Happy hours and time-limited offer messages

A happy hours message is how a cafe, restaurant or delivery kitchen fills the quiet part of its day: 3 to 6 pm for a cafe, after 10 pm for a late-night kitchen, the hour before the lunch rush for a tiffin. It goes out to opted-in customers at the start of the window, and it says what costs less and until when. The one thing that makes it work is picking the hours from your own order graph. Discounting the dip in your dashboard brings in orders the kitchen can handle; discounting a busy hour just gives away margin.

Name the items, the reduced price or the discount, the start and end time, and the days it runs. Make the price change on its own by scheduling the items or a time-bound coupon, so staff do not have to switch anything and customers see the lower price at checkout during the window. Send the daily reminder at the start of the window and never more than once a day. Rotate the wording across the week, send only to customers who agreed to offers, and keep the opt-out line. For a menu that changes by time on its own, see menu scheduling by time and weekday.

Hi [Name], [Restaurant] now has happy hours: [Discount] off on [Items] every day between [Start Time] and [End Time]. The price shows reduced on [Link] during those hours, nothing to apply. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] में अब happy hours: रोज़ [Start Time] से [End Time] के बीच [Items] पर [Discount] off। उन घंटों में [Link] पर दाम अपने आप कम दिखते हैं, कुछ लगाना नहीं। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], it is 3 pm, the slow part of the day, and [Restaurant] has buy one get one on all coffees till 6 pm. Order ahead at [Link] and pick up, or come and sit in. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], 3 बज गए, दिन का सुस्त हिस्सा, और [Restaurant] में 6 बजे तक सभी coffee पर buy one get one। [Link] पर पहले order करके pickup करें, या आकर बैठें। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], happy hours at [Restaurant] are on. [Items] at ₹[Happy Hour Price] instead of ₹[Regular Price] till [End Time]. Order at [Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] के happy hours शुरू। [End Time] तक [Items] ₹[Regular Price] की जगह ₹[Happy Hour Price] में। [Link] पर order करें। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], late shift or late match? [Restaurant] delivers till [Time], and from 10 pm the late-night menu is [Discount] off: [Items]. Order at [Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], देर रात तक काम या match? [Restaurant] [Time] तक deliver करता है, और रात 10 बजे से late-night menu पर [Discount] off: [Items]। [Link] पर order करें। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], order your lunch from [Restaurant] before 11:30 am and get ₹[Amount] off. It helps our kitchen plan, so we pass the saving on. Pick your delivery time at [Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] से lunch सुबह 11:30 से पहले order करें तो ₹[Amount] off। इससे kitchen को plan करने में आसानी होती है, तो बचत आपको देते हैं। [Link] पर अपना delivery time चुनें। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], Monday to Thursday, 4 to 7 pm, [Restaurant] runs [Discount] off on [Items]. Weekends are busy, weekdays are yours. Order at [Link], or scan the QR at your table if you are here. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], सोमवार से गुरुवार, शाम 4 से 7 बजे, [Restaurant] में [Items] पर [Discount] off। weekend पर भीड़ रहती है, weekday आपके लिए। [Link] पर order करें, या यहाँ हैं तो table का QR scan करें। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], 30 minutes left on happy hours at [Restaurant]. [Items] at ₹[Happy Hour Price] till [End Time]; orders placed before then get the price even if delivery is later. [Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] के happy hours में 30 मिनट बचे हैं। [End Time] तक [Items] ₹[Happy Hour Price] में; उससे पहले order हो गया तो delivery बाद में भी हो, दाम वही मिलेगा। [Link]। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], 4 pm chai time at [Restaurant]: a pot of chai and [Snack] for ₹[Price] till 6 pm, delivered hot within [Area]. Order at [Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] में 4 बजे की chai: एक pot chai और [Snack] सिर्फ़ ₹[Price] में, 6 बजे तक, [Area] में गरम delivery। [Link] पर order करें। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], today's last batch at [Restaurant]: [Items] at [Discount] off from 6 pm till we close at [Time] or they run out. Baked this morning, same quality. Reserve at [Link] and pick up on the way home. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] का आज का आखिरी batch: शाम 6 बजे से [Time] पर बंद होने तक या खत्म होने तक [Items] पर [Discount] off। आज सुबह का बना, वही quality। [Link] पर reserve करें और घर जाते हुए ले जाएँ। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], pickup orders at [Restaurant] between [Start Time] and [End Time] get [Discount] off, no minimum. Order at [Link], choose Pickup and a collection time, and it is ready when you walk in. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] पर [Start Time] से [End Time] के बीच pickup order पर [Discount] off, कोई minimum नहीं। [Link] पर order करें, Pickup और collection time चुनें, और आप पहुँचें तो तैयार मिलेगा। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Hi [Name], bring the family to [Restaurant] between [Start Time] and [End Time] any weekday: [Discount] off the dine-in bill, a kids' [Item] free with every two mains. Scan the QR at the table to order, no waiting for a waiter. Reply STOP to opt out.

नमस्ते [Name], किसी भी weekday [Start Time] से [End Time] के बीच family को [Restaurant] लाएँ: dine-in bill पर [Discount] off, हर दो main के साथ बच्चों का [Item] free। table पर QR scan करके order करें, waiter का इंतज़ार नहीं। बंद करने के लिए STOP लिखें।

Tips for sending these on WhatsApp

• Pick the hours from your order graph. Happy hours belong in the dip your dashboard shows, usually 3 to 6 pm for cafes and after 10 pm for delivery kitchens, and never in the hour you already struggle to serve.
• Make the price change on its own. Schedule the happy-hour items or a time-bound coupon so the discount switches on and off without staff touching anything. On Tezzu, menu scheduling by weekday and time does this, and the rotating menus guide shows the setup.
• Send the daily reminder at the start of the window. A 2 pm message for a 3 pm offer is forgotten; a 3:05 pm message is acted on.
• The same message every day gets muted. Write three versions, rotate them across the week, and send the daily reminder only to people who have ordered during those hours before. The weekday cafe ideas list has more ways to fill the slow hours.
• Opted-in customers only, STOP line on every message, and one send a day at most.

Frequently asked questions

What are happy hours for a restaurant or cafe?

A fixed daily window, usually in the slow afternoon or late evening, when selected items are cheaper. The idea is to move customers into hours when the kitchen and the tables are idle, so the discount is paid for by orders you would not otherwise get. The window should be short, the items few, and the price change visible on the menu during those hours, so it feels like a rule rather than a negotiation.

Do happy hours work for delivery and cloud kitchens?

Yes, as long as the window matches a real dip in orders and riders. An early-bird lunch discount for orders placed before 11:30 am lets the kitchen cook in sequence instead of in a rush. A late-night menu after 10 pm uses staff who are already on shift. Pair the window with delivery slots so customers order early and receive at the time they choose.

How do I set up a time-limited discount on WhatsApp orders?

Set it on the store page, not in the chat. Either schedule the happy-hour items to show at a lower price during the window, or create a coupon with a start and end time that applies on its own at checkout. Then the WhatsApp message only has to describe the rule. If the discount lives in staff memory instead, someone will apply it at the wrong time or forget it, and the customer will argue.