Did you ever consider restaurant loyalty programs as profit engines, and not just retention tools that slowly drain your margin? Imagine a mid-sized QSR chain. On paper, demand looks great, but 30% of online orders go through third-party delivery apps. To build a link and win over new customers (while increasing the lifetime value of old ones), the brand launches a generous, discount-heavy loyalty program. Within a year, traffic is up a bit, but profit per order is down.
What could they have done differently? This guide looks at restaurant customer loyalty programs from a different angle: not as a feel-good perk, but as an engineered system for profitable, repeatable customer behavior. You’ll see how big names like KFC, La Cage, Subway, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Costa managed to succeed, and how you can apply their playbook using Antavo’s loyalty management platform.
For a deep dive on how we helped KFC boost customer recommendations by 70% through its Rewards Arcade program, check out this case study.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways – TL; DR
- Restaurant loyalty programs should use smart rewards to offer high-frequency, low-cost rewards with emotional value.
- Brands should avoid handing out discounts and perks that don’t move the needle in engagement.
- Being present on the right channel at the right time is the key to success.
- We analyzed 14 famous restaurant loyalty program examples and how each of them answered the same industry challenges with a different solution.
What Is a Restaurant Loyalty Program?
A restaurant loyalty program is a structured customer acquisition and retention system that rewards customers for specific behaviors, most commonly, repeat visits, higher spending, boosted brand engagement, and word-of-mouth.
At minimum, restaurant reward programs typically include:
- A way to identify in-store customers, like an app, QR code, digital passes, or plastic cards.
- A value or progression mechanic. Think of points, stamps, tiers, challenges, prize wheels, and subscriptions.
- A reward catalog. For this vertical, freebies, order upgrades, and merch should be on the menu, not just discounts.
When done right, a successful restaurant loyalty program should do more than just lift basket value or boost footfall. Among others, they can help generate first-party customer data. Let’s say your program has a gamification element that lets members win a free dish. If you add an alternate version for vegan customers with a meat-free freebie, you can gain insight into the size and engagement level of your vegan audience.
On the other hand, when done poorly, restaurant reward programs might hand out unnecessary discounts to customers who would have ordered anyway, erode margins, cause operational overhead among staff members, or just tie up liability through unredemed points, without any behavioral shift.
The Profit Trap: Why Most Restaurant Loyalty Programs Lose Money
Most restaurant loyalty programs are built around a simple idea: “Give people rewards; they’ll love us and come back more.” On a high level, this might be true, but the difference between top restaurant loyalty programs and mediocre ones is rarely “how generous” they are. The secret lies in how they are designed to change behavior. Here are a couple of pointers on how to guarantee success and profitability:
More channels don’t equal more revenue
Adding in-store rewards, apps, kiosks introduces additional costs: staff needs to be trained, apps need to be maintained and debugged, etc. At launch, focus on your most profitable channels, and use rewards to further incentivize their use (like free points for daily app logins).
Customers come for the meat but stay for the gravy
The reason why customers enroll in loyalty programs is to get a discount or partake in an offer to get a freebie. But handing out free fries for every 10th order quickly gets old. For long-term engagement, you need gamification, tiers, badges, challenges, etc. After all, having a great experience is what builds loyalty.
Choose your rules carefully
Remember, the restaurant and QSR industry are fast-moving verticals. Customers visit frequently, which can lead to rapid progression in the program. Still, if you price the rewards too high, the engagement will be sniffed out prematurely. As for point expiration, you can be strict or lax (or even experiment with no expiration at all), but remember: customers might get vexed if you change the rules after launch.
Partner rewards are a life hack
If you cannot make your reward catalog colorful enough, look for some partners who can lend some special offers, experiences, or perks of their own. It’s a win-win situation: you can entice a larger audience with a more diverse reward portfolio, while your partner gets exposure.
Loyalty Design Rules to Make Customers Fall in Love With Your Brand
A profitable loyalty system is meant to build customer behavior, not control it. A practical way to think about successful restaurant loyalty programs is to use five design rules.
