SMS has become one of the most powerful tools for restaurants to reach customers instantly. But 2025 brings a new wave of regulations focused on SMS marketing compliance. If you’re sending out promotional texts without understanding 10DLC registration, you risk being filtered or blocked by major carriers like AT&T and Verizon. Our team at Dineline is here to guide you through the changes while keeping your customer engagement strong. Let’s break down what’s happening and how to update your restaurant SMS strategies for maximum impact.
What 10DLC Means for Your Message Campaigns
Starting in mid-2024 and fully enforced in 2025, major U.S. carriers require businesses to use 10DLC registration, which involves using 10-digit long code phone numbers explicitly tied to your brand. This shift aims to combat spam while protecting consumer trust. For restaurants, that means you can no longer send bulk SMS from generic numbers without risking delivery issues or being flagged as spam.
10DLC registration ensures your messages are properly identified. Without it, even well-intentioned texts like those announcing a new menu or a loyalty discount can get blocked by AT&T or Verizon filters. This directly impacts SMS marketing compliance, which carriers now actively monitor. They check if businesses have the correct registration for their campaign type (promotional, transactional, or mixed) and if consent is properly tracked.
For restaurants, this change has major implications. You must understand how restaurant SMS strategies must evolve toward compliant practices such as segmenting subscriber lists by opt-in type, adhering to message frequency limits, and maintaining updated consent records. Doing this wrong can land you in filtering limbo, stalling your ability to send out effective offers.
Failing SMS marketing compliance not only harms delivery but also damages your brand reputation. Customers who don’t receive messages or, worse, report your texts as spam won’t trust you. That means fewer reservations, lower open rates, and ultimately diminished ROI.
Best Practices for Compliant SMS Marketing
Adhering to SMS marketing compliance is no longer optional. It is essential. Here’s how to keep your SMS efforts safe, legal, and effective:
Get Proper 10DLC Registration
Make sure your number is registered under your restaurant’s legal entity, with clear campaign use cases. Whether you’re sending order confirmations or promotional deals, you need the right registration tier. Without valid 10DLC registration, messages might never reach your audience or could be flagged.
Obtain & Track Customer Consent
Under TCPA and carrier rules, you must get explicit opt-in from each customer. Your sign-up process should state what types of messages customers will receive (promotional, transactional, or both). Retain these records so you can prove SMS marketing compliance if ever audited. Your restaurant SMS strategies must proudly feature clear disclosures like “Reply YES to subscribe.”
Segment & Time Your Messages Thoughtfully
Not all customers respond the same way. Some want daily deal alerts, others prefer weekly updates. Segment your subscriber list based on preferences, behaviors, and opt-in types. Pair this with respectful timing. Schedule your messages between 10 am and 8 pm local time. Research shows higher engagement during these windows. Non-compliant timing can trigger complaints or opt-outs, undermining your outreach.
Maintain Message Frequency Caps
Too many messages may annoy your audience. Common practice suggests limiting to 4 to 6 promotional texts per month, depending on engagement levels. Highlighted restaurant SMS strategies typically involve alternating between promotional texts and value-driven content, such as exclusive recipes or behind-the-scenes snippets.
Monitor Delivery, Compliance, and Feedback
Track your results, including your delivery rates, click-through rates, opt-out rates, and complaint volumes. Low engagement or sudden spikes in complaints could hint at undetected compliance issues. Maintaining SMS marketing compliance means keeping a pulse on these metrics and acting quickly.
Keep Opt-Out Simple & Immediate
Every message must include an easy unsubscribe option (“Reply STOP”). If someone opts out, stop messaging immediately. Not only is this a legal requirement, but it also shows respect for your audience and preserves trust.
These steps help you achieve both compliance and engagement. Proper SMS marketing compliance avoids spam filters and stopped campaigns. Smart restaurant SMS strategies deliver value, drive sales, and build customer loyalty.
How Dineline Ensures Smooth Transition and Ongoing Compliance
The shift to 10DLC registration and a tighter compliance regime can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re managing a busy kitchen and staff. That’s where Dineline steps in. Our team at Dineline helps restaurants adapt smoothly and confidently without added headaches.
Dedicated 10DLC Registration Support
We manage the complete 10DLC registration process for you. We handle legal details, usage case definitions, and liaise with carriers like AT&T and Verizon so you don’t have to.
Built-In Consent Capture & Segmentation
Dineline’s platform automates opt-in capture with customizable sign-up forms that let you segment subscribers based on message type (promotional vs. transactional). It logs each user’s consent or opt-out automatically, ensuring underlying SMS marketing compliance.
Automated Scheduling & Frequency Controls
Our tools let you set intelligent cadence rules, max number of texts per month, quiet hours enforcement, and smarter targeting. This ensures your restaurant SMS strategies stay both compliant and customer-friendly.
Compliance-Friendly Message Templates
We provide pre-approved SMS templates with consent lines like “Reply YES to opt-in. Msg&Data rates may apply,” ensuring every message meets carrier standards and compliance rules right out of the box.
Comprehensive Reporting & Alerts
Our real-time dashboard shows delivery rates, spam complaint volumes, opt-in and opt-out trends, and other compliance metrics. If your campaign starts drifting, we alert you and offer adjusted messaging tactics to stay compliant.
Ongoing Training & Best Practice Guidance
Compliance rules evolve, and so do Dineline strategies. Our team offers ongoing training, regular compliance updates, and access to best practice libraries. You’ll always have access to compliance insights and the latest restaurant SMS strategies.
Proactive Testing & Optimization
We don’t just help you become compliant. We help you become more effective. Our team runs split tests on timing, message length, CTA language, and promotional offers, sharing the results so you can continuously improve ROI while staying compliant.
By handling the technical and legal side of 10DLC registration and spoon-feeding best-practice compliance routines, we give you room to concentrate on crafting offers that resonate with customers. You will know your messages will be delivered, accepted, and free from carrier-level filtering issues.
Get Help From Our Team Today
The SMS landscape in 2025 demands evolution. 10DLC registration, SMS marketing compliance, and intelligent restaurant SMS strategies are essential. If you launch campaigns without proper registration or intent to comply, you risk being silenced by carriers. This undermines your trust with customers and limits your reach.
When done right, when every text is permission-driven, well-timed, segmented, and measured, SMS transforms into a powerful asset. It delivers coupons, event reminders, menu updates, and conversation all directly to your diner’s pocket, building loyalty and increasing revenue.
At Dineline, our team is ready to help you meet 2025’s SMS rules head-on. We simplify 10DLC registration, automate compliance, optimize messaging timing and frequency, and coach you to execute smart, high-performing campaigns.
Keep your SMS channel strong. Dineline can help.
