ChowNow, one of several companies helping restaurants generate and fulfill their own in-house delivery orders, has rolled out a loyalty membership program that it says can help independent restaurants remain profitable as takeout and delivery remains the mainstay of the dining scene as state- and city-wide lockdowns persist.
With its new loyalty program, ChowNow is giving restaurants tools similar to those employed by the large, successful restaurant brands that incentivize loyalty guests to increase frequency and overall spend through personalized mobile apps. At the top end of the food chain, strong loyalty program usage has been an outsized factor in the success of mega-brands like Starbucks, Panera, Chipotle and many others chasing similar benefits.
For smaller restaurants using the new ChowNow service, guests can purchase a one-year membership at three different levels, which rewards them with discounts up to “25 percent on every order from the restaurant for an entire year,” according to a press release.
The company said “every dollar in membership fees go to restaurants immediately,” and loyalty programs at smaller, independent restaurants can strengthen their relationship with guests, while reducing reliance on third-party delivery fees.
After one week, ChowNowCEO Christopher Webbsaid more than 800 restaurants had signed up to the loyalty program. The release noted that 20 additional restaurants are part of a pilot program to “fine-tune” the restaurant-to-diner marketing program.
Daniele Barrick, owner of Scottish Bakehouse in Tisbury, Massachusetts, said in the release that he added 68 new members since launching the program a couple weeks ago, resulting in more than $6,000 of new revenue from membership fees.
More information on the program is available at chownow.com/demo.
