# 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.

## 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](https://scanner.eatfuti.com/guides/text-message-ideas)
- [How to get repeat customers](https://scanner.eatfuti.com/guides/repeat-customers)
- [How to build your own customer list](https://scanner.eatfuti.com/guides/build-customer-list)
- [Birthday offers that bring guests in](https://scanner.eatfuti.com/guides/birthday-offers)
- [How to win back guests who stopped coming](https://scanner.eatfuti.com/guides/win-back-guests)
- [Restaurant email marketing: what to send and when](https://scanner.eatfuti.com/guides/email-marketing)

## 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.

## See where your restaurant stands today

[Run the free check](https://scanner.eatfuti.com/) (Free · 3 minutes · no credit card). Call (515) 493-0243.

Tiếng Việt: https://scanner.eatfuti.com/vi/guides/text-marketing-rules · Español: https://scanner.eatfuti.com/es/guides/text-marketing-rules

Source: https://scanner.eatfuti.com/guides/text-marketing-rules · EatFuti Inc., 700 Locust St, Ste 304, Des Moines, IA 50309