Owner guide · Guests and texts

Text marketing rules for restaurants, in plain words

Marketing texts in the US are covered by federal law (the TCPA) and by phone carrier rules. The basics are simple; follow them and texting stays one of the best ways to reach your guests. This is general information, not legal advice.

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Step by step

1. Get permission first. Text offers only to guests who agreed in writing to get marketing texts from you, for example by checking a box or texting a keyword. A phone number on an order is not the same as permission for marketing.
2. Say who you are. Start with your restaurant’s name so the guest knows who is texting.
3. Make it easy to stop. Tell guests they can reply STOP, and stop texting anyone who does.
4. Text at normal hours. Federal rules point to 8 AM to 9 PM in the guest’s time zone, and some states are stricter. Restaurant offers do best around meal times anyway.
5. Never buy or borrow lists. Only text guests who signed up with you. Bought lists break carrier rules and the law.

Guests and texts

• 20 text message ideas for restaurants
• How to get repeat customers
• How to build your own customer list
• Birthday offers that bring guests in
• How to win back guests who stopped coming
• Restaurant email marketing: what to send and when

Keep proof of consent

Keep a record of when and how each guest agreed. Good texting tools do this for you. Rules differ by state, so ask a lawyer if you are unsure about your case.

How EatFuti helps

Every EatFuti text says how to opt out, guests who reply STOP get no more texts, and slow-hour offers go out once a week at most.

EatFuti is in Des Moines, Iowa, and works with independent restaurants across the United States, most of all in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas and Texas.

How it works with EatFuti

1. Run the free check. Three minutes, no sign-up. See your Google page, where your Order button goes and how your site does on a phone.
2. Say yes. Send your photos and menu, or we take the menu from your POS or online. Online ordering is live 48 to 72 hours after signup.
3. Your website goes up. Built for you from your photos, menu and reviews, right after ordering is live. You approve it before it goes up.

Questions owners ask

Can I text a guest who ordered from me?

An order-ready text about their own order is different from a marketing text. For offers, get their permission first.

What happens if I break the rules?

Carriers can block your messages, and the law allows large damages per message. Following the basics avoids both.