From Chuck E. Cheese’s to Subway, brands launch new platforms
Restaurant chain efforts to capture traffic expanded in February with brands large and small introducing or modifying their loyalty programs.
Chuck E. Cheese’s, the 608-unit division of Irving, Texas-based CEC Entertainment Inc., launched its first loyalty program. Milford, Conn.-based Subway announced it was offering a more personalized experience, debuting this month a new Subway MyWay Rewards program at 28,500 participating U.S. restaurants. And Dallas-based Cowboy Chicken, with 22 units, modified its year-old smartphone app to provide easier reward redemption.
Here’s a brief look at how the three brands are focusing their loyalty programs:
Chuck E. Cheese’s this week launched its first national loyalty program this week, creating the “More Cheese Rewards” program.
The company said members of the program would be eligible for rewards that were redeemable on food, drinks, games, prizes and more.
Tom Leverton, CEC CEO, said in a statement: “The More Cheese Rewards program is about giving families more of the Chuck E. Cheese’s they love and showing them our appreciation for their loyalty.”
The More Cheese program gives customers instant pizza rewards when they sign up, including a free, one-topping personal pie on a subsequent visit. More Cheese members will receive a $10 reward when they visit three times within a 12-month period, spending a minimum of $20 per visit.
The program also provides special birthday rewards including 20 minutes of unlimited games during member child’s birthday week and referral incentives for members who encourage others to sign up.
The More Cheese Rewards program can be accessed through the Chuck E. Cheese’s smartphone app or through the website.
CEC owns and franchises 608 Chuck E. Cheese’s and 147 Peter Piper Pizza restaurants in 47 states and 13 other countries and territories.
Subway on Feb. 22 announced a new loyalty program for its North American restaurants, allowing more customization than in the past, the company said.
The new “Subway MyWay Rewards” program debuts in March at 28,500 participating restaurants in the United States and Canada.
The rewards program is part of what the company says calls its “omni-channel approach” that integrates its smartphone app, online ordering and in-restaurant kiosks.
Subway said it researched its customers to produce a loyalty program that gave them flexibility in earning and redeeming rewards.
“We know time and money are important to our guests,” said Carissa Ganelli, Subway chief digital officer, in a statement. “It’s important to us that we deliver a seamless, convenient experience to help our customers get what they want when they want it.”
Customers can join the MyWay program through the Subway app, online at Subway.com or in the restaurants with a Subway card. They can also earn rewards no matter how they pay, be it through the app, gift card, cash or credit, the company said.
Subway said guests will earn four tokens per dollar spent. When the total reaches 200 tokens, they automatically get a $2 reward. The company also plans “surprise” offers, including one for birthdays, such as free cookies, chips and more.
Subway has more than 44,000 restaurants in 113 countries.
The 22-unit Cowboy Chicken has updated the rotisserie-chicken concept’s loyalty program during an update of the brand’s smartphone app, which was first introduced in March 2017.
“We added app features and consolidated screens to give guests more options while also saving them time,” said Sean Kennedy, Cowboy Chicken president and CEO, in a statement. “Ultimately, we want Cowboy Chicken’s guests to know just how valuable they are to the company.”
Cowboy Chicken continued its partnership with LevelUp, a Boston-based mobile engagement solutions company, in the new digital offering.
The new Cowboy Chicken app includes such features as a custom rewards screen, which combines loyalty and available rewards. Users can also register with a Facebook login.
The app also introduced “two-touch loyalty-payment,” which allows customers to accrue and automatically apply loyalty discounts on purchases regardless of payment method.
It also features “claim banking,” allowing users who have unlocked rewards to save them for a future transaction by tapping a switch in their rewards list.
“Each reward, as well as gift cards and preloaded value, can be banked or unbanked independently, providing flexibility to customers to redeem claims when they prefer,” the company said.
The app update also allows Cowboy Chicken to track more guest data than before, including purchase history, frequency and location of visits, promotion redemption, digital advertising efforts and how preloading/reloading funds affects customer retention.
Cowboy Chicken, founded in 1981, has 22 restaurants.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]
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