- Rule #1: Design for frequency, not AOV: Usually need to pick between the two, and for restaurants, the former is the way to go. For this, we recommend quick-earn, quick-burn mechanics, making rewards as accessible as possible, and introducing weekly or monthly mission streaks, for that “just one more visit” feeling.
- Rule #2: Protect your margins with smart reward economics: Not all rewards are meant to be equal. For the restaurant vertical, low-cost but high-perceived value items are the way to go. So instead of cash equivalents (a $10 off), give them a freebie treat with their order.
- Rule #3: Shift demand to the right channels: Your loyalty program should be a steering wheel that shifts customers towards frequent app usage, off-peak restaurant visits, and the usage of self-service kiosks to take a load off from the staff. Using rewards could again be expensive, so instead, gamify the system with badges and challenges.
- Rule #4 Make the membership exciting: The top restaurant loyalty programs all have something in common: they are fun. For example, they use in-app arcades, mystery prizes, challenges, streaks, and shareable rewards to spice up the membership experience. Also, they rely heavily on visualizing the progress, with bars and badges.
- Rule #5: Automate journeys, not one-off blasts: Most programs fail in execution, not in strategy. That’s where a trusty loyalty technology comes into the picture. If your tech is flexible enough to manage, customizing workflows, setting up rotating reward campaigns, and triggering marketing messages should be a creative exercise, and not a manual chore.
14 Best Restaurant Loyalty Programs (and What You Can Learn From Them)
Ready to dive into an exclusive, curated list of restaurant loyalty programs? In this section, we’ll bring you the 14 best restaurant loyalty programs from KFC and Burger King to Starbucks and Dunkin’.
For each, we’ll highlight:
- What makes it work for the customer (value, comfort, fun).
- What it delivers for the business (frequency, basket value, data, channel shift).
- And which Antavo feature could you use to build something similar on your own stack.
1. KFC UK & Ireland: Rewards Arcade Loyalty Program (Powered by Antavo)
3 highlights from the Rewards Arcade loyalty program: gamified, instant-win, app-based.
Fully revamped in partnership with Antavo, KFC UK & Ireland’s KFC Rewards Arcade is one of the boldest restaurant loyalty programs on the market, replacing traditional stamp collection with arcade-style gameplay that rewards customers instantly.
The standout feature is the gamification element at the heart of KFC Rewards Arcade. KFC UK & Ireland runs a deeply gamified restaurant loyalty experience where, after every qualifying order (typically over £3), members receive an in-app invitation to play a 3D arcade game, for example, “Hammer Time,” where you pick a hammer and try to hit the bell.
Winning unlocks one of several “finger lickin’” freebies. This way triggering emotional engagement and creates daily anticipation, where customers keep coming back not just for chicken, but to “try their luck” again.
Customer value:
- Instant gratification with daily chances to win free food, just by ordering.
- Fresh, rotating games that keep the experience fun and unpredictable.
- A loyalty journey that rewards curiosity, repeat visits, and app usage—not just spend.
Business impact:
- 107% increase in rewards redeemed.
- 53% increase in app downloads and 26% uplift in weekly active app users.
- 86% of KFC app users play the Rewards Arcade every time they visit KFC.
- Higher purchase frequency driven by the emotional reward loop of “order → play → win.”
- Omnichannel data captured across app, restaurant, kiosk, and drive-thru.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Gamification turns loyalty into a game, not a ledger. Because prizes are probability-controlled, KFC can keep effective discount rates under tight control while making the experience feel generous and surprising.
- Learn from KFC: Replace slow, forgettable stamp collection with interactive challenges and instant wins to create real behaviour change.
- Antavo feature: Gamification & Challenges. Recreate KFC-style arcade games, instant-win mechanics, prize wheels, and daily play limits to build a loyalty program that’s not just rewarding, but downright fun.
