Can restaurants text customers?

Yes. Waitlist, reservation and pickup texts are informational and go to the number the guest gave for that visit. Specials and promotions are marketing and need prior express written consent, typically through a text club keyword or sign-up form.

Do restaurants need 10DLC registration?

Yes, to text from ordinary local numbers. The restaurant registers a brand (legal name and EIN) and a campaign describing its messages. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. Signilio registers your brand and campaign during onboarding.

Do food trucks need 10DLC?

Yes. A food truck texting followers from a local number registers a brand and campaign like any other business. Location texts to followers who opted in are marketing, so include how to opt out.

How do restaurants build a text club?

With a keyword on table tents, menus, receipts or the truck window, or a sign-up form, with the disclosures printed beside it. Send a confirmation text right away, and text only as often as you promised.

Industry

Texting for Restaurants, Cafes and Food Trucks

How restaurants, cafes and food trucks text guests: waitlist and pickup alerts, reservations, specials to opted-in guests, consent, 10DLC and costs.

A guest on the waitlist would rather wander down the block than stand by the host stand, and a takeout order is better picked up hot. Restaurants text because a short message moves people at the right moment: your table is ready, your order is up, the truck is parked on Fifth today. Specials and events reach regulars who asked to hear about them.

What restaurants text

Waitlist alerts: your table is ready, with a reply to say you're on the way.
Reservation confirmations and reminders, with a reply to confirm or cancel.
Pickup and delivery updates for takeout orders.
Food truck locations and hours for followers who opted in.
Specials, events and loyalty offers to guests who joined your text club.

Consent for restaurant texts

Waitlist and reservations. A guest who gives a number at the host stand or on a booking form has given it for that visit. Texts about that table or reservation are informational; they still need the guest's consent when sent with automated systems, which giving the number for that purpose typically covers.
Text clubs and specials. Promotions are marketing and need prior express written consent: a keyword on table tents, menus, receipts or the truck window ("Text EATS to …"), or a sign-up form, with your restaurant's name, what you'll text, frequency, message and data rates, and STOP and HELP printed beside it, and that joining isn't a condition of purchase. A number given for a reservation isn't consent to specials.

Send a confirmation text when someone joins, and keep your own record of when and how each guest opted in; Signilio doesn't keep that proof for you. STOP-keyword opt-outs are honored automatically; treat any reply asking you to stop as an opt-out too. See how to word SMS consent.

Keep alcohol out of promotions

Alcohol is age-restricted content, and Signilio's Acceptable Use Policy prohibits alcohol content where it's banned. Promote the food, the event and the hours, not the drinks: no happy-hour drink specials, wine pairings or bottle deals in your texts.

Timing

Restaurants live on lunch and dinner rushes, so send specials before the rush, not during it, and keep marketing texts between 8am and 9pm in the guest's local time (8pm in states like Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland, which also cap telephone solicitations at three per 24 hours on the same subject). Waitlist and pickup texts go out while the guest is waiting for them. See SMS quiet hours.

10DLC registration for restaurants

Restaurants texting from local numbers register a brand under the business's legal name and EIN and a campaign that describes what they send: waitlist and order texts, specials, or both. Locations under the same legal entity share a brand; franchised locations owned by separate entities each register their own. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. See 10DLC registration.

What texting costs a restaurant

On Signilio, Starter is $34.99 a month for 1,000 texts and 2 seats, and Growth is $79.99 a month for 3,000 texts and 5 seats, with carrier fees included and replies free. Food photos are picture messages, and each one counts as 3 texts. See pricing.

None of this is legal advice; have counsel review your program before you send.

Sample texts for restaurants

Starting points to adapt. Bracketed fields are merge fields or your own details; every marketing text names your business and says how to opt out.

Table ready

[Restaurant name]: your table for 4 is ready! Please check in at the host stand within 10 minutes. Reply 1 if you're on the way.

Pickup ready

[Restaurant name]: order #[number] is ready for pickup at the front counter.

Food truck location (opted-in followers)

[Truck name]: we're at [Location] today 11am to 2pm. Today's special: brisket tacos. Reply STOP to opt out.

Special (text club)

[Restaurant name]: Tuesday family night, kids eat free with any entree. See you tonight! Reply STOP to opt out.

Common questions

Can restaurants text customers?: Yes. Waitlist, reservation and pickup texts are informational and go to the number the guest gave for that visit. Specials and promotions are marketing and need prior express written consent, typically through a text club keyword or sign-up form.
Do restaurants need 10DLC registration?: Yes, to text from ordinary local numbers. The restaurant registers a brand (legal name and EIN) and a campaign describing its messages. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. Signilio registers your brand and campaign during onboarding.
Can restaurants promote drink specials by text?: Keep alcohol out of promotional texts. Alcohol is age-restricted content, and Signilio's Acceptable Use Policy prohibits alcohol content where it's banned. Promote food, events and hours instead.
Do food trucks need 10DLC?: Yes. A food truck texting followers from a local number registers a brand and campaign like any other business. Location texts to followers who opted in are marketing, so include how to opt out.
How do restaurants build a text club?: With a keyword on table tents, menus, receipts or the truck window, or a sign-up form, with the disclosures printed beside it. Send a confirmation text right away, and text only as often as you promised.