What should you give ChatGPT before asking for copy?

Prepare a short fact sheet before opening a conversation. A prompt is simply the written request you give an AI tool, meaning an artificial intelligence tool. Google’s prompt design guide recommends clear instructions, relevant input and a specified response format.

For this workflow, keep your fact sheet practical. Include only information needed for the writing task. Leave customer names, contact details and individual order records out of it.

• Restaurant name and the neighborhood you serve.
• The particular customer you want to reach.
• Confirmed ingredients, preparation method and accompaniments.
• Approved offer terms, service hours and ordering route.
• One existing sentence that sounds like your business.

Add this instruction to each template: “Use only the supplied facts. If something essential is missing, ask me before drafting.” Treat that as a writing instruction, then check the result yourself.

For a hypothetical neighborhood lunch spot, choose nearby workers as the audience and takeaway collection as the next step. Do not also ask the same paragraph to promote birthdays, dinner bookings and catering.

How do you write menu descriptions without inventing ingredients?

Work from the kitchen’s approved description of the dish. My recommendation is to make the food easy to picture before adding personality. Ask the chef to check both the original notes and the final wording.

1. Describe one dish clearly

Write three menu descriptions for [dish name]. Confirmed ingredients: [list]. Preparation: [method]. Served with: [accompaniments]. Write in plain English, with no more than 25 words per description. Preserve the dish name. Do not add ingredients, sourcing claims, portion sizes or dietary labels. Put any missing information in a separate question for me.

Hypothetical example: a cafe supplies these facts: roasted carrots, chickpeas, lemon dressing and parsley. A suitable draft is “Roasted carrots and chickpeas with lemon dressing and parsley.” Do not approve “locally grown” or “protein-packed” unless you have separately established and approved those claims.

2. Make a menu section consistent

Edit these descriptions into a consistent menu section: [paste approved descriptions]. Keep every dish name and stated ingredient. Use one short sentence per dish. Return a table showing the original, the revision and any question for the kitchen. Do not resolve contradictory information by guessing. Follow this style example: [approved sentence].

Try one section first. Keep a copy of the original text beside the revision, and check for ingredients that disappeared during shortening. Leave allergen and dietary information for a separate check by the person responsible for those details.

What makes a useful restaurant post or advertising prompt?

Give the writing task a specific occasion and one next step. For an Instagram caption, meaning the text beneath a photo or video, describe what the customer will actually see. Choose the photo before approving the words.

3. Turn a food photo into an Instagram caption

Write three Instagram captions for [restaurant]. The photo shows [literal description]. Confirmed details: [dish, availability and relevant terms]. Audience: [customer group]. Desired next step: [one action]. Keep each caption under 60 words. Use a warm, direct voice. Avoid invented customer quotes, discounts and claims about popularity. End with the confirmed booking or ordering instruction: [instruction].

Hypothetical example: a small coffee shop wants to show a pastry beside an espresso. If there is no approved bundle offer, describe the items without suggesting that one purchase includes both. Check the display price separately.

Read your chosen version aloud as if speaking to someone at the counter. For more variations, use the Instagram prompt guide. Keep the version that sounds natural to your staff.

4. Draft two ads for the same offer

Create two advertising drafts for this approved restaurant offer: [full terms]. Audience: [group]. Each draft needs a short headline and two sentences. Version A should lead with the dish; version B should lead with the dining occasion. Keep the offer identical. Do not invent urgency, availability, savings or awards. List the facts I should verify before use.

Compare the wording without changing the offer halfway through. Decide what you want to observe, such as inquiries mentioning that offer. Record the wording used so you can connect later feedback to the correct version.

If the next step needs work, try the sales prompt templates. Ask for a clear ordering invitation rather than another paragraph of praise.

How should you draft replies to customer reviews?

Separate the customer’s account from what your team has verified. I recommend drafting the public reply and the internal follow-up as two different pieces of writing. Never publish the internal notes with the response.

5. Respond to a positive review

Draft two brief responses to this review: [review with identifying details removed]. Thank the guest for one specific thing they mentioned. Use no more than two sentences. Do not add a discount, a personal history, a dish they did not mention or a promise about their next visit. Make the wording friendly and restrained.

Hypothetical review: “Lovely soup and a warm welcome.” A sample reply is “Thank you for mentioning the soup and the welcome. We appreciate you taking the time to share your visit.” Adjust it to your own voice before posting.

6. Prepare a complaint response

Draft a calm response to this complaint: [anonymized review]. Verified facts: [facts]. Unknown details: [questions]. Acknowledge the concern without arguing. Do not invent the cause, blame an employee or promise compensation. Invite private contact through [approved channel]. Return a short public reply, followed by a separate list of questions for the manager.

Before approving the response, ask whether it promises an action someone will actually take. Remove “we have fixed this” if the issue has not been resolved. Give the manager ownership of any investigation or remedy.

If the conversation moves into email, the email writing templates offer a useful starting structure. Keep personal order details out of the public thread.

How can you build a content plan your team can actually deliver?

Plan around material you already have permission to use and dishes you can confirm. Set a realistic number of posts before asking for ideas. Assign an owner to each proposed item.

7. Build a week from existing material

Propose three posts for the coming week using only these available materials: [photos and approved information]. Our goal is [goal]. Our team can spend [available time] preparing content. Return a table with topic, required image, main message, customer action and fact to check. Flag missing material. Do not invent events, offers, testimonials or opening hours.

Use this hypothetical working table as a starting point. Replace the roles with names before handing it to your team.

Use the content planning prompts when you need more structure. If an item needs a photo you cannot produce this week, replace it with a smaller task.

How do you check whether the drafts are worth using?

Check accuracy before style. Google describes prompt development as an iterative process: try a request, examine the answer and refine it. Its guidance on testing prompts supports treating templates as starting points.

• Compare ingredients and preparation with the kitchen’s notes.
• Confirm every offer term and service detail.
• Check that the photo matches the description.
• Remove unsupported claims and unapproved promises.
• Test the stated booking or ordering route.

Make the revision request specific: “Keep the first sentence. Remove the unsupported delivery promise. End with the approved collection instruction.” Save a successful example alongside its prompt so the next staff member has a clear reference.

For your first week, record drafting time, editing time and factual corrections. Before expanding, review your existing posts with the social media audit guide. Choose the task that needs the least correction while still serving a useful purpose.