Loyalty programs are an essential component of how most businesses operate. This is especially true in the restaurant industry. A growing amount of profit is tied to dollars coming in courtesy of loyalty programs. In 2022 Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said, “Starbucks Rewards now represents 53 percent of the spend in our stores, which is at an all-time high…Rewards members… are spending at an elevated rate and visit our stores at three times the frequency rate versus our nonmembers.” No wonder loyalty programs are getting so much attention.
According to a 2022 Newsweek article, the average U.S. household is enrolled in 18 different loyalty programs. Clearly the challenge isn’t necessarily in getting customers to enroll in a loyalty program. The real challenge is in continuing to engage customers and get them to be regular users of your loyalty program. In that same article, Newsweek reported that research shows that consumers only actively use half of the plans they’re enrolled in. The playing field is crowded, so loyalty programs must be robust and worthwhile to break through the clutter and grab consumers’ attention.
“We put a lot of effort into creating and maintaining a loyalty program that offers great rewards to keep our most loyal customers engaged,” shared Jamie Cecil, Vice President of Development and Franchise Operations. “Loyalty programs present a sizable cost savings opportunity because it’s a lot more expensive to get new customers than it is to retain current ones. At Flats our loyalty program offers great incentives that work very well to keep our customers coming back time and again.” That’s especially good news because loyalty program members tend to spend far more than nonmembers. Customer retention has been in the spotlight lately thanks to the pandemic when it was reported a third of shoppers indicated their willingness to switch brands.
Here are some of the highlights of Tijuana Flats winning loyalty program:
Recognizing the value of loyalty programs, more and more brands are rolling out their versions in the hopes of enticing consumers. Tijuana Flats is leading the way – recognized as having one of the hottest loyalty programs out there. To highlight the brands whose customers like their loyalty programs the best, Newsweek and Statista offer an annual list of America’s Best Loyalty Programs. Tijuana Flats is honored to have its loyalty program named a 2021 America’s Best Loyalty Programs in the Fast Casual Restaurant Chains category.