2. La Cage: Club Cage Loyalty Program (Powered by Antavo)
3 highlights from Club Cage: tier-based, progression booster, omnichannel.
La Cage is a Canadian sports restaurant chain whose tier-based Club Cage restaurant loyalty program – powered by Antavo – rewards more than just dining. Members earn points on restaurant and home-delivery spend, plus additional points for referrals and completing their profile.
The standout feature is the tier progression system, which gamifies loyalty by rewarding consistency and sustained engagement. Earn rates increase as loyalty members level up: Pro (10 pts/$), Elite (11 pts/$), Platinum (13 pts/$), and Master (14 pts/$), plus the latest ultra-VIP status: Prestige (28 pts/$). Making members feel instantly recognized for their progress, while the yearly reset motivates them to stay active, so they don’t lose their hard-earned status.
Customer value:
- Feeling recognized as a fan, “must-visit” status on game nights.
- Increasing earn rates that reward loyal, high-frequency members.
- Access to free products, discounts, partner perks, and personalized offers.
Business impact:
- Higher visit frequency around sports events.
- Stronger community positioning and event-driven traffic.
- Encourages higher spend by linking rewards directly to level progression.
- Omnichannel data collection (in-restaurant + online) supports better targeting and segmentation.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Members earn more as they level up, creating an immediate, tangible payoff for increased spending.
- Learn from Club Cage: Use tier progression (not just points) to reward loyalty with higher earning power and added recognition.
- Antavo feature: Tiered Memberships. Implement dynamic tiers, custom earn rates, and event-based bonus rules.
3. Subway: MVP Rewards Loyalty Program
3 highlights from MVP Rewards: tier-based, fast-earning, app-boosted.
Subway MVP Rewards is a three-tier, spend-based restaurant rewards program that allows members to earn points on every purchase and convert them into Subway Cash, a flexible payment method usable on future orders. Members start at Pro, with tier progression tied to annual spend thresholds: Captain at $200/year and All-Star at $400/year, making the upper tiers far more attainable than typical restaurant loyalty programs.
The standout feature is the tier structure itself, with upgraded earn rate, bonus earn days, birthday, and anniversary freebies. Subway built a restaurant loyalty tier system, where every single perk is truly meaningful enough to nudge customers to elevate their tier to unlock more meaningful, celebratory rewards each year.
Customer value:
- Generous 250-point sign-up bonus that can be used immediately.
- Achievable tier thresholds that make All-Star feel attainable, not exclusive.
- Strong value exchange: 400 points = $2 Subway Cash, easy to understand and easy to redeem.
Business impact:
- Low barriers to tier progression encourage consistent spending across the year.
- Online/app bonus (+5%) shifts customers toward digital channels with richer data visibility.
- Subway Cash provides redemption flexibility, increasing satisfaction and reducing breakage.
- Celebration freebies tied to tiers strengthen emotional loyalty and create habitual engagement.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: High perceived value (between the sign-up bonus, low-point entry rewards, and versatile Subway Cash) keeps engagement high from day one.
- Learn from Subway: Set reachable tier thresholds and strong join bonuses so existing regulars “fall into” higher tiers with minimal friction.
- Antavo feature: Workflows & Gamification. Configure join bonuses, progress visualisation, and fast feedback loops similar to Subway’s.
4. Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A One Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Chick-fil-A One: multi-tier, giftable points, experiential rewards.
Chick-fil-A One is a four-tier restaurant loyalty program (Member, Silver, Red, Signature). Members earn points per dollar, with higher tiers earning more points and unlocking exclusive experiences, including backstage tours and surprise perks from local restaurants.
The standout feature of Chick-fil-A One is its reward gifting, unlocked at the Silver tier, allowing members to use their own points to send free food rewards to friends and family. This transforms loyalty into a social experience, positioning members as generous brand advocates and organically extending Chick-fil-A’s reach to new potential customers.
Customer value:
- Enhanced earn rates and exclusive freebies at higher tiers.
