The 8 questions your restaurant gets in every DM

Before setting up automation, it's worth knowing exactly what you're automating. Restaurant Instagram inboxes are remarkably consistent. The vast majority of DMs fall into eight question types:

1. Opening hours — including whether you're open on public holidays or specific days
2. Reservation process — do you take bookings, how far in advance, walk-ins only?
3. Dietary options — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergen information
4. Group bookings — minimum numbers, whether you do private hire, pricing
5. Menu questions — specific dishes, seasonal specials, whether a dish is still on
6. Location and parking — address, nearest public transport, parking availability
7. Takeaway and delivery — whether you offer it, through which platforms
8. Pricing — roughly how much per head for a standard dinner, set menus

An AI trained on your restaurant's information answers all eight categories accurately and immediately — at 11pm on a Friday when someone is planning their Saturday evening, which is exactly when the question arrives.

How automation handles each type

Hours and location: Simple factual information your AI learns from your business profile. "Are you open on Sundays?" gets an accurate answer with your specific Sunday hours, not a generic response.

Reservations: For restaurants using an online booking system, automation sends the direct link in response to any booking enquiry. For phone reservations, it provides the number and the hours when the reservations line is staffed. Either way, the customer has what they need within seconds.

Dietary and allergen questions: This is where AI tools specifically outperform keyword bots. "Do you have anything for someone who's coeliac and also doesn't eat mushrooms?" requires a real answer, not a pre-written response. An AI tool trained on your menu handles this. A keyword bot that fires a canned "yes we have gluten-free options" message doesn't.

Group bookings: Automation can answer the process, minimums, and whether you do private hire. For requests that need a human quote — large parties, full venue hire, custom menus — automation can collect the initial details (party size, date, occasion) before passing the conversation to your events team.

Takeaway and delivery: A simple yes/no with the relevant platform links (Deliveroo, Uber Eats, your own website) answers this completely without any back-and-forth.

Comment-to-DM triggers for restaurants

Every food photo or Reel you post is a potential lead-generation moment. Someone watches your pasta carbonara Reel and immediately wants to know if you take reservations. Normally they'd have to find your bio link or dig through your captions.

Comment-to-DM triggers change this. Add a line to your food content captions: "Comment TABLE and we'll DM you our booking link." When someone comments that word, they receive your reservation link or booking process in a private DM within seconds. No friction, no navigation required.

For restaurants running seasonal menus or specials, "Comment MENU and we'll send you this week's full menu" works the same way — turning post viewers into people who have your menu in their DMs.

What to put in your restaurant's DM automation profile

When setting up an AI-powered tool, the quality of your answers depends on the information you provide. For a restaurant, include:

• Hours: Full weekly schedule, including any holiday closures or seasonal variations
• Address and parking: Full address, nearest tube/bus stop, whether there's parking nearby and if it's paid or free
• Reservation policy: Whether you take bookings, your booking platform or phone number, how far in advance to book for weekends, walk-in policy
• Dietary accommodations: What the kitchen can accommodate, your allergen policy, any dishes that are permanently vegan/gluten-free
• Group bookings: Minimum party size for group bookings, whether you do private hire, how to enquire
• Delivery/takeaway: Whether available, which platforms, your own ordering link if applicable
• Price range: Approximate spend per head so people can assess affordability before visiting

The more specific the information, the better the answers. "We're open Tuesday to Sunday" is fine. "We're open Tuesday to Thursday 12–3pm and 5:30–10pm, Friday to Saturday 12–3pm and 5:30–11pm, Sunday 12–5pm, closed Mondays" is better — it answers the follow-up before the customer needs to ask it.

After-hours is when it matters most

The restaurant booking decision rarely happens at noon on a Tuesday. It happens Friday evening when someone is trying to plan the weekend, or Sunday afternoon when they're researching for a midweek dinner.

Without automation, questions that arrive at 8pm Friday get answered Monday morning — after the booking window has closed and the customer has made other plans. With automation, every question gets answered immediately regardless of when it arrives.

For restaurants where weekend covers drive a disproportionate share of weekly revenue, after-hours booking capture is measurable in actual reservations.

Frequently asked questions

Can a restaurant use Instagram DM automation for reservations? Yes. Automation answers reservation questions and sends your booking link instantly. For more complex group bookings it can collect initial details before passing the conversation to your team.

What Instagram DM questions do restaurants get most often? Hours, reservation process, dietary options, group bookings, menu questions, location and parking, takeaway availability, and price range. These eight categories cover the majority of restaurant DMs.

How do I set up Instagram DM automation for my restaurant? Switch to an Instagram Business account, connect to a tool like ReplyMind via Meta's official API, and add your restaurant's information. Setup takes under 15 minutes.

Is it safe for restaurant accounts? Yes, using tools that connect via Meta's official API. API-based automation has no suspension risk. What causes suspension is third-party software that operates outside the official API.

What should a restaurant include in its DM automation? Hours (including holiday variations), address and parking, reservation process and booking link, dietary policy, group booking process, delivery availability, and approximate price range.