WhatsApp template to announce a new product at your restaurant

If you own a pizzeria or any food business, you know that launching a new product is a golden opportunity to sell. But sending a generic message to everyone isn't enough: you need it to be clear, direct, and with a call to action. Here's a template you can copy and adapt.

What goes in each variable?

• {{1}}: the customer's name (e.g., 'Maria').
• {{2}}: the name of your business (e.g., 'Don Luigi's Pizzeria').
• {{3}}: the name of the new product (e.g., 'arugula and prosciutto pizza').
• {{4}}: the promotional price (e.g., '$9.990').
• {{5}}: the neighborhood or delivery area (e.g., 'Palermo').

1. 1Copy the template and replace the variables with your business's real information.
2. 2In WhatsApp Business, go to 'Message tools' > 'Message templates' and create a new one with this template. That's the correct way to send it to multiple contacts without getting blocked.
3. 3If you use Wando, upload the template to the panel and the AI will automatically use it when appropriate (for example, when a customer asks about news).

Message variations

If you want a more formal or more casual tone, here are two options:

Remember that the message has to sound like you, not a robot. And if you get a query on WhatsApp after sending it, Wando helps you respond quickly, like your best waiter, and you learn from your responses to improve more and more.

When to send this message (and when not to)

Timing is everything. Send it when the product is already ready to sell, not before: if the customer asks and can't order it, the opportunity is lost. The best day is between Tuesday and Thursday, from 10:00 to 12:00 or from 17:00 to 19:00, when people have their phone in hand and are hungry. Avoid early Monday (nobody wants deals with a weekend hangover) and Sunday night (everyone is thinking about the week, not pizza).

Don't send it to everyone. Only to contacts who have ordered in the last 60 days or who have given explicit consent for promotions. If you send it to your entire list, you'll get unsubscribes and reports, and Meta may limit you. Also, don't send it more than once a month for the same product: the novelty wears off.

And one detail: if the product is seasonal (e.g., a pumpkin pizza in autumn), send it as soon as the season starts, not halfway through. Urgency sells.

• Send it between Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-12:00 or 17:00-19:00
• Only to contacts with recent orders or consent
• Once a month per product, no more

What to reply if the customer says 'how much does it cost?'

The customer took the bait. Now don't keep them waiting: reply quickly with the price and a nudge to action. If the price matches the template ({{4}}), confirm it and add shipping if applicable. If they ask about a different price or other products, don't improvise: use the real information from your menu.

Sample reply: 'Hi {{1}}! The {{3}} is {{4}} and shipping to {{5}} is free this week. Shall I reserve it for you? If you want, I can send you the rest of the menu.'

If the customer hesitates, don't push discounts you don't have. Offer something concrete: 'Today we'll include a free drink with it, how about that?' That closes better than a 'look, it's cheap.'

• Confirm the price and add shipping if applicable
• Offer a real extra (e.g., free drink) if they hesitate
• Don't invent discounts that aren't in your plan

What to reply if the customer says 'I'm not interested'

Don't take it personally: 80% of the time it's not that they don't like your product, it's that it's not the right moment. The key is to not burn the contact. Reply briefly, without pushing, and leave the door open for the future.

Sample reply: 'Thanks for letting me know, {{1}}! No problem. If you ever feel like it, write to us and we'll prepare it for you. Shall I send you the weekly news in case you change your mind?'

Heads up: don't send more promotions to that contact for a while. Instead, tag them as 'not interested' in your contact manager and wait 60 days before messaging them again. That way you won't get reported and you keep the reputation of your number.

• Reply briefly, without insisting
• Offer to subscribe to updates, not more promos
• Tag the contact and wait 60 days

What to reply if the customer says 'yes, I want to order'

This is where you win the sale. Reply quickly, confirm the product, the price, and the shipping, and ask for the data you're missing. Don't keep the customer waiting: every minute of silence is a sale that goes cold.

Reply template: 'Great, {{1}}! I'll put you down for a {{3}} at {{4}}. Can you confirm the address in {{5}} and a time for delivery? I'll send you the total and we'll arrange the payment.'

If you use Wando, the AI suggests this reply and you approve it with one click. And if the customer asks for something not on the template (e.g., 'do you have a vegan version?'), reply with the real info from your menu, don't improvise. Confirm the order in writing and that's it.

• Confirm product, price, and shipping
• Ask for address and time
• Approve Wando's suggested reply with one click

How to know if the message worked

It's not enough to send and pray. You need to measure three things: how many replied, how many ordered, and how many unsubscribed. If the response rate is below 10%, the message or the timing didn't work.

With Meta's WhatsApp API, you can see delivery and read metrics in the Wando panel. If the open rate is low, try a different time. If the response rate is low, review the text: maybe the price isn't clear or the call to action isn't motivating.

Also look at sales: how many ordered the product after the message? If you sold less than the cost of sending the campaign, adjust. And watch out for reports: if more than 0.5% of contacts report you, Meta may limit your number.

• Response rate under 10%: adjust the message
• Low open rate: change the time
• Reports above 0.5%: review your targeting

Why Meta can reject the template and how to fix it

Meta rejects marketing templates for three common reasons: lack of opt-in (the customer didn't give consent), misleading language (e.g., promising something that isn't), or incorrect formatting (badly placed variables or out-of-place text).

If they reject you, read the exact reason in the WhatsApp panel. Then fix it: if it's about opt-in, add a previous message asking for consent. If it's about language, remove promises like 'the best price' or 'unique offer'. If it's about formatting, check that variables are in curly braces and without extra spaces.

Resubmit the corrected template: approval can take up to 48 hours, so don't leave it until the last minute. And if you get rejected twice, try changing the base text, don't insist with the same one.

• Lack of opt-in: ask for consent before
• Misleading language: remove absolute promises
• Incorrect format: check the variables

Formal and informal variants: when to use each one

The formal one is for clients you don't know well or who have a more serious profile (e.g., companies, older people). Use it if the contact never asked before or if it's an upscale area. The informal one is for regular clients, young people, or those who already trust you.

Formal example: 'Dear {{1}}: we are writing to you from {{2}} to inform you about our new {{3}}. For a limited time, we offer it at {{4}}. If you wish to place an order, reply to this message or visit us.'

Informal example: 'Hey {{1}}! {{2}} here brings you a blast: {{3}} at a price that flies ({{4}}). Write to us and we'll deliver it to {{5}}.'

The rule: if in doubt, lean toward the informal side. In the food industry, people want closeness, not a bank. But if the client is from a corporate sector, the formal one never fails.

• Formal: new clients or serious profiles
• Informal: regular clients or young people
• If in doubt, use the informal one