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The phone rings most when your team is busiest. A missed call during the rush can be a lost takeout order or a catering request that goes to the next restaurant. A text back gives that caller an answer in seconds.
The numbers behind missed calls
Sources: 411 Locals study; CallRail 2025 survey.
Catering requests are often the biggest orders of the week.
Why rush-hour calls get missed
During lunch and dinner service, the people who could answer the phone are cooking, running food, or seating guests. Stopping to take a long phone order slows the whole line. Most callers who reach voicemail do not leave a message. In a 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, only 42% said they leave a voicemail when a business does not answer (CallRail 2025 consumer survey, summarized by Local Voice).
What the text back should say
- Your restaurant name, so the guest knows who is texting.
- Your online ordering link for takeout.
- One question that sorts the request: takeout, catering, or reservation.
How much are missed calls costing you?
Drag the sliders to estimate the revenue restaurants leave on the table from calls that never get answered.
Estimate only: missed calls × 4.33 weeks × job value × booking rate. Your numbers will vary.
Catering requests
Catering orders are usually larger and planned days ahead, so they are worth a callback from a manager. Ask for the date, head count, pickup or delivery, and any dietary needs in the text so the callback starts with a quote, not a list of questions.
Takeout orders
For takeout, the fastest path is your ordering link. The guest orders on their own time, and your team does not need to take the order by phone during service.
Set it up in minutes
Keep your restaurant number. Turn on no-answer forwarding to your TextbackFast number, using the landline guide, the VoIP guide, or the cell phone guide. Calls you answer are not affected.
Stop losing jobs to missed calls
Starter $49, Pro $99, AI $199 a month, plus a one-time carrier registration fee: $35 one-time ($69 for businesses with an EIN). Your 14-day free trial starts once texting is approved. Keep your number by forwarding unanswered calls.
Start free trial →Compare plansFrequently asked questions
Will guests get a text if we answer?
No. Only calls you do not answer get a text.
Can the text include our ordering link?
Yes. You write your own message, and a link to your online ordering page works well for takeout.
Does it work for catering?
Yes. Ask for the date, head count, and details in the text, then call back with a quote.