- Ability to gift rewards (Silver+), adding a social, feel-good dimension.
- App-led ordering for speed, convenience, and personalized recommendations.
Business impact:
- Drives higher purchase frequency with low redemption thresholds and fast point accumulation.
- Encourages digital ordering, boosting operational efficiency and customer data capture.
- Status rewards (especially Signature-level perks) strengthen emotional loyalty and word-of-mouth advocacy.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Point gifting transforms loyalty from a solo journey into a shared experience, creating deeper emotional resonance and more organic advocacy.
- Learn from Chick-fil-A: Enable members to gift points or rewards to amplify word-of-mouth, strengthen social connections, and make higher tiers feel meaningful and aspirational.
- Antavo feature: Clubs. Using Antavo’s flexible Clubs module, you can influence the shopping behavior of entire groups with points pooling, family accounts, and so much more.
5. McDonald’s: MyMcDonald’s Rewards Loyalty Program
3 highlights from McDonald’s: flat earn rate, ultra-clear reward tiers, one-step earning & payment.
MyMcDonald’s Rewards is an app-based high-frequency restaurant loyalty program built around earning points on nearly every purchase and redeeming them for free menu items. Members earn a flat 100 points per $1 on eligible items when they provide their 4-digit code. Points can be added retroactively by scanning a receipt, and linking a payment card unlocks an extra 1,500 bonus points on the first use, enabling instant progress toward early rewards.
The standout feature is McDonald’s one-step code system, which allows members to pay, earn points, and redeem rewards in a single action. Whether using a linked card or app order, customers simply give their 4-digit code, and the system handles everything behind the scenes, eliminating friction and making the experience almost automatic.
Customer value:
- Highly visible “free food” milestones.
- Fast digital ordering and payment through a single in-app code.
- Freedom to track points, redeem rewards, and add missing receipts directly in the app.
Business impact:
- Drives rapid digital adoption by requiring the app for earning, redeeming, and bonus incentives.
- Continuous return visits due to low entry reward tiers and a 6-month point expiration window.
- Unified code system streamlines operations and reduces customer friction, increasing participation.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Clarity, convenience, and a big first reward drive adoption; expiry and low tiers drive ongoing visits.
- Learn from McDonald’s: Minimize customer effort. A frictionless earn-and-redeem journey significantly increases engagement and program adoption.
- Antavo feature: Wallet module. Loyalty passes feature a barcode or QR code for identification. Customers can download these passes onto their mobile devices, use them to collect points, or redeem rewards at restaurants and drive-throughs.
6. Wendy’s: Wendy’s Rewards Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Wendy’s Rewards: points-based, omnichannel, receipt scanning.
Wendy’s Rewards is a point-based omnichannel restaurant loyalty program where members earn 1 point per 10 cents spent when ordering through the app, website, or by scanning their Member QR code in-restaurant. Points can be used to claim rewards ranging from small classics to premium items, all managed through the MyWendy’s app for a streamlined digital experience.
The standout feature is Wendy’s receipt scanning capability, a rare and highly customer-centric mechanic that lets members claim missed points by uploading a photo of their receipt within 24 hours. This ensures that value is never lost due to a forgotten scan, keeps members engaged even after the transaction, and encourages consistent interaction with the app.
Customer value:
- Missed points can be recovered through receipt scanning, adding fairness and peace of mind.
- Surprise multipliers and limited-time campaigns add excitement.
- A wide array of redeemable rewards that feel attainable and meaningful.
Business impact:
- Receipt scanning drives ongoing app usage and habit formation even for dine-in customers.
- Expanded earning channels capture more customer data across both digital and physical touchpoints.
- Simple mechanics and easy redemption encourage frequent program participation.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: A clear earn-and-burn model paired with receipt scanning ensures customers always feel rewarded for their spend.
- Learn from Wendy’s: Build a loyalty system that protects customer value. Tools like receipt scanning create confidence, reduce friction, and increase program engagement.
