- A well-crafted restaurant voicemail helps manage customer expectations and frees up staff time
- It's important to consider what information you want to present in your answering machine greeting, like common FAQs and any self-service option
- An AI-powered answering service can jump in when your hosts are tied up, helping to answer common questions, take messages, and manage bookings
Think of every call that comes in when your doors are closed—or when you’re slammed at dinner service—as an opportunity to make a great first impression. Before a guest ever steps through your door, they’re listening to your restaurant's tone.
A friendly, on-brand greeting sets the tone for their entire experience: it shows you care about details, that you’re organized, and that you’re ready to welcome them—even if your real host is tied up with another table. In fact, 83% of customers form brand perceptions based on phone interactions.
In this article, we'll cover why you should have a professional restaurant answering machine greeting, 5 sample scripts you can take inspiration from and use, as well as when you should layer in an AI phone answering service.
Why do I need professional restaurant answering machine greeting
- Keeps potential guests engaged. A clear, welcoming greeting assures callers you value their patronage, reducing hang-ups and missed opportunities.
- Builds trust and credibility. When your message sounds polished and friendly, it reinforces that your restaurant runs smoothly—from reservation handling to table service.
- Manages expectations. Letting callers know your hours and callback procedures up front prevents frustration and repeat calls.
- Frees up staff time. A good greeting directs basic inquiries (hours, location, menu) to self-service resources—so your team can stay focused on guests in house.
- Gathers useful info automatically. Prompts for party size, special requests, or reservation times streamline the booking process before anyone even picks up live.
Think about what information is important to add in your greeting
- Restaurant name & tagline. Reinforce your brand identity so callers know they’ve reached the right place.
- Hours of operation. Be precise (“11 AM–10 PM, Monday–Saturday”) to avoid confusion and unnecessary callbacks.
- Callback instructions. Let callers know what to leave (“name, number, party size”) and how you’ll follow up (call back, text, email).
- Quick-action options. If you offer “press 1 to order” or “visit our website for online reservations,” mention it here to speed up service.
- Special notices. Briefly note holiday hours, private events, or menu changes—then point them to your site for details.
- On-brand tone cue. A friendly “thanks for calling” or a signature sign-off injects personality and humanizes the experience.
Five proven scripts to fit any restaurant personality
1. Casual Café
“Hi, you’ve reached The Daily Grind Café. We’re brewing fresh coffee from 7 AM to 3 PM every day. Leave your name, number, and a quick message, and we’ll get right back to you. Thanks for calling!”
Why it works: Short, upbeat, and focused on your signature offering—coffee and community.
2. Family-Friendly Diner
“Hello! You’ve reached Mom’s Kitchen Diner, where homemade meets heart—and we’re here from 6 AM to 9 PM daily. Please leave your name, number, and how many are in your party, and we’ll call you back to set your table.”
Why it works: Emphasizes warmth, family, and useful info (party size) upfront.
3. Trendy Gastropub
“Hey there, you’ve reached Barrel & Oak Gastropub. We sling craft brews and gourmet bites from 4 PM–11 PM Tuesdays through Sundays. Drop us your details and we’ll text you back ASAP with a reservation or wait-list update.”
Why it works: Casual “hey there” vibe, plus modern callback via text.
4. Upscale Bistro
“Good evening, and thank you for calling Le Jardin Bistro. We’re delighted you’re considering us for your next dinner. Our hours are 5 PM to 10 PM, Wednesday–Sunday. Please leave your name, preferred reservation time, and party size, and our team will return your call promptly.”
Why it works: Polished, respectful, and sets expectations around service.
Step-by-step tips for crafting a warm, on-brand recording
- Script it, then trim it. Write out what you want to say, but keep the final cut under 20 seconds—long enough to cover key details, short enough to hold attention.
- Use your real voice. Record with the same energy you’d use greeting a guest in person. Smile while you speak—it actually comes through in the tone.
- Mind your pace and tone. Speak clearly, with a friendly pace—too fast sounds rushed, too slow sounds dull. Aim for an inviting, conversational rhythm.
- Include only essentials. Your name, hours, callback info, and any quick options (press 1, text back). Avoid long menus or policies—save that for your website.
- Add a pinch of personality. A signature tagline or a casual “thanks for calling” goes a long way toward sounding human.
- Test on speaker. Play it back through your phone’s speaker to make sure it sounds good loud and clear, without echoes or background noise.
- Re-record after changes. Whenever you tweak hours, menus, or holiday closures, update your greeting right away—nothing frustrates callers more than outdated info.
When to layer in AI-powered assistance
Even the best greeting can get overwhelmed when the dinner rush hits. An AI-powered restaurant answering service can jump in when your hosts are tied up. Restaurants using AI voice agents achieve 76% call conversion rates and reduce staff call volume by 72%.
- Missed-call text-back service: Instantly sends callers a text with your menu link and wait-list signup if they don’t reach you live.
- Smart routing: During peak times, AI can ask very simple follow-ups (“Party of how many?”) and send the information directly to you or your staff via email or SMS.
- Overflow handling: Set thresholds—if more than five calls wait, AI answers with “Our hosts are helping other guests right now. Leave your details and we’ll confirm via text in under five minutes.”
By layering AI capabilities on top of a friendly, human greeting, you keep that personal touch while making sure no call—or potential customer—gets left hanging.
How Upfirst helps restaurants
Upfirst acts as an AI-powered receptionist or a smart auto-attendant for your restaurant by:
- Handling overflow calls with customizable scripts—so no diner call goes unanswered when you’re slammed.
- Gathering key details (party size, special requests) mid-call and pushing them straight to you via SMS or email, or into your reservation or POS system via Zapier.
- Answering common questions like what's on the menu, hours of operations, restaurant location, and so on. This helps cut back on these extra calls so your staff can stay focused on serving your guests.
- Forward calls to your front reception for more complex inquiries like making a reservation or placing orders.
A well-crafted greeting is more than just recorded words; it’s your first chance to reflect your restaurant’s personality and set expectations. Spend a little time scripting, recording, and refining, and you’ll turn every voicemail into an on-brand opportunity to win over new guests.
Nick Lau is a copywriter and content lead for Upfirst.ai. A self-starter at heart, he dove into marketing in 2015 by launching an e-commerce company, selling private-labeled products on Amazon and Shopify. When he’s not crafting copy, you might spot him on a winding road trip to the coasts or through forests, in search of unexplored places.
