Template: Restaurant Main Line + After Hours
This template gives a restaurant separate business-hours and after-hours call handling in one Flow. During staffed phone hours, callers can reach reservations and the host stand, takeout, catering and private events, a restaurant-information submenu, or a scheduled catering consultation. After hours, callers can hear public information, request approved links by text, or leave a general or catering inquiry.
The Flow routes calls and shares public information. It does not confirm a reservation, accept an order, guarantee catering availability, assess food-allergy safety, or provide emergency help.
Restaurant Main Line + After Hours
How the Flow Works
The first action is an Open Hours Check Condition. The starting schedule is every day, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, in the America/Los_Angeles timezone. Replace it with the hours when someone can actually answer reservation, takeout, and catering calls.
The Condition controls staffed phone routing. The Direction and Hours actions describe the restaurant's public hours. Those schedules may differ, but the greeting and caller-requested text must explain any difference accurately.
During staffed phone hours
Callers hear the open greeting and then this menu:
| Key | Option | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reservations and host stand | Tries the approved reservations or host-stand team. If nobody answers, a Message explains how to use the reservation link or call again; it does not record a reservation request. |
| 2 | Takeout | Tries the approved takeout team. If nobody answers, a Message directs the caller to the approved ordering link or asks them to call again; it does not record an order. |
| 3 | Catering and private events | Tries the catering team and uses a clearly labeled inquiry voicemail if nobody answers. A message does not confirm an event, date, menu, price, or deposit. |
| 4 | Restaurant information | Opens the information submenu. |
| 5 | Scheduled catering consultation | Connects the caller to the configured Phound meeting, with a catering-consultation fallback voicemail. |
| 0 | General voicemail | Records a general message after explaining that reservations and orders are not accepted by voicemail. |
| * | Repeat | Repeats the menu options. |
Restaurant information submenu
| Key | Option | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Directions and hours | Reads the approved public address and restaurant hours, then returns to this information submenu. |
| 2 | Latest specials | Plays a restaurant-approved Message, then returns to this information submenu. |
| 3 | Text public links | Sends a one-time, caller-requested text with the menu, reservation, and online-ordering links, waits briefly, plays a confirmation, and returns to this information submenu. |
| 4 | Allergy and menu-change notice | Plays the owner-approved notice described below, then returns to this information submenu. |
| 5 | Public management and catering directory | Lets callers search only the managers or catering contacts approved for public discovery. |
| 9 | Main menu | Uses Go To to return to the staffed-hours menu. |
| 0 | General voicemail | Records a general message but does not accept a reservation or order. |
| * | Repeat | Repeats the submenu options. |
The caller-requested text should contain public links and contact information only. It must not claim that an item is available, a reservation exists, an order was received, or a particular allergy can be accommodated.
After hours
After hours means the staffed phone-routing schedule is closed; it does not necessarily mean the dining room or online systems are closed.
| Key | Option | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Directions and hours | Reads the restaurant's approved public address and hours, then returns to this menu. |
| 2 | Catering and private events | Plays an inquiry-only explanation and records a catering/private-event voicemail. It does not confirm a booking. |
| 3 | Text public links | Sends the same one-time, caller-requested public-links text, uses Wait, plays a confirmation, and returns to this menu. |
| 4 | Allergy and menu-change notice | Plays the approved notice and returns to this menu. |
| 0 | General voicemail | Records a general message after stating that voicemail cannot accept a reservation or order. |
| * | Repeat | Repeats the menu options. |
The after-hours greeting should direct reservation and takeout callers to the approved links without suggesting that a voicemail will hold a table, start an order, or preserve item availability.
Safe no-answer behavior
Reservations and takeout end in an informational Message and a Go To return, never a Record Voicemail action. Catering and general voicemail prompts must distinguish an inquiry from a confirmed transaction.
Suggested reservation no-answer structure:
No one is available to confirm a reservation by phone right now. No reservation has been created. Please use [Edit: Reservation URL] or call again during [Edit: Open Hours].
Suggested takeout no-answer structure:
No one is available to accept a takeout order by phone right now. No order has been placed. Please use [Edit: Online Ordering URL] or call again during [Edit: Open Hours].
Suggested general-voicemail structure:
You may leave a general message after the tone. Do not leave a reservation request, food order, payment-card number, or urgent allergy question. Voicemail does not create a reservation or order.
The selected mailbox may also play its own greeting. Test the complete caller experience and remove duplicated or contradictory language.
