Restaurants · SMS · WhatsApp
One text the day before,
fewer empty tables.
The day before each booking, the guest gets a reminder text sent from the restaurant's own phone. They confirm or cancel by replying, and you see it all in one inbox.
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GeminiA dinner service
The table for six that never shows up
Unlimited Messaging is a messaging app that sends and receives your SMS, WhatsApp and email from your own accounts, including the SIM in the restaurant's phone, and can send booking reminders on its own.
Friday, 8:30 pm. The table for six booked by phone is still empty, you turned away two couples at 7, and nobody answers the number they left. Calling every guest the day before to confirm is out of the question between prep and service.
With Unlimited Messaging, the reminder goes out on its own. n8n reads your bookings from your calendar or Google Sheets and sends a text the day before or that morning, from the SIM in the restaurant's phone through the free Android app. The guest replies "OK" or cancels, and the reply lands in the web app inbox, so you can give the table to someone else.
Same idea for hotels and their WhatsApp confirmations and for tradespeople and their appointment reminders. Details on the SMS page.
What changes
What Unlimited Messaging changes for a restaurant
You keep your number and the way you take bookings. Reminders send themselves, and cancellations come in early enough to rebook the table.
An SMS reminder for every booking
n8n reads your calendar or bookings sheet and sends the text the day before or that morning, without you thinking about it.
From the restaurant's own phone
Texts leave from the SIM in your phone through the free Android app. Guests see the number they called to book, and can reply to it.
Replies in one inbox
Confirmations, cancellations, "we'll be eight after all": it all lands in the web app, with WhatsApp messages from groups and emails about private event quotes.
Claude or ChatGPT to help
Ask Claude or ChatGPT to draft the reply to a group or private hire request. Nothing goes out without your approval, and the free plan has no per-message fee.
Setup
Ready in 3 steps, before the next service
- 01
Create your account
Free sign-up, no credit card. The free plan sends unlimited messages.
- 02
Link the restaurant's phone
Install the free Android app on the restaurant's phone for SMS, and scan the QR code with WhatsApp if you use it for groups.
- 03
Schedule the reminders
In n8n, connect your calendar or Google Sheets to the Unlimited Messaging node, pick the sending time and paste your SMS template.
Copy-ready messages
4 restaurant messages ready to use
Replace what is in brackets. A short text gets read in two seconds, between two meetings.
- 01 · SMS
Day-before reminder
Hi [First name], we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at [time], party of [number], at [Restaurant]. Reply OK to confirm or CANCEL if you can't make it. Thanks!
- 02 · SMS
Same-day reminder
Hi [First name], quick reminder: your table at [Restaurant] is ready for [time] tonight. Running late or need a change? Reply to this text. See you soon!
- 03 · WhatsApp
Group booking
Hi [First name], thanks for your request for [number] guests on [date]. I can offer [menu] at [price] per person. I'll hold the room as soon as you say yes here.
- 04 · Email
Private event quote
Hi [First name], Thank you for your interest in a private event at [Restaurant] on [date]. Please find our proposal attached: menu, number of guests and terms. Happy to adjust it, [Your name]
Good to know
Good habits to keep in mind
Texts on your own plan
Texts leave from your phone and count against your mobile plan. One reminder per booking keeps a natural pace.
WhatsApp, for your real guests
Write to guests who booked and gave you their number. Bulk messages to strangers get a number blocked, whatever the tool.
FAQ
Questions restaurant owners ask
Sources
Sources & references
To check the information in this article for yourself:
Written by
Ilian · Senior Software Engineer
A senior software engineer, he founds and runs several tech companies. He builds products around messaging APIs, automation and AI integration, and shares here what he learns while building.
Send your first SMS reminder tonight
Free, no credit card, from your restaurant's own phone.