SMS marketing for restaurants: from consent to visits

SMS suits a short update guests can use: a seasonal menu, a planned opening or an evening available to book. Its personal nature also calls for restraint. Every campaign needs a clear reason.

Separate service from advertising

Confirming an existing booking and inviting someone to make a new visit serve different purposes. Do not add advertising to service messages without assessing the rules that apply. Booking a table should not automatically enrol a guest in a marketing list.

Marketing texts to individuals in Sweden normally require prior consent under section 19 of the Marketing Act. A limited existing-customer exception applies where details were obtained during a sale, the message promotes your own similar products and the other opt-out conditions are met. A previous booking is not automatically enough.

Processing the personal data also needs a lawful basis under GDPR. That assessment does not replace the rules governing the message itself.

Collect and record the choice

Where you rely on consent, offer an active, separate choice that identifies the sender and explains the content. Avoid preselected boxes. Record when and how consent was given and what information the guest received.

Check older imported lists before using them. A smaller list with current details and documented permission is more useful than a large list of uncertain origin. Collect only the information the campaign needs.

Give the message one job

An illustrative seasonal-menu message:

Example Restaurant: Our new autumn menu starts on Friday. View the menu and book at [booking link]. Unsubscribe: [opt-out link].

Replace the placeholders with working addresses. Check dates, availability and mobile usability. Avoid urgency that is not real. AI can help with wording, but someone must review the final text and audience before sending.

Test the opt-out yourself

Every marketing message must offer a way to decline further advertising. Only write “Reply STOP” if replies can reach the sender and the system actually handles them. An unsubscribe link is another possible approach. Test the whole route from the message to exclusion from the next campaign.

People always have the right to object to direct marketing. Once they object, that processing must stop, as explained by IMY. Decide how staff will handle requests made by phone or email too.

Measure what you can observe

Ordinary SMS does not provide the same read receipts as some other messaging channels. For example, Twilio’s documentation distinguishes SMS delivery status from read status on supported channels. Do not interpret delivery as an opening.

Follow delivered messages, link clicks where measured, bookings, completed visits and unsubscribes. Not everyone booking after a campaign is an additional guest caused by it. Compare with normal periods and use small tests to learn what works.

Include the full messaging cost

SMS is charged separately from Vendion’s module fees. Check the current rate and whether message length or characters affect the number of billable segments. Assess the extra sales contribution after costs, rather than revenue alone.

Vendion Marketing supports audiences and campaigns in the same system. Begin with one defined campaign, verify consent and opt-out handling in your installation, and review the result before planning the next message.