This document provides information on how restaurants can use SMS marketing to engage customers. It discusses challenges restaurants face in communicating with mobile customers. Several SMS marketing case studies for restaurants like Taco Bell, Papa Murphy's, and Subway are presented, showing how they grew their databases and increased sales and traffic. The document also covers SMS marketing best practices for restaurants, including ideas for content and promotions, as well as tips on launching an SMS program and growing an opt-in database. Overall, the document promotes SMS marketing as an effective way for restaurants to regularly communicate customized offers and deals to customers.

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SMS Marketing for
Restaurants

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Restaurants have unique business challenges
Restaurant marketers are challenged with staying in touch with their most loyal customers,
especially when customers are constantly on the go.
Drive non-peak
hours traffic
How do I drive diners to
restaurants earlier in the day
and Monday-Wednesday?
Create repeat
business
How can I increase the
number of visits every
guest makes to
our restaurant?
Establish a local
presence
How do I create brand
ambassadors for local
restaurants who will
spread the word?
Increase engagement
How do I enable diners
to choose preferred
communication method
and then deliver through
those channels?

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SMS SUCCESS STORIES
FOR RESTAURANTS

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Taco Bell: 13,000 subscribers in 5 weeks
Taco Bell was looking for a way to
keep in touch with loyal customers
while they were on the go.

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Taco Bell: Mobile acquisition
 Taco Bell leveraged text call-to-actions in
radio, television and print asking customers
to text in to join their mobile alerts club
 Customers were incentivized to join with a
free Frutista Freeze with a purchase of any
food item
 Taco Bell leveraged unique promotional
codes to limit the exposure of the
promotional offer
 Offers were set to expire 3-5 days after the
consumer joined the mobile club to
encourage immediate action
 Over 29,500 SMS offers were delivered with
over 13,000 consumers opting in to the
mobile club
 To sign up, click here:
https://www.tacobell.com/static_files/TacoBell
/StaticAssets/documents/offers/TBSignupFor
m.html

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Papa Murphy’s: Test rolled out nationally
Papa Murphy’s launched a
mobile marketing campaign pilot
with the goal to bring more
customers to their Kansas City
locations.

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Papa Murphy’s: Mobile trial
 Papa Murphy’s launched their text message
campaign in Kansas City, the goal was to
bring in more customers in more ways
 The trial campaign quickly grew to 16,000
subscribers in the Kansas City market
 They leveraged call-to-actions on in-store
signage and tent pop-ups as well as online
opt-in to build their mobile database
 They used a zip code opt-in to segment
consumers and send more targeted
messages
 Their first mobile promotion for a $5, 3-
topping pizza generated a 17.9% redemption
rate
 The pilot mobile program expanded to 26
states and has more than 100,000
subscribers
 To sign up, click here:
http://www.papamurphys.com/deals

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Subway: mobile redemption rates exceed direct
mail campaigns
Subway launched a New York
region mobile campaign to
increase repeat business with their
customers.

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Subway: NY market mobile campaign
 A 16-store franchise of Subway in NY ran a
mobile program to generate repeat visits from
it’s current customer base
 They leveraged text call-to-actions in marketing
literature and through radio and TV campaigns
in the area
 In a few months, Subway had a 9% redemption
rate on all messages significantly better than
their 1% rate for direct mail
 The 16-store franchise grew their mobile
database to over 5,000 customers within a few
months of launching the trial
 The success of the NY market mobile campaign
led Subway to expanding the program
nationally
 To sign up, click here:
http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Freshbuzz/
getnewsandoffer.aspx

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Carl’s Junior: Mobile offers boost sales
Carl’s Junior was looking for way to
increase sales through a mobile
marketing campaign.

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Carl’s Junior: 19% redemption rates with mobile
offers
 Carl’s Junior sent a text message to their
mobile subscribers with an offer for a $6
burger combo for $2.99 via text message
and received 19% redemption rate
 From this mobile text message, the QSR
generated $14 in new sales for every $1
they spend on the campaign
 The offer was set to expire 6 days after
Carl’s Junior sent out the message,
driving high redemption rates
 To sign up, click here:
http://www.carlsjr.com/email_signup

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Chuck E. Cheese’s: Email collection through
via text message
Chuck E. Cheese’s leveraged
mobile to grow their email
database.

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Chuck E. Cheese’s: Grew email database
 Chuck E. Cheese’s asked customers to
text their email address to their short
code 35505 to receive exclusive
coupons, activities and more.
 Customers receive a text message
thanking them for joining the Chuck E-
Club and prompting them to check their
inbox.
 They found that the open rates from
customers who signed up through SMS
were 10-20% higher than other email
subscribers.
 By leveraging the text call-to-action in
store, 5% of all new email addresses
are coming through SMS.

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Texas Roadhouse: drives traffic during non-
peak hours
Texas Roadhouse launched a mobile
alerts program to drive traffic and
increase customer loyalty.

