ClubText

Dining & Facility Reservations

Promote dining events, send reservation reminders, reduce no-shows, and manage facility bookings with text messaging

Dining and facility usage are at the heart of the club experience — and they're also among the hardest things to fill consistently. Empty tables on a Tuesday night, no-shows at the chef's table dinner, and underused tennis courts all represent lost revenue and missed engagement opportunities. Email promotions for tonight's special arrive too late or go unread. Posted schedules in the clubhouse only reach members who are already there.

Text messaging puts dining specials, reservation confirmations, and facility updates directly in members' hands when they can still act on them. This guide covers how to use your text messaging platform to promote dining programming, manage reservations, reduce no-shows, and fill your club's facilities.

Promoting Dining Specials & Events

Weekly Dining Updates

Send regular updates to your Dining members group with upcoming specials, themed nights, and menu highlights.

{first_name}, this week at the club: Monday — Burger & Beer Night ($15). Wednesday — Pasta Bar. Friday — Prime Rib special ($32). Reservations: [link]

Tonight's special: pan-seared halibut with asparagus risotto. members-only pricing: $26. Walk-ins welcome, but reservations recommended: [link]

New fall menu dropping this week! Chef [Name] has been working on something special. Preview the menu: [link]. Reservations for Friday and Saturday are filling up.

Chef's Table & Wine Dinners

Exclusive dining events are a major draw — but they need targeted promotion to fill seats. Use a Custom Bulk Message to your Dining group with early access, then expand to the full membership if seats remain.

{first_name}, Chef's Table is back — a 5-course Italian tasting menu paired with wines from Piedmont. Saturday, November 8th at 7 PM. Limited to 20 guests. Reserve your seats: [link]

Wine Dinner: An evening with [Winery Name]. 4 courses, 5 wines, hosted by the winemaker. December 5th, 7 PM. members get first access — reserve by Friday: [link]

Last call — only 4 seats remain for Saturday's Chef's Table. Don't miss it: [link]

Holiday and Themed Dining

Thanksgiving Buffet at the club — let us handle the cooking this year. Seatings at 12 PM, 2 PM, and 4 PM. members: $45/adult, $18/child. Reserve: [link]

Mother's Day Brunch is May 11th. Three seatings available: 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM. This fills up every year — book early: [link]

New Year's Eve Dinner & Dance: Cocktails at 7 PM, dinner at 8 PM, dancing until midnight. $95 per person. Reserve for your party: [link]

Reservation Reminders & Confirmations

Automated Reservation Reminders

Use an Appointment Reminder campaign to automatically confirm reservations and send reminders. This reduces no-shows and gives members a chance to cancel or modify.

Confirmation (immediately after booking):

Your reservation is confirmed, {first_name}. [Restaurant Name], [date] at [time], party of [number]. To modify or cancel, reply to this text or call [number].

Day-before reminder:

Reminder: Your dinner reservation is tomorrow, [date] at [time] for [number] guests. We look forward to seeing you! Need to change your reservation? Reply here.

Day-of reminder (for evening reservations):

See you tonight, {first_name}! Your table is reserved for [time]. Dress code: smart casual. Valet parking available.

Reducing No-Shows

No-shows cost clubs money in wasted food prep, held tables, and turned-away members. A simple reminder sequence can reduce no-shows significantly.

Best practices for no-show reduction:

  • Send a day-before reminder with an easy way to cancel or modify
  • Send a same-day reminder 2-4 hours before the reservation
  • Include "reply CANCEL to free up your table" so members can release their spot without calling
  • Track no-show patterns using a member field and follow up with repeat offenders

Reminder: You have a dinner reservation tonight at 7 PM for 4 guests. If your plans have changed, reply CANCEL so we can offer the table to another member. Otherwise, see you tonight!

Facility Booking & Scheduling

Court and Facility Availability

Good morning! Tennis courts 1-4 are open for walk-on play today. Book a court online: [link]

{first_name}, the simulator is available this Saturday from 10 AM - 2 PM. Book a session: [link]

Pool lanes are open for lap swim today from 6-8 AM and 12-2 PM. No reservation needed — first come, first served.

Booking Confirmations

Your court reservation is confirmed: Court 3, [date] at [time]. Check-in at the pro shop. Need to cancel? Reply CANCEL.

Confirmed: Private event space reserved for [date], [time]-[time]. Your event coordinator will reach out this week with setup details.

Seasonal Facility Updates

{first_name}, pool season opens May 25th! Daily hours: 10 AM - 8 PM. Adult lap swim: 6-8 AM. Cabana reservations open next Monday: [link]

Winter court schedule starts November 1st. Indoor courts available 7 AM - 9 PM. Updated booking link: [link]

The driving range is now lit for evening practice. Open until 9 PM through September. No reservation needed.

How to Set Up Dining & Facility Campaigns

Step 1: Create Relevant Groups

Set up groups in Contacts & Groups to target the right members:

Group Purpose
Dining members Weekly specials, themed dinners, wine events
Golf members Course conditions, tee time availability
Tennis members Court availability, clinics, leagues
Pool/Aquatics Pool hours, swim events, seasonal openings
Special Events Chef's table, wine dinners, holiday dining

Step 2: Set Up a Dining Keyword

Create a keyword like DINING that lets members opt in to dining updates specifically.

Want dining specials and event invites? Text DINING to [your number].

Step 3: Configure Reservation Reminders

If your club takes reservations through your text messaging platform, set up an Appointment Reminder campaign with automated confirmation and reminder messages.

Step 4: Build a Weekly Send Cadence

  • Monday: Weekly dining specials and upcoming events to the Dining group
  • Wednesday: Mid-week facility availability updates to relevant groups
  • Friday: Weekend event reminders and last-call promotions

Tips & Best Practices

  • Time your dining promotions right. Send lunch specials by 10 AM and dinner specials by 3 PM — when members are deciding where to eat, not after they've already made plans.
  • Create urgency for limited events. Chef's table dinners, wine events, and holiday meals have limited seating. Include seat counts ("only 6 spots left") to drive action.
  • Make canceling easy. Including "reply CANCEL" in reservation reminders reduces no-shows more than reminders alone. members who can easily cancel will — those who can't simply don't show up.
  • Promote dining to non-diners. Many members don't realize how good the club's dining program is. Periodically send a dining promotion to your full membership (not just the Dining group) to introduce the offering.
  • Track what fills and what doesn't. Use keyword response rates and reservation counts to understand which promotions resonate. Double down on what works; adjust or drop what doesn't.
  • Pair text with photos. An MMS message with a photo of tonight's special is more compelling than text alone. Use the Asset Library to store and reuse food photography.

Common Questions

How do I handle dining reservations through text?

For simple reservations, members can reply with their party size and preferred time, and your staff confirms via the Inbox. For more structured booking, include a link to your online reservation system in the text message. The platform handles the communication; your existing reservation system handles the booking.

Should I send dining promotions to all members or just the Dining group?

Send weekly specials and regular promotions to the Dining group — those members opted in for exactly this content. For special events (holiday dinners, chef's table, wine dinners), promote to the full membership since these are destination events that attract a broader audience.

How often is too often for dining messages?

For the Dining group, 2-3 messages per week is appropriate (weekly specials, a mid-week feature, a weekend reminder). For the full membership, limit dining-specific messages to once a week or less. Monitor opt-out rates — if they spike, reduce frequency.