7 Best Text Message Marketing Services for Restaurants

Published 27 May 2025

best text marketing providers for resturants

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SMS marketing is a direct and effective way for restaurants to send out special offers, promote events, or provide timely updates. A good SMS marketing service can help you manage communication smoothly, increase bookings, and boost your reputation all through simple messaging.

However, with so many SMS marketing platforms available, it can be challenging to determine which one will work best for your restaurant. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve reviewed the seven best SMS marketing services for restaurants.

Highlights:

SMS marketing services for restaurants enhance customer engagement by enabling quick, personalized communication for promotions, reservations, updates, and loyalty programs, boosting customer retention and sales.
The top restaurant text marketing services include EZ Texting, Textline, SimpleTexting, Textedly, SendHub, SlickText, and Trumpia.
To choose the best restaurant texting system, identify your restaurant's needs and find a platform offering relevant features like personalized messaging, automation, and two-way communications.

Top 7 Restaurant Text Messaging Systems

The best text marketing services for restaurants are EZ Texting, Textline, SimpleTexting, Textedly, SendHub, and more. These platforms offer various features to enhance customer engagement, manage reservations, and run marketing campaigns effectively.

1. EZ Texting

EZ Texting is an all-in-one SMS marketing platform that allows you to send text alerts, handle SMS ordering, and easily manage pickup and delivery messaging. It is designed to help businesses of all sizes in the restaurant industry reach customers instantly, increase sales, and improve customer loyalty using text messaging.

Pros	Cons
Simple interface, accessible for all skill levels. Excellent customer support. Quick setup and scalable. Manage messaging for multiple locations effortlessly.	Sometimes, delays in account activation, payment disputes, and refund difficulties. Unclear terms, such as expiration of credits or service usage restrictions.

Features:

Send bulk texts to your customer base for promotions, offers, and updates in seconds.
Engage in personalized one-on-one conversations with customers for order coordination, pickup/delivery updates, and addressing inquiries.
Automate messages for bookings and promotions.
Reduce no-shows with automated reservation confirmations and reminders via text.
Request customer reviews through text to improve your online presence and attract new customers.
Integrate with existing restaurant systems like POS, CRM, and email marketing platforms for streamlined workflows.
Track campaign performance with detailed insights into delivery rates and engagement.

Pricing:

Plan	Contact List	Annually Price (per month)	Monthly Price
Launch	up to 500 contacts	$20	$25
Boost	500-2,000 contacts	$60	$75
Scale	2,000-50,000 contacts	$100	$125
Enterprise	50,000+ contacts	$3,000	$3,000

2. Textline

Textline is an excellent business SMS messaging service designed specifically for restaurants. Its platform facilitates efficient internal communication, improves customer experience through features like reservation management and feedback collection, and offers valuable data insights to optimize marketing strategies.

Pros	Cons
14-day trial with no credit card required. Live customer support, knowledge library, blog resources, and video tutorials for seamless operation. Message shortcuts and templates make responding to common inquiries quick and easy.	Complicated registration process. Frequent technical difficulties and service outages.

Features:

Scalable SMS solution with mass texting and two-way messaging.
Direct text-based reservation booking and management.
Automated text reminders to reduce no-shows.
Built-in survey and feedback collection tools.
Message shortcuts, templates, and canned responses.
Allows restaurants to use their existing phone numbers or text-enabled landlines.

Pricing:

Plan	Annually Price (per agent / per month / billed yearly	Monthly Price (per agent)
Limited	$16	$20
Standard	$24	$30
Pro	$40	$50
Enterprise	Contact TextLine	Contact TextLine

3. SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting is one of the top restaurant text messaging systems that allows restaurants to automate text marketing campaigns, manage reservations, and streamline customer communication all from one easy-to-use platform. It provides specific solutions like managing waitlists via SMS, sharing digital menus, and building customer loyalty through text-based programs.

