant. Monitor engagement and unsubscribe activity to determine what works for the audience.

5. Protect campaign deliverability

A campaign cannot drive results if carriers do not deliver it. Restaurants should maintain accurate subscriber data and watch for patterns that may cause filtering.

• Remove invalid phone numbers.

• Honor opt-out requests.

• Monitor failed deliveries and unsubscribe rates.

• Avoid misleading language or excessive punctuation.

• Send messages only to guests who provided the required consent.

High unsubscribe rates can signal that messages are too frequent, poorly timed, or insufficiently relevant.

6. Measure business results

Message deliveries and link clicks indicate whether guests received and interacted with a campaign, but restaurants should also evaluate what happened afterward. To get a full picture of your ROI, review metrics such as:

• Messages delivered

• Link clicks

• Unsubscribes

• Orders

• Estimated sales

• Performance by campaign type

The most important metric depends on the campaign’s original goal. A limited-time ordering promotion should be evaluated based on orders and sales, while a subscriber-growth campaign should focus on qualified opt-ins.

Reach restaurant guests with Toast SMS Marketing

Successful restaurant SMS marketing combines express consent, relevant targeting, timely messages, clear actions, and consistent measurement. When SMS connects with guest and transaction data, operators can turn restaurant activity into more useful marketing opportunities.

Toast Marketing helps restaurants send targeted, actionable, and time-sensitive messages informed by guest activity. This means operators can promote immediate opportunities, automate repeat-visit campaigns, and connect marketing activity with restaurant sales.

For example, within its first month of using Toast SMS Marketing, Spaghettini drove more than $11,000 in sales from SMS campaigns.* Toast SMS Marketing includes 500 texts per month per location with no daily limits, supports messages of up to 160 characters, and lets restaurants add up to 46,000 additional monthly texts as their lists grow.

FAQ

How much does restaurant SMS marketing cost?

Restaurant SMS marketing costs vary by provider and message volume. Toast SMS Marketing includes 500 monthly texts per location and offers additional recurring capacity for purchase.

Do I need guests’ permission before texting them?

Yes, restaurants should obtain clear, documented consent before sending marketing texts and honor opt-out requests to comply with applicable laws and platform requirements.

How often should restaurants send SMS messages?

Restaurants should text only when they have a relevant offer or update, then use engagement and unsubscribe rates to determine the right frequency for their audience.

Can SMS marketing help fill slow shifts?

Yes, restaurants can use SMS to send timely promotions that encourage opted-in guests to order or visit during a slower day or daypart.

What’s the difference between SMS and MMS marketing?

SMS primarily delivers text, while MMS supports images and GIFs; in Toast, an MMS counts as three texts toward the restaurant’s monthly usage.

How do I grow my SMS subscriber list quickly?

Promote a clearly explained opt-in through Text to Join, QR codes, online ordering, loyalty enrollment, social media, email, signage, and POS text receipts.

*Based on the next order spend of recipients of Spaghettini’s SMS Marketing messages within 14 days following receipt of SMS, from 7/26/24–8/24/24. Individual results may vary.

**Based on the average next order spend of recipients of Dog & Bull’s automated SMS Marketing messages within 14 days following receipt of SMS, from August 19, 2024–September 6, 2024.

***Sourced from a blind survey given in February 2024 to 1,571 US-based restaurant guests who had dined in, ordered takeout, or ordered delivery from any restaurant in the prior three months. Of the guests surveyed, 57% said they were extremely to somewhat interested in receiving formal communications from their favorite restaurants via text. Survey respondents may have received incentives for participation.