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Texas Roadhouse: incentives drive database
growth
 Texas Roadhouse first launched SMS in
20 test stores in 2012 in Florida and
New England
 They quickly grew their database to 11k
subscribers and within the next year
had over 60k subscribers across 100
store locations
 They incentives opt-ins with a Welcome
offer for a free appetizer with purchase
of an entrée and saw a 14% redemption
rate
 Since then, they have rolled out the
mobile club to all 450 national stores
and grown their mobile database to well
over 200,000 subscribers

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Other restaurants leveraging SMS programs
A great way to get acquainted with mobile campaigns and learn how some campaigns
are operating is to join!
By joining the SMS campaigns, you can take note of how the marketer is asking
customers to sign up for SMS and the legal copy associated with opt-ins. You can also
see the use of incentives or offers for opting into a mobile campaign as well as what
other marketers in the restaurant industry are leveraging for SMS message content.
 Pizza Hut: https://order.pizzahut.com/hutlovers
 Papa John’s: http://www.papajohns.com/email/index.shtm
 Arby’s: http://arbys.com/get-deals
 Burger King: http://www.bk.com/alert-signup
 Chipotle: http://chipotle.com/home
 Potbelly: http://www.potbelly.com/TalkToUs/InsideScoop.aspx

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WHY SMS MARKETING?

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Here are 6 reasons why a restaurant should leverage
SMS
1. Texts are Popular
All your customers are already texting–why not text with them?
Restaurants are in a unique position to cash in on texting’s popularity: texting is most popular with young adults–97% of
them text regularly. In fact, text messaging is the most common form of written communication for 15 to 24-year olds.
Why is that a big deal for restaurants? Because adults 18-24 eat out more than any other age group. In other words,
they’re the people frequenting your restaurant the most, your most valuable customers.
2. Texts are a “Guaranteed Read”
No text goes unseen: 97% of marketing texts are read. There’s simply no better way to reach your customers every time.
3. Texts are Instant
It’s not just that all texts are read: they’re read immediately. 90% of texts are read within 3 minutes! That’s a breakneck
speed from typing a text to your customers reading it, and it opens up new marketing possibilities.
Those 3 minutes allow you to attack slow-downs with surgical precision: get customers walking through your door in
minutes, exactly when you need them most.

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Here are 6 reasons why a restaurant should
leverage SMS
4. Texts are Intimate
Why do we invariably read all our texts, usually within minutes? Because most of our messages come from close friends,
family, and love ones. A text inbox, unlike an email inbox, is exclusive and intimate space.
When your customers accept your texts, they don’t welcome you as some faceless business: they welcome you as a friend–a
warm restaurant with a human touch.
5. Texts are Mobile
Texts allow you to reach your loyal customers anytime, anywhere. Nowadays, cell phones are practically an extension of our
bodies: they’re constantly on-hand. 90% of young adults even sleep with their phones!
Unlike physical coupons, menus, or flyers, customers will carry your message with them wherever they go. Your text is
seamlessly stored in the phone, available whenever and wherever they need it.
6. Texts are Well-Received
Let’s be clear: you’re not blasting spam to anonymous emails. You’re texting customers who already know and love your food.
That’s why the texts you send are so effective: customers want to receive them. By marketing to customers who already love
your food, you’re tapping directly into your most valuable resource.

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WHAT TO TEXT?

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Here are some great text content ideas for
restaurants
Mobile Coupons: Encourage repeat customers and invite new ones with text coupons.
 Example: Daily Diner Coupon – Present this text for 1 FREE COFFEE or TEA with any purchase.
Limited-time Discounts: Send time-sensitive discounts to drive traffic and speed up slowdowns.
 Example: Joe’s Pizza – Offer good only before 6pm: Buy 2 slices of any pizza, get a FREE MEDIUM DRINK!
Weekly Specials: Keep guests up-to-date with your chef’s weekly specials.
 Example: Italiano’s Weekly Chef Special: Bistecca Gorgonzola – Premium filet topped w/ blue cheese sauce, grilled
onions & asparagus.
Events: Notify your customers about special events and musical guests.
 Example: Tommy’s Irish Pub & Grill – Come down for some traditional Celtic music at Tommy’s! Boys of Eire — This
Friday only 6-9pm!
Sweepstakes: Create a buzz and collect new contacts for your text campaigns with an Text-2-Win contest.
 Example: Primo’s Steakhouse – You’ve successfully entered to win FREE dinner for 4. Winner will be notified by text
on Dec 1. Good luck!
Polls: Have customers vote for their favorite dishes and get instant feedback.
 Example: Ice Creamery – What’s your favorite new flavor?

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HOW TO START?

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The key to SMS success is database growth
1. Get the word out! Advertise your SMS program wherever you can. Be sure to include a “call to action” containing simple
instructions to join (e.g. Text GRILL to 12345).
2. Be clear about the benefits of subscribing and what exactly it is you’re offering. People already want what you’re
offering: your challenge is to make them realize how simple it really is.
3. Where to Advertise:
• Menus
• Receipts
• Table tents
• Placemats
• Window signs
• Cash register
• Website
4. To get the most for your money, be sure to integrate keyword and instructions into any existing advertising that you’re
already paying for:
• Newspaper and/or magazine ads
• Radio and/or television spots
• Internet display ads
5. Other methods to gain new subscribers:
• Instruct your servers to promote the text call to action

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THANK YOU
Thank you!