# Restaurant Mailchimp SMS: 16.1% Click Rate | OVERTOP [Home](/)›[Success stories](/success-stories/)›[Mailchimp](/success-stories/mailchimp/)›Birdcall Mailchimp success story · Fast-casual restaurant chain # How a fast-casual restaurant chain made text messages its top engagement channel in two months. Birdcall’s lunch deals were expiring before customers saw them on social media, and holiday emails drew out-of-office replies. Mailchimp SMS, segmented down to each restaurant, put offers in front of guests while they could still use them. BusinessBirdcall MarketColorado, Arizona and Texas GoalTime-sensitive offers seen in time ## The results. The 16.1% SMS click rate compares with the 1.5% email click-through rate Birdcall was seeing, about 10 times higher. - **16.1%**average SMS click rate - **50%**of total digital engagement from SMS - **1.1%**SMS unsubscribe rate SMS launched in May 2025 and reached 50% of digital engagement by July 2025. 109,582 total SMS clicks since launch; the National Fried Chicken Day campaign peaked at a 17.4% click rate. Figures as reported in the story; Mailchimp does not publish how they were measured. ## The challenge. Birdcall, a Denver-based chicken sandwich chain with about 163,000 subscribers in three states, built its marketing around time-sensitive deals such as dollar sandwiches on National Fried Chicken Day. Social algorithms could hold a post for two or three days, long after the offer had ended. Email had its own problems: holiday promotions drew floods of out-of-office replies, and app users switched off push notifications. Radio drove landing-page visits but not orders. Weather and events also differ by state, so one message for everyone rarely fit. - **Capture the number**Guests opt in when they order at the kiosk. - **Segment by restaurant**State, territory and favorite location. - **Text the offer**A short, time-sensitive message from a dedicated short code. - **Remind before it ends**Automated follow-ups catch the last-minute crowd. ## What they did. SMS short code · Segmentation by location · Automation flows · Analytics A dedicated short codeBirdcall was one of the first brands on Mailchimp’s dedicated short code [SMS](https://mailchimp.com/solutions/sms-marketing-tools/), adopted in April 2025, with the first campaign in May.Segments by state and by storeSegments and tags narrowed every message by state, by territory and down to the restaurant each guest visits most, so a store anniversary invite went only to people within driving distance.Automated follow-ups[Automation flows](https://mailchimp.com/features/automations/marketing-automation-flows/) sent local sequences and a last reminder just before each offer ended.Watch every send[Reports](https://mailchimp.com/features/reports-and-analytics/) on open, click and unsubscribe rates kept the frequency in check. Guests made it clear they wanted texts with offers, so messages without one were cut. ## Why it worked. Our read on the decisions behind the numbers, and what any business can take from them. The channel matches the offerA lunch deal needs to be seen before lunch. A text arrives on time, while a social post may not appear for days.Local beats broadcastAn offer for the restaurant you actually visit feels like a favor. The same offer for a store an hour away feels like spam.Guests chose their channelEmail opens fell about 2 points after SMS launched, but SMS engagement more than made up for it. Customers moved to the channel they preferred instead of leaving.Exclusive keeps it valuableSome promotions run only for subscribers, with no in-store signs, which gives guests a reason to opt in and stay subscribed. ## How we would run this play for your business. You do not need a national budget to use the same ideas. This is how Overtop Media Digital Marketing puts them to work in our [mailchimp email marketing](/mailchimp/). Collect numbers with consentOrder pickup, Wi-Fi, loyalty and table-top signs are natural places to ask, with clear opt-in language.Segment by locationEvery location gets its own offers, events and timing, from one account.Build a promo calendarFood holidays, slow days and local events, planned months ahead across text, email and [Facebook and Instagram](/meta-ads/).Count visits, not just clicksWe connect redemptions and orders to each send, and keep your [Google Business Profile](/insights/google-business-profile-optimization-guide/) in step with every promotion. ## Who this play fits. You do not have to be a fast-casual restaurant chain to use the same approach. It is a strong fit for: - Restaurants and cafes - Multi-location franchises - Bars, breweries and venues - Retail stores with flash sales - Salons and spas with open slots - Any business with time-limited offers ## Want results like these? Tell us about your business and your goals. We will show you where Mailchimp can bring you customers, and what it would take. [Start growing with Mailchimp](#audit) [Or call (704) 237-0707 ›](tel:7042370707) [See how we run Mailchimp for our clients ›](/mailchimp/) ## More Mailchimp success stories. - [ Restaurants **31.6 pts** lift in ad recall ### Teriyaki Madness Read the story › ](/success-stories/meta-ads/teriyaki-madness/) - [ Restaurants **62.8%** year-over-year growth in revenue from Klaviyo flows ### Stone Brewing Read the story › ](/success-stories/klaviyo/stone-brewing/) - [ Restaurants **Over 25%** of store visits from people who were not recent visitors ### Starbucks Canada Read the story › ](/success-stories/pinterest-ads/starbucks-canada/) [See all Mailchimp success stories ›](/success-stories/mailchimp/) Results as published by Intuit Mailchimp in its Birdcall customer story (July 2026). Results for other businesses will differ. Analysis by Victor Bubuioc, MBA, Digital Performance and Growth Expert, published October 10, 2026.