Text marketing for restaurants: which SMS campaigns drive visits
What the answer looks like
Illustrative output on sample data
Illustrative example: how Lexi answers this for a cafe chain with 15 locations. It matches SMS recipients to POS and app orders within 48 hours of each send, against a 10% holdout.
- Seasonal drink launch: 9.2% visited, against 3.8% of the holdout, $11.40 average check
- Rainy-day discount: 7.5% visited, against 6.9%, $8.10 average check
- Loyalty points reminder: 5.1% visited, against 2.6%, $9.80 average check
What the data shows
The seasonal launch added the most visits. The rainy-day discount barely beat the holdout and lowered the average check.
What it means
Guests respond to news more than to discounts. Most rainy-day redeemers were morning regulars who would have come in anyway.
What to do
Keep the launch texts, run the points reminder monthly, and stop sending the rainy-day discount to weekly regulars.
Opt-outs are tracked per send as well. Want me to add them to this view?
Why it matters
Texts are cheap to send and easy to overdo. Tying each SMS campaign to visits and spend shows which messages bring guests in, which ones only add opt-outs, and how often your list will accept a text before it starts to shrink.
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure SMS marketing results for a restaurant?
Match recipients to visits and spend in a short window after each text, such as 48 hours, and compare them with a holdout that did not get the message. Track opt-outs per send too, since a text that drives visits but loses subscribers can cost more than it earns.
What response window should restaurants use for SMS?
Texts are read fast, so most of the effect shows within one or two days. Use 48 hours for same-day offers and up to a week for event or holiday texts, and keep the window consistent so campaigns can be compared fairly.
Should restaurants send discounts by text?
Sparingly. Discounts sent to regulars often reward visits that would have happened anyway. Save offers for lapsed guests or quiet trading periods, and use news such as launches, events and reservation openings for everyone else on the list.