Every restaurant has a slow shift. A dead Tuesday, a quiet early week, an afternoon lull between lunch and dinner. The tables are there, the kitchen is staffed, and the room is half empty. Texting is the fastest tool you have to fix that, because it reaches your regulars while they are still deciding where to eat.
Here are the campaigns that fill tables, and when to send each one.
This is the workhorse. A few hours before a slow shift, text your list a reason to come in tonight. "[Name]'s: Slow Tuesday fix, free appetizer with any two entrees, tonight only. Show this text." Keep it to one offer and one deadline. Sent Tuesday at 4 PM, it lands while people are still asking "what's for dinner," which is exactly when a nudge works.
Texts get read at about a 98% rate, so they are perfect for anything time-sensitive. Confirm reservations, remind people about a wine dinner or live music night, or fill a last-minute cancellation. A "we just had a table open up for 7 PM tonight" text can turn a cancellation into a covered seat in minutes.
Your best customers should feel like it. Text your list first access to a new menu, a birthday dessert on the house, or a quiet "regulars only" offer before it goes public. People stay loyal to places that make them feel like insiders, and a text is the most direct way to do that.
Some customers used to come in every week and then drifted. A simple "we miss you, here is 15% off your next visit this month" brings a chunk of them back. They already like your food. They just needed a reason to think of you again.
One to two texts a week is the range. Every campaign is opt-in, every first message ends with "Reply STOP to opt out," and you stay inside quiet hours. Build the list at the table with a keyword or a QR on the receipt, then let a few well-timed texts do the work your empty tables have been waiting for.
Ready to start? Start texting free with Memorable, keyword and QR signup included. See plans →
