SMS marketing for restaurants: the rules that keep you out of trouble

SMS is the highest-converting channel a restaurant has — 98% open rate, ~30% click-through on a good list. It's also the fastest way to torch your reputation if you screw up compliance.

**The non-negotiables:**

1. **A2P 10DLC registration.** Every business sending SMS from a 10-digit number in the US has to register the brand + campaign with the carriers. Unregistered numbers get filtered as spam within days. This is done for you during setup — you don't have to know what a Campaign Registry is.

2. **Explicit opt-in.** The guest checked a box or texted a keyword. You can't just SMS everyone in your POS. Federal law (TCPA) — statutory damages $500–$1,500 per unlawful message.

3. **STOP on every message.** Every commercial SMS has to include "Reply STOP to opt out." Missing this = TCPA claim territory.

4. **Quiet hours.** Federal rule: no marketing SMS before 8am or after 9pm local time. Some states are stricter (Florida is 8am–8pm). Set the schedule in your marketing tool — never manually pick times.

**Cadence that keeps a list warm:** - **2–4 sends per month.** More than that and unsubscribes spike. - **Value first, offer second.** New menu, event, chef's special. Not just "10% off." - **Segment.** Frequent diners, lapsed 90+ days, birthday month. Blast-everyone is a 2019 move.

**What NOT to text:** - Every daily special. - Emojis if you sound corporate. Emojis if you don't sound like the restaurant. - "URGENT" or fake scarcity. Trust dies fast.

Do it right and SMS is a $1,500/month revenue lift on a 500-person list. Do it wrong and it's a class-action risk. The tooling handles most of the compliance — but you should know what's happening underneath.