A daily specials post ready before you open the doors
Posting today's specials matters for walk-ins, but at 10 a.m. you're prepping, not writing captions. Set this up once: each morning your agent asks what's on, you reply with a voice note or a quick list, and it sends back a caption, a short story line and chalkboard text in your style, ready to post.
The prompt
- Every day at [TIME] except [DAYS CLOSED], message me on [CHANNEL] and ask: "What are today's specials?" When I reply (text, voice note or a photo of the board), write for [BUSINESS NAME], a [TYPE OF BUSINESS]: 1) an Instagram or Facebook caption of 40 to 70 words that names each special with one tasty detail, the price if I gave it, and ends with "[CALL TO ACTION]"; 2) a one-line story text under 12 words; 3) a chalkboard version with just names and prices; 4) 5 local hashtags for [CITY]. Use my tone: [TONE]. Don't repeat the same opening line two days in a row. If I don't answer by [CUTOFF TIME], remind me once.
What to change
- [TIME]: When to ask you, e.g. "9:30 am". Pick a time after you know what's on.
- [DAYS CLOSED]: E.g. "Mondays" or "none".
- [CHANNEL]: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord or email.
- [BUSINESS NAME]: E.g. "Corner Table Café".
- [TYPE OF BUSINESS]: E.g. "lunch café", "pub", "bakery", "food truck".
- [CALL TO ACTION]: E.g. "Walk-ins welcome till 3", "Order ahead on our site".
- [CITY]: Your city or neighborhood for hashtags, e.g. "Leeds".
- [TONE]: E.g. "friendly and a bit cheeky", "simple and warm".
- [CUTOFF TIME]: E.g. "11 am", so posts go out before lunch.
Example result
- Your reply at 9:41 (voice note)
- "Soup is roasted tomato and red pepper, 6.50. Special sandwich is pulled pork with apple slaw, 9. Cake is lemon drizzle."
- Caption (Instagram / Facebook)
- Tuesday at Corner Table: roasted tomato and red pepper soup with a swirl of crème fraîche (6.50), a pulled pork sandwich piled with crunchy apple slaw on toasted sourdough (9), and a fresh lemon drizzle that won't last past 2. Walk-ins welcome till 3.
- Story line
- Pulled pork + apple slaw. Today only.
- Chalkboard
- TODAY
- Roasted tomato & pepper soup 6.50
- Pulled pork, apple slaw sandwich 9
- Lemon drizzle cake
- Hashtags
- LeedsEats #LeedsLunch #LeedsCafe #ChapelAllerton #SupportLocalLeeds
- How the daily routine works
- • 9:30, Tuesday to Sunday: your agent sends "What are today's specials?" on WhatsApp
- • You reply with text, a voice note or a photo of the board
- • A minute later you get the four pieces above to copy and post
- • 11:00: if you haven't replied, one gentle reminder
- • Openings rotate, so Wednesday might start with "Soup weather" instead of the day name
- Note
- The agent only describes what you told it. "Crème fraîche" and "sourdough" came from your saved menu notes. If something changes, just say so in your reply.
How to do it with todo.is
- Fill in your times, channel and tone, then paste the prompt into todo.is.
- Your agent sets up the recurring to-do and starts asking you each morning.
- Reply with today's dishes any way you like: text, voice note or a photo of the board.
- Copy the caption and story line into Instagram or Facebook yourself. Say "pause specials" when you close for holidays.
Tips for a better result
- Send a photo of the actual dish with your reply. Ask your agent to brighten or crop it for Instagram at the same time.
- Tell your agent your regular menu once, so it can add real details like bread type or sauce without asking.
- Post before the lunch decision window, usually between 10:30 and 11:30 for a lunch spot.
- Each daily run uses a few AI credits, so turn it off on days you're closed.
daily specials post: FAQ
- Does todo.is post the specials to Instagram for me? No. Your agent writes everything and sends it to you, and you post it yourself. That keeps you in control of your accounts.
- What's a good time to post daily specials? An hour or two before your busy period works for most places, so mid-morning for lunch and mid-afternoon for dinner. Check your own Instagram insights to fine-tune it.
- Can I send a voice note instead of typing? Yes. Your agent transcribes voice notes on WhatsApp or Telegram and writes from what you said.
- How many hashtags should a specials post have? A handful of local, relevant tags is enough. Your city, neighborhood and food type tags help nearby people find you.
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