Flow Settings Included
Flow Settings apply across the entire Flow; they are separate from the actions on the graph. Review them after import even if the defaults appear correct.
| Setting | Shipped value | What to review |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | Jane | Choose the available voice the owner has approved for the restaurant. |
| Dial timeout | Auto | Confirm host-stand, takeout, and catering calls ring long enough without leaving callers in silence. Individual Dial actions can use their own timeout. |
| Max loops | 3 | After the final unsuccessful attempt, each Menu follows its configured fallback. No fallback may imply an order or reservation was accepted. |
| Menu timeout | 15 seconds | Confirm callers have enough time to hear each option. |
| Repeat key | * |
Keep this key out of numbered menu choices. |
| No input prompt | Please make a selection | Keep this global prompt neutral because different Menus have different fallbacks. |
| Unsupported option prompt | Your input is invalid | Replace it only with another neutral, approved prompt. |
| Max attempts prompt | Menu maximum loops reached | Do not claim that the restaurant received a request. |
| Internal error prompt | Internal error has occurred | Consider an approved plain-language alternative that directs callers to a public website without promising service. |
| Notification on hangup | Off | This would notify a configured recipient after every call. Leave it off unless the restaurant deliberately approves the recipient, message, and data handling. |
| Admin PIN | Blank | A PIN permits telephone re-recording of Play Message actions and is stored in exported files. Set a unique PIN after import if needed; never publish it in a shared template. |
The Open Hours Check and both Direction and Hours actions have separate schedule and timezone fields. Verify the staffed phone schedule, public restaurant hours, and every spoken or text version of those hours individually.
Actions Used in This Template
| Action | Purpose in this template |
|---|---|
| Menu | Staffed-hours, restaurant-information, and after-hours choices |
| Go To | Returns callers after information, specials, notices, texts, and safe no-answer Messages |
| Dial Someone | Routes reservations/host-stand, takeout, and catering calls to approved teams |
| Play Message | Greetings, transfer explanations, current specials, safety notices, no-answer explanations, and text confirmation |
| Direction and Hours | Reads the public address and restaurant schedule |
| Company Directory | Exposes only approved public management and catering contacts |
| Record Voicemail | General and catering-inquiry destinations; the unavailable Meeting shares the inquiry-only catering fallback |
| Connect to Meeting | Connects callers who already have a scheduled catering consultation |
| Condition | Separates staffed phone handling from after-hours handling |
| Notification | Sends public restaurant links only after the caller requests the one-time text |
| Wait | Adds a deliberate short pause after the text is sent |
Why Podcast is not included
Podcast is the only currently available Flow action intentionally omitted from this template. A generic feed could contain unapproved music or advertising, stale specials or hours, third-party content the restaurant cannot control, or audio the restaurant does not have permission to play.
If the restaurant owns or controls an HTTPS feed and has approved the episodes, advertising, music rights, and update process, it can add Podcast as an optional restaurant-information choice. Give it a tested Go To return and test empty, unavailable, and malformed-feed behavior before activation. Do not use an RSS episode as the authoritative source for current hours, menu availability, pricing, ingredients, allergens, reservations, or orders.
Before You Go Live: Exact Setup Checklist
Every action beginning with [Edit] must be opened. Replace these account-specific settings and destinations:
- [Edit] Open Hours Check: the staffed phone schedule and timezone
- [Edit] Dial Host Stand or Reservations: the approved host or reservations person or group
- [Edit] Dial Takeout Team: the team authorized to accept phone orders
- [Edit] Dial Catering and Private Events: the approved catering or events person or group
- [Edit] General Restaurant Voicemail: the shared general mailbox reached from staffed-hours and after-hours menus, with the no-orders/no-reservations warning
- [Edit] Catering and Private-Events Voicemail: the inquiry-only mailbox and monitoring owner; the unavailable catering Meeting uses this same destination
- [Edit] Connect to Scheduled Catering Consultation: the intended Phound meeting destination
- [Edit] Approved Public Management and Catering Directory: a limited group containing only people approved for public discovery
- [Edit] Restaurant Hours and Directions and [Edit] After-Hours Restaurant Hours and Directions: the public address, restaurant hours, and timezone
Open and approve every [Edit] content action as well:
- [Edit] Open-Hours Greeting and [Edit] After-Hours Greeting: restaurant name, hours, allergy limitations, emergency direction, and service-status wording
- [Edit] Latest Specials Message: the current, owner-approved specials and the required menu/allergy qualification
- [Edit] Text Public Restaurant Links and [Edit] Text Public Restaurant Links After Hours: caller recipient, restaurant details, public URLs, allergy qualification, one-time-text explanation, and opt-out language
Replace every bracketed content token:
- [Edit: Restaurant Name] in greetings, Messages, and the caller-requested text
- [Edit: Restaurant Address] in both Direction and Hours actions and the text
- [Edit: Restaurant Phone] in the text and any approved fallback Message
- [Edit: Open Hours] and [Edit: Time Zone] wherever hours are spoken or sent
- [Edit: Menu URL], [Edit: Reservation URL], and [Edit: Online Ordering URL] in the public-links text and relevant no-answer Messages
- [Edit: Latest Specials] in the Latest Specials Message
- The starting schedule and America/Los_Angeles timezone in the Open Hours Check and both Direction and Hours actions
Also confirm:
- The reservation and online-ordering URLs point to systems the restaurant actively monitors and control the correct location.
