Free template
Reservation reminder text message templates
Short SMS templates for confirmations, day-before reminders, running-late check-ins and waitlist notifications, all under 160 characters.
Reservation texts work because they get read within minutes. Keep each under 160 characters, include the restaurant name and one action, and always give a way out: a guest who cancels by text is a table you can re-sell. Send from any phone; these do not need software.
Booking confirmation
[Restaurant Name]: table for [2] confirmed, [Fri 12 Jul], [7:00 PM]. Change or cancel free until [3 PM Fri]: [link]. Questions? [phone]
Day-before reminder
Reminder from [Restaurant Name]: table for [2] tomorrow at [7:00 PM]. All good? No need to reply. Plans changed? Cancel free: [link]
Same-day nudge (afternoon)
[Restaurant Name]: see you tonight at [7:00 PM], table for [2]. Running late? Call [phone] and we will hold your table.
Waitlist: table ready
[Restaurant Name]: your table is ready! Come to the host stand in the next [10] min. Can't make it? Reply NO and we will pass it on.
Late guest check-in (15 min after time)
[Restaurant Name]: we are holding your [7:00 PM] table. Are you close? Call [phone] or reply. We can hold it another [10] minutes.
Deposit reminder (large party)
[Restaurant Name]: your table for [8] on [Sat 20 Jul] is held for 24h pending the $[80] deposit (comes off your bill): [payment link]
How to use this well
- Send the reminder around midday the day before, and the nudge only for prime-time slots you would struggle to re-fill.
- Name the restaurant first in every message; unknown numbers get ignored.
- The late-guest text 15 minutes after booking time saves more tables than any fee: most late parties are still coming, just running behind, and a quick check-in tells you which tables to actually release.
- TableHelm does not send SMS yet (email confirmations are built in); every text here is written to be sent from any phone using the manage link in the guest's confirmation.
Questions
Common questions
Operators pair reminders with card holds as the two standard fixes, and report the combination nearly eliminates no-shows. The reminder catches honest plan-changers early; the card hold deters the rest.
Want the system these templates plug into?
TableHelm is free for one location: booking page, floor plan, waitlist, guest book and email confirmations. The policies you just copied paste straight into it.