The 8 questions your restaurant gets in every DM

Before you set up automation, know exactly what you're automating. Restaurant inboxes are remarkably consistent. Most DMs fall into eight question types:

1. Opening hours — including whether you're open on public holidays or set days
2. How to book — do you take bookings, how far ahead, walk-ins only?
3. Dietary options — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergen details
4. Group bookings — minimum numbers, whether you do private hire, pricing
5. Menu questions — set dishes, seasonal specials, whether a dish is still on
6. Location and parking — address, nearest bus or train stop, where to park
7. Takeaway and delivery — whether you offer it, and on which platforms
8. Pricing — a rough cost per head for a standard dinner, set menus

An AI trained on your restaurant's details answers all eight types accurately, on the spot — at 11pm on a Friday, when someone is planning their Saturday night and the question actually arrives.

How automation handles each type

Hours and location: Simple facts your AI learns from your business profile. "Are you open on Sundays?" gets your actual Sunday hours, not a generic reply.

Reservations: If you use an online booking system, automation sends the direct link to any booking enquiry. If you take bookings by phone, it shares the number and the hours the line is staffed. Either way, the customer has what they need within seconds.

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

Group bookings: Automation can explain the process, minimum numbers, and whether you do private hire. For requests that need a human quote — big parties, full venue hire, custom menus — it collects the first details (party size, date, occasion) before handing the chat to your events team.

Takeaway and delivery: A simple yes or no, plus the right platform links (Deliveroo, Uber Eats, your own website), answers this in one message.

Comment-to-DM triggers for restaurants

Every food photo or Reel you post can win you a booking. Someone watches your pasta carbonara Reel and wants to know, right then, 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 captions: "Comment TABLE and we'll DM you our booking link." When someone comments that word, your booking link lands in their DMs within seconds. No friction, no hunting around.

If you run seasonal menus or specials, "Comment MENU and we'll send you this week's full menu" works the same way. Post viewers become people with your menu in their DMs.

What to put in your restaurant's DM automation profile

With an AI-powered tool, the quality of your answers depends on what you feed it. For a restaurant, include:

• Hours: Full weekly schedule, plus any holiday closures or seasonal changes
• Address and parking: Full address, nearest tube or 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 ahead to book for weekends, your walk-in policy
• Dietary options: What the kitchen can cater for, your allergen policy, any dishes that are always vegan or gluten-free
• Group bookings: Minimum party size, whether you do private hire, how to enquire
• Delivery/takeaway: Whether you offer it, which platforms, your own ordering link if you have one
• Price range: Rough spend per head, so people can judge the cost before visiting

The more specific the details, 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 asks it.

After-hours is when it matters most

People rarely decide where to book at noon on a Tuesday. They decide on Friday evening while planning the weekend, or on Sunday afternoon while looking ahead to a midweek dinner.

Without automation, a question sent at 8pm Friday gets answered Monday morning — after the booking window has closed and the customer has made other plans. With automation, every question gets an instant answer, whenever it arrives.

If weekend covers drive a big share of your weekly revenue, after-hours booking capture shows up in real reservations.

Frequently asked questions

Can a restaurant use Instagram DM automation for reservations? Yes. Automation answers booking questions and sends your booking link instantly. For bigger group bookings, it can collect the first details before handing the chat to your team.

What Instagram DM questions do restaurants get most often? Hours, how to book, dietary options, group bookings, menu questions, location and parking, takeaway, and price range. These eight types cover most restaurant DMs.

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

Is it safe for restaurant accounts? Yes, with tools that connect via Meta's official API. API-based automation carries no ban risk. What gets accounts suspended is third-party software that works outside the official API.

What should a restaurant include in its DM automation? Hours (with holiday changes), address and parking, how to book plus your booking link, dietary policy, group booking process, delivery options, and a rough price range.