- Reservation and takeout no-answer paths contain no Record Voicemail action.
- Every catering voicemail says it is an inquiry only and does not confirm availability, pricing, menus, deposits, or a booking.
- The general voicemail greeting rejects orders, reservations, payment details, and urgent allergy requests.
- The one-time text is sent only after the caller selects that option and contains only approved public links and contact information.
- Messaging registration, consent language, opt-out handling, and applicable requirements have been reviewed before Notification is enabled.
- The Latest Specials Message has a named owner and update schedule so stale offers are removed promptly.
- The public directory does not expose personal numbers or employees who should not receive unsolicited calls.
- The scheduled catering Meeting cannot place an unscheduled caller into the wrong consultation.
Do not go live with placeholders. Resource identifiers in a shared template exist only to make the Flow portable. Every destination and token must be replaced and tested in the importing account.
Activate the Flow
Importing the Flow does not make it live:
- Go to Account → Personas and select the Persona that owns the restaurant's number.
- Open Incoming Calls.
- Choose Custom Flow and select Template - Restaurant Main Line + After Hours (or the name you gave the imported Flow).
Custom Flows only work with numbers purchased through Phound or ported into Phound. Linked numbers cannot be assigned a custom Flow. Flows requires a Business plan.
Activate it first on a non-production test number or Persona. Switch the public number only after the complete test and owner review pass.
Test Every Path
Call from a phone that is not one of the configured destinations and verify:
- The staffed-hours and after-hours branches switch at the correct local times, including the exact opening and closing boundaries
- The Open Hours Check uses the intended phone-coverage schedule, and both Direction and Hours actions read the correct public hours
- Every staffed-hours key (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, and *) reaches the documented destination
- Every restaurant-information key (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 0, and *) returns or exits correctly
- Every after-hours key (1, 2, 3, 4, 0, and *) follows the documented path
- Reservations/host-stand and takeout calls behave correctly when answered, declined, busy, and unanswered
- Unanswered reservation and takeout calls hear the correct links and never enter voicemail
- General and catering voicemail greetings clearly distinguish a message or inquiry from a confirmed reservation, order, or event
- Catering Dial and scheduled Meeting failures reach only the intended inquiry mailbox
- No input, an unsupported key, maximum attempts, and
*play the expected global prompts and safe fallbacks on every Menu - Directions, public hours, phone number, menu URL, reservation URL, and online-ordering URL are correct for this location
- The Latest Specials Message is current, complete, and approved; expired offers are absent
- The caller-requested text is sent only after the caller chooses it and contains no confirmation, private data, allergy guarantee, or marketing content
- The text arrives on supported mobile numbers and has an acceptable failure experience
- Each Wait is brief, leads to the intended confirmation and Go To return, and does not sound like the call disconnected
- The allergy and menu-change notice matches the owner-approved procedure and directs medical emergencies away from the Flow
- The Public Management and Catering Directory exposes only approved people and routes each listing correctly
- The scheduled catering Meeting cannot expose another caller's consultation and uses the intended fallback when unavailable
- Go To returns to the correct staffed-hours, information, or after-hours Menu without creating a loop
- Notification on hangup remains off and no Admin PIN is present in the shared download
- The restaurant owner or designated operator approved all ordering, reservation, catering, allergy, and emergency wording
Repeat the most important tests from a mobile phone and a landline or VoIP service to confirm keypad input and audio timing.
More Templates
Browse the Flow Templates library for the General Business Line template and additional industry templates. New to Flows? Start with What Are Phound Flows?