Restaurant loyalty programs: how to keep your guests coming back

Winning a new guest takes time and money: advertising, social media, platforms, promotions. Getting a guest who already knows you to come back is usually much easier, and it is what keeps most successful restaurants going year after year.

A loyalty program is an organized way to reward people who return. Done well, it increases visit frequency and gives you valuable information about your guests.

Why loyalty matters

• Regulars are more predictable. They come on slow days, recommend your restaurant and forgive an off night.
• You learn what people like. Knowing what your regulars order helps you decide what to keep on the menu.
• You depend less on third parties. Every guest who comes back directly to you is one who does not arrive through a platform that charges a fee.

First, recognize your guest

Before thinking about points and prizes, the foundation of loyalty is recognizing who comes back. A guest profile with their visits, preferences, allergies and notes lets your team:

• Greet by name someone on their fifth visit.
• Remember they prefer the window table.
• Tell the kitchen about their allergy without them having to repeat it.

That personal touch is the best loyalty program there is. And if reservations, floor and register live in the same system, the profile fills itself in with every visit.

How to design a points program

Decide how points are earned

The simplest and most transparent approach is to award points based on spend: for example, one point per unit of currency. Guests understand the rule instantly and you do not have to calculate anything by hand.

Choose rewards people want

Rewards should be attractive to the guest and reasonable for you. Some ideas:

• A dessert or a house drink.
• A special dish that is not on the menu.
• A discount on the next visit.
• An experience: a terrace table, a tasting, a tasting menu.

Rewards that bring the guest back and cost the restaurant little compared to their perceived value work best.

Keep the first reward within reach

If the first reward takes ten visits, many people give up before getting there. Offer something achievable within the first few visits and more valuable rewards for your most loyal guests.

Share the balance

A guest who knows how many points they have and how far they are from the next reward has a reason to come back. A summary email when the bill is closed is an easy way to remind them.

How to identify guests without hassle

Identifying themselves has to be easy. Asking guests to download an app is a barrier. Something like scanning the table's QR code and entering their phone number, without installing anything, works better. Points are then added when they pay.

Mistakes to avoid

• Complicated rules. If the program takes more than a sentence to explain, it is too complex.
• Rewards nobody wants. Ask your regulars what they would like.
• Balances that do not add up. If points are calculated by hand, mistakes will happen sooner or later. Automate it.
• Forgetting the team. If the floor team does not mention the program, nobody will join. Cover it in training and keep reminding them.
• Constant discounts. A loyalty program is not a permanent discount. Reward consistency, not every visit.

Measure whether it works

Review every month:

• How many guests have joined.
• How many rewards have been redeemed.
• Whether program members visit more often than everyone else.

A loyalty report with this data tells you whether the program is working or whether the rewards need adjusting.

And do not forget no-shows

The guest profile also records who misses their reservations. Using that information wisely is part of your relationship with your guests. Read more in how to reduce restaurant no-shows.

Built-in loyalty

In Bookeando every guest has a profile with allergies, preferences, notes, tags, visits and no-shows. The points program adds up automatically based on spend, with a rewards catalog you define, and guests get an email with their balance when the bill is closed. They can identify themselves from their table's QR code with their phone number, without installing anything.

Loyalty is included in the Pro plan. See the plans and pricing or request a demo.