Pros	Cons
No long-term contracts or setup fees. Unused message credits will carry over to the next month. Easy campaign launch. Simple and user-friendly interface.	Entry-level plans may be expensive for small businesses. Potential difficulty in canceling free trials.

Features:

Easy contact uploads and list management.
1-on-1 customer messaging from a centralized inbox.
Bulk SMS and MMS messaging capabilities.
Automated Reservation Reminders and table alerts.
Unlimited keywords for marketing opt-ins.
Curbside pickup and online order notifications.

Pricing:

Plan	Annual cost	Monthly cost
Basic plan	$33.20/mo (billed yearly at $398.40)	$39.00/mo
Personalized add-ons teammates	-	$20/mo per user
Personalized add-ons numbers	-	$10/mo per number

4. Textedly

Textedly is a user-friendly text messaging system designed to help restaurants connect with customers in real time through SMS and MMS communication. With features like reservation confirmations, table-ready alerts, weekly specials, loyalty rewards, and exclusive mobile coupons, Textedly enables restaurants to engage diners, improve retention, and attract more guests.

Pros	Cons
Free 14-day trial with 50 text messages. User-friendly interface. Supports large contact lists and business growth. Offers campaign insights and engagement tracking.	Unclear compliance steps after subscription. Occasional system outages. Sometimes, billing issues and unauthorized charges.

Features:

Engage in direct conversations with customers and receive replies at no additional cost.
Send bulk SMS or MMS to large groups instantly (e.g., specials, happy hour alerts).
Automates sequences of text messages for consistent engagement.
Request, monitor, and manage customer reviews via SMS, including Google Reviews.
Manage all your customer conversations, contacts, and messages in one central inbox.

Pricing:

Plan	Monthly/Annually Pricing (Per month)	Text messages/month (Annually)	Text messages/month (Monthly)
Basic	$26	600	500
Bronze	$38	1200	1000
Plus	$69	2400	2000
Enterprise	$99	4200	3500
Elite	$139	6000	5000
Business	$249	12000	10000
Silver	$349	18000	15000

5. SendHub

SendHub allows for instant reservations, table notifications, curbside pick-up confirmations, and easy staff coordination, all through SMS. The platform helps restaurants keep their guests informed, streamline internal communication, and promote special offers.

Pros	Cons
Excellent customer service with quick responses. Customizable API for building tailored solutions. Fast SMS delivery with minimal failure rates. 14-day free trial to test the service before committing.	Limited attachment support (e.g., issues with large PDFs). No easy way to flag or delete message threads. Confusing due to the lack of visual differentiation in the interface.

Features:

Mass texting for promotional deals.
Support MMS for sending images and promotions.
One-on-one and group messaging for staff coordination.
Local area codes and toll-free numbers for professional communication.
Categorize contacts into groups and use unique keywords for customer opt-ins.
Track usage patterns visually and export data for deeper analysis.

Pricing:

Plan	Annually Price	Monthly Price
Lite	$219	$19
Lite+	$400	$37
Starter	$570	$52
Basic	$1,000	$100
Custom	Contact SendHub	Contact SendHub

6. SlickText

SlickText allows restaurants to run targeted campaigns, personalize messaging, collect valuable feedback, and boost customer retention. It offers easy-to-use tools for building customer lists, sending mass text campaigns, automating workflows, and analyzing performance, all while maintaining strong customer support.

Pros	Cons
Offers a variety of features for different business needs, including coupons, surveys, and contests. Prebuilt templates for welcome series, drip campaigns, etc. Excellent Customer Support.	An initial learning curve is required. Potential issues like cloned campaigns causing analytics errors. Unused text credits may expire, which can be inconvenient.

Features:

Capture and organize contacts using QR codes, tap-to-join links, website popups, and embedded web forms.
Personalize mass messages with one click, include photos of new menu items, and alert customers about wait times or last-minute table openings.
Engage in private conversations with customers and staff.
Automate marketing and staffing tasks using a drag-and-drop workflow builder.
Track key metrics like click-through rates, list growth by source, customer engagement, and run split tests for menu items or special events to optimize your marketing efforts.

