Chipotle Mexican Grill

Although Chipotle is well-known for its popular digital rewards program, the company is constantly adding new and popular features. Early on in 2023, Chipotle announced “Freepotle:” a popular program that added free food incentives to its loyalty program.

Freepotle requires fans of the company to pay close attention to the app for announcements of free food drops — of which there would be 10 – throughout 2023. The creation of the Freepotle program was not a clever way to market the company’s loyalty program, but also a way to distinguish Chipotle’s loyalty perks from an increasing number of subscription programs that cost money to sign up:

“In an environment full of pricey subscription programs, we’re introducing a pass to our real food that is free to join and will provide more value to our community than ever before,” Chipotle CMO Chris Brandt said in a statement in January. “‘Freepotle’ makes Chipotle Rewards a must-join program for all Chipotle fans in 2023.”

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

As Cracker Barrel has struggled with dwindling traffic and same-store sales numbers over the past couple of years, the casual-dining brand announced its first loyalty program earlier this year. With its debut in September, the loyalty program is based on Cracker Barrel’s popular peg game, where participants earn “pegs” for each dollar they spend in both the restaurants and the retail shops.

The program combines gamification with personalized tiered rewards, where customers can cash in for different rewards at different levels. Cracker Barrel even partnered with country music superstar Dolly Parton in October to highlight the program and draw customers to sign up.

“We know technology is important to a lot of our consumers,” new CEO Julie Fells-Masino said. “But even if you're not super into technology, we're allowing you to earn points outside of the app, which is really distinctive in the industry. And we'll allow everybody to participate and let everybody know that we value them and that we value their visits with us.”

Domino’s Pizza

The Domino’s Rewards revamp was first announced in July of this year, when the company promised it would adjust the threshold for cashing in rewards for members. This is a common “fix” for brands looking to listen to customer needs.

Domino’s Rewards relaunched in September: loyalty members will earn 10 points for every order of $5 or more when previously, customers had to place an order of $10 or more to receive points. The new program also offers exclusive deals, discounts, and special opportunities to earn bonus points, including tiered rewards.

“At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino’s is doing the opposite,” Mark Messing, Domino’s vice president of digital experience and loyalty said in a statement in September. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster.”

Dutch Bros Coffee

As Dutch Bros continues to expand, the growing coffee company wants to get into the public consciousness, and what better way to do that than with a loyalty program revamp? Dutch Bros announced changes to its loyalty program in March of this year, including making customers have to spend more to earn points (three points per dollar vs. the previous five points per dollar).

Although this is the opposite direction many large chains are headed, Dutch Bros former CEO Joth Ricci said that it allows the company to better align financial goals with loyalty transactions. The new program also allows customers to send points to friends—so you can gift a friend your free drink offer in your rewards app.

“We run an individualized business for our customers, so our rewards program is now evolving into a customized rewards program for you,” Ricci said during a Q4 earnings call earlier this year. “I can run a personalized promotion, so I don’t have to spend dollars on a macro promotion that only gets traction for 5-to-10% of customers.”

Jimmy John’s

Jimmy John’s loyalty program revamp added a feature in January of this year that’s become popular to other rewards programs in 2023: gamification. Customers can earn achievement badges for buying sandwiches, and can earn rewards for completing challenges, like the Gauntlet badge: which allowed any customer who bought all 25 sandwiches within a certain timeframe to cash in their glory for a Jimmy John’s beanbag chair.

 “We see an important opportunity to drive frequency and loyalty with personalized offers and challenges,” Nathan Louer, vice president of brand marketing and activation at Jimmy John’s told Nation’s Restaurant News. “Gamification is not necessarily the future of rewards programs, but it’s something that we deem important for our rewards journey.”

Panda Express

Panda Express launched its first national points-based rewards program in May of this year, with many of the bells and whistles popular to the new loyalty era of 2023, including surprise and delight and personalized offers.

The rewards program also adds a gamification feature that encourages guests to “unlock good fortune” by spending more. Good fortune gifts can then be redeemed for randomized prizes like special discounts or a digital fortune cookie.

"Sharing good fortune is an important value at Panda, and we are delighted to launch our first rewards program nationwide as a heartfelt expression of gratitude towards our loyal guests for their continued support throughout the years," Andrea Cherng, chief brand officer at Panda Express, said in a statement. "We look forward to engaging our guests in a playful and meaningful journey of good fortune as they collect unique prizes offering exceptional value every time they dine at Panda." 

Panera Bread

Although subscription programs may be a little more tangential to the rewards and loyalty programs phase, Panera has been one of the leaders in offering its Unlimited Sip program. Originally created in Feb. 2020, the beverage subscription program — which is geared toward Panera’s most loyal guests — was expanded in February of this year.

The $120 annual subscription now applies to all Panera beverages and comes with other perks like a $0 delivery fee on all Panera online orders and “Sip Club Saturday” deals just for members, along with VIP challenges and prizes.

“We have seen incredible response to the Unlimited Sip Club since we launched nationally last year, both for our guests and for our business,” Eduardo Luz, chief brand and concept officer at Panera said in a statement.

As of February, 25% of Panera orders come from Unlimited Sip Club members, who are likely to “plus” their free beverages with food attach—and that number has grown since.

Subway

In September 2023, Subway made the switch from its original MyWay rewards program to the new MVP rewards points-based program. The new tiered rewards program ranges from Pro (spending less than $200 a year), to Captain (spending less than $400 a year) to All-Star (requiring a $400 or more spend per year), and each tier comes with different perks including points per dollar spend, members-only deals, access to the exclusive Subway swag shop, and Free Chip Fridays.

This program cashes in on the loyalty trend that makes members feel like they’re part of an exclusive club and have access to perks that regular guests do not.

“Consumer input helped inform our refreshed loyalty program to create a best-in-class experience,” Subway COO Mike Kappitt said in a statement. “MVP Rewards gives our guests more of what they love from Subway, with a few hidden surprises baked in, so every guest feels like an MVP and comes back to Subway more often for their favorite subs.”

Sweetgreen

Sweetgreen went all-in on its digital investments with the launch of the salad chain’s first loyalty program, Sweetpass, in April 2023. The loyalty program is part-subscription program as it has both a free and paid version to sign up. The free version offers guests exclusive menu items, merch, and gamification opportunities, while the $10 a month version lets guests get $3 off every Sweetgreen order, plus even more exclusive benefits. This is the full version of the loyalty program test, which was in effect last year, before the loyalty program officially launched in 2023.

“This next phase of loyalty is an exciting result from years of testing, iterating and listening to our customers, leading to a personalized program that further enhances their Sweetgreen experience,” Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman said in a statement. “With Sweetpass, customers can more frequently access delicious, craveable food that feels good and fuels a healthy lifestyle.

Wow Bao

Although NFT programs were not nearly as popular in 2023 as they were in 2022, several brands are using blockchain to increase personalization and exclusivity of their programs. Wow Bao announced in May that it would be extending its Web3 investment by upgrading its point-based rewards program called Bao Bucks to an NFT-backed loyalty program.

Customers can pay to collect and earn “CollectaBaos” (aka, NFTs) for $99 for the first year, and automatically become a part of Wow Bao’s new “Hot Buns Club,” which comes with perks like everyday discounts and free meals.

“With traditional frequent diner programs, they learn your name, what you like and treat you special,” CEO Geoff Alexander told Nation’s Restaurant News. “There’s nothing like that in the delivery space… Now we’re looking to treat people how they’re accustomed to being treated. We want to reward you for being loyal to us…If you buy this $99 collectible bao, then you’ll get benefits nobody else gets.”