Increasingly, restaurants are using a variety of loyalty tactics such as rewards and personal touches to transform casual diners into devoted fans. Here are five restaurants that nailed down their loyalty programs and are excited to share their insights to help you do the same.
Reduce friction
Klatch Coffee, which operates multiple locations across Southern California, lets customers log into its loyalty platform without a password, making it fast and easy for them to place orders and buy what they need.
“Guests told us they had trouble remembering passwords, and ‘I can't access my account’ is a common customer service inquiry as a result. Our new platform, which now runs on top of the Toast store point of sale system, uses mobile phone numbers as the primary record for loyalty accounts,” explains Heather Perry, CEO of Klatch Coffee.
Customers receive a six-digit PIN via text message when logging in — it's near instant, and it eliminates the need to remember or type a complicated password. “We expect it to reduce time spent on password issues at the cash register, yielding a better, more loyal guest experience this holiday season,” added Perry.
Celebrate milestones
Dilworth Tasting Room (DTR), a Charlotte, North Carolina, restaurant with a few locations, enjoys rewarding guests for making DTR part of their special moments. Its loyalty program offers a free dessert during a customer’s birthday month, a 20% discount on food during their DTR anniversary, and a “We miss you” 20% discount to welcome guests back who haven’t dined with them in a while.
“Our loyalty program helps us build lasting relationships with our guests, encourages repeat visits, and keeps DTR top of mind. It also reinforces positive experiences with our brand, creating unforgettable moments that guests associate with DTR. Over time, these small gestures turn occasional visitors into loyal regulars who choose us again and again,” says Zoe Kovic, Owner of DTR.
For us, the ROI isn’t in the coupon, it’s in the compounding habit of return visits and brand advocacy. The program succeeds because it’s designed to strengthen relationships, not just drive transactions.Rev Ciancio, Chief Marketing Officer of Salad House
Measure what matters
New Jersey-based Salad House refers to its loyalty program as a “rewards program” because they firmly believe loyalty is earned through good food and great hospitality.
“Our approach centers on measuring what actually matters for growth and profitability. Salad House rewards guests have a 149.66% higher lifetime value than nonmembers,” explained Rev Ciancio, Chief Marketing Officer of Salad House.
The restaurant tracks rewards program metrics, including activation rate, revenue capture rate, retention rate, and effective discount rate, so management can gauge success and make changes as needed.
“For us, the ROI isn’t in the coupon, it’s in the compounding habit of return visits and brand advocacy. The program succeeds because it’s designed to strengthen relationships, not just drive transactions,” said Ciancio.
Automate rewards
Tako Mexican Street Food, located in New York, designed a loyalty program that’s effortless for its customers. The program links directly to a customer’s credit or debit card, so points are earned automatically with every purchase. There’s no app to open and nothing extra to remember.
Customers can also connect their phone number or email, making the rewards easy to track and always available when they’re ready to use them. One regular customer shared that the program “gives me an opportunity to build up enough points to reward myself with something new from the menu every now and then.” This simple approach encourages repeat visits and builds a stronger connection between guests and the restaurant, said Founder Jeevan Pullan.
“In a tough economy, people want to make the most of their money without giving up the experience of enjoying a meal out. Our loyalty program helps customers stretch their dollars by letting them earn real credit toward future orders. It also gives them the freedom to try new menu items they may not have chosen otherwise, knowing the points they earn help balance the cost over time,” said Pullan.
Offer meaningful incentives
For Adega Gaucha, a Brazilian steakhouse in Orlando, Florida, the “FEAST. EARN. REPEAT,” rewards program offers the ideal way to strengthen connections with loyal guests.
“Every dollar spent earns points that can be redeemed for handcrafted cocktails, à la carte dishes, or even our Full Churrasco Experience, which is a group dinner package. It’s a simple, transparent system that gives back to our most loyal diners while encouraging repeat visits during the busiest time of year,” explained Fabiano Borsato, Founder of Adega Gaucha.
Beyond rewards, the program reinforces what Adega Gaucha stands for: generosity, community, and the joy of sharing a great meal with the people who matter most.
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