Pricing:

Price per Month	Credits per Month
$29	500
$49	1,000
$79	2,000
$129	3,500
$169	5,000
$319	10,000
$579	25,000
$939	50,000

7. Trumpia

Trumpia is an SMS marketing service that provides restaurants with advanced tools for communication, customer engagement, and automation. Restaurants can leverage the platform to send targeted promotions and deals, automate communications, manage staff scheduling, and gather valuable customer feedback.

Pros	Cons
Effective automation capabilities for personalized SMS campaigns and list segmentation. Flexible scheduling options. User-friendly interface for all skill levels.	Potential billing issues. Frequent service outages. Occasionally, messages fail to send.

Features:

Automated text message campaigns for specials and deals.
Mass texting capabilities for broad announcements.
Messaging templates for consistent branding.
Two-way texting for managing orders, deliveries, and reservations.
Text keywords for automated information delivery (e.g., sending a menu).
Supports MMS for sending images like menus.
SMS surveys and polls are used to collect customer feedback.

Pricing:

Plan	Monthly Price (Annual Billing)	Monthly Price (Monthly Billing)
Lite	$53	$65
Core	$94	$118
Advance	$109	$139

How to Choose the Best Restaurant Texting System?

To choose the best restaurant texting system, assess your specific needs, such as promotions, reservations, or staff communication, and find a platform with tailored features. Prioritize systems that are easy to use, compliant with messaging regulations, and offer essential capabilities like segmentation, automation, and two-way messaging.

1. Identify Your Restaurant’s Needs and Goals

Before exploring platforms, define what you want to achieve with SMS marketing. Are you looking to primarily send promotions, manage reservations, improve staff communication, or gather feedback? Understanding your priorities will help you identify the features you need.

2. Look for Restaurant-Specific Features

While many SMS platforms exist, some offer features tailored for restaurants. Select a system that includes reservation management, online ordering integration, waitlist management, loyalty programs, staff scheduling, and communication.

3. Evaluate SMS Marketing Capabilities

Ensure the platform excels at the fundamentals of SMS marketing, including ease of use, reliability, automation, two-way messaging, MMS capabilities, scheduling, and bulk SMS. Consider a virtual phone number for SMS texting or any other feature-rich SMS marketing product for flexibility and better insights.

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4. Assess Scalability and Pricing

Choose a platform that can grow with your business as your customer base and messaging needs increase. Additionally, understand the pricing model and choose one that aligns with your budget and anticipated usage.

5. Look for Integrations

Select a texting system that integrates with other tools, such as your point-of-sale (POS) system, online ordering platform, or customer relationship management (CRM) system.

6. Take Free Trials or Demos Before Committing

Most providers offer free trials or demos. This allows you to test the platform’s features and ease of use before committing to a subscription.

Conclusion

SMS marketing is the most effective and affordable way for restaurants to stay connected with customers. By choosing the right SMS marketing service, you can build stronger customer relationships, increase engagement, and drive repeat business.

Calilio offers a powerful VoIP phone system designed for modern business needs, perfectly suited for the restaurant industry. With features like bulk SMS, restaurants can effortlessly send promotions, reservation reminders, and event updates to a large customer base in seconds. Sign up for Calilio Today!!

Frequently Asked Questions

How effective is SMS marketing for restaurant promotions?

SMS marketing is highly effective for restaurant promotions, with open rates exceeding 90%, helping restaurants quickly engage customers.

How often should I send restaurant SMS campaigns?

You can send a restaurant’s sms campaigns twice a week to keep customers engaged.

How do I measure restaurant SMS campaign success?

To measure restaurant SMS campaign success, use analytics tools to track delivery rates, open rates, click-through rates, responses, and conversion rates.

Is SMS marketing cost-effective for small restaurants?

Yes, SMS marketing is more affordable for small restaurants than print ads or email, especially with services offering pay-as-you-go or low monthly plans.