- Antavo feature: Receipt scanning. Unlock Wendy’s-style flexibility by letting members earn points from physical receipts, ensuring no transaction goes unrewarded, and maximizing omnichannel engagement.
7. Burger King: Royal Perks Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Royal Perks: birthday boost, gamified challenge-based, virtual badges.
Royal Perks is a simple, non-tiered program where members earn 10 Crowns per $1 and redeem them for free items starting at low thresholds (e.g., 200 Crowns). During a customer’s entire birthday month, Burger King doubles Crowns on all eligible purchases.
The standout feature is Burger King’s Badges & Challenges, which introduces gamification into the loyalty experience. Members earn digital badges for hitting milestones and completing challenges to unlock extra Crowns, creating a sense of progression, achievement, and ongoing excitement that keeps customers returning and interacting with the app beyond just ordering food.
Customer value:
- Month-long birthday bonus that makes BK the obvious choice for group orders.
- Fun gamification elements with badges and challenges add novelty and entertainment.
Business impact:
- Gamification significantly boosts app engagement and habitual check-ins.
- Challenges direct customer behavior (e.g., “Try three new items this week”), increasing trial and frequency.
- Birthday month multiplier concentrates spending during a high-value period, increasing order size and frequency.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Badges and challenges extend engagement beyond transactions, giving customers reasons to open the app even when they’re not actively hungry.
- Learn from Burger King: Add achievement-based mechanics (collectible badges) to your loyalty program to make loyalty feel like a game, not just a discount.
- Antavo feature: Challenges & Badges. Antavo’s modules allow for tracking and rewarding a multitude of event actions for challenge mechanisms, and even let you configure custom events for maximum customization and impact. Motivate repeat visits, boost engagement, and guide customer behavior in a fun, measurable way.
8. Chipotle: Chipotle Rewards Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Chipotle Rewards: charity donations, gamification, and early access to menu items.
Chipotle’s Rewards loyalty members get instant free guac when they sign up, birthday surprises, and the chance to earn extra points and achievement badges through special promos and challenges. Points can be redeemed in the Rewards Exchange not just for free food, but also for charitable donations and occasional merch, letting customers turn their burrito habit into something that feels both rewarding and purposeful.
The standout feature is in-app early access to new menu items and merch: Chipotle uses its loyalty base as a test audience and VIP line, letting members try limited-time bowls, collabs, or drops before the general public. Combined with insider updates in the app, Chipotle turns loyalty members into early adopters who feel plugged into what’s next, not just what’s on the menu today.
Customer value:
- Flexible redemption: Members can cash in points for burritos, guac, or even donate to causes they care about.
- Fun progression: Achievement badges and bonus-point promos.
- VIP treatment: Early access to new menu items and merch makes members feel “in the know” and rewarded with exclusivity, not just discounts.
Business impact:
- Demand shaping via early access: Limited early drops help Chipotle test new products, build hype, and drive spikes in traffic around launches.
- Higher engagement: Badges, challenges, and special offers keep members opening the app regularly, not just when they’re hungry.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Chipotle layers utility (free food & savings) with identity (badges, cause donations, early access), so loyalty feels like belonging to a community, not just chasing coupons.
- Steal this: turn your loyalty program into a launchpad for testing innovation, rewarding superfans with first access, and giving them ways to align with your brand’s values.
- Antavo feature: Workflows. Antavo’s Workflows module allows you to create custom journeys for both earning and redeeming rewards, launching promotional campaigns, and rewarding members for participating in fun challenges.
9. Pizza Hut: Hut Rewards UK Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Pizza Hut UK: slices as currency, clear reward ladder, delivery-first model.
Among UK restaurant loyalty programs, Pizza Hut’s Hut Rewards stands out with its ultra-simple value mechanic: customers earn 1 slice for every £10 spent when they order online via the website or app. Those slices then unlock a tiered sequence of rewards: 5 slices = free side, 7 slices = free medium pizza, 10 slices = free large pizza, with the slice balance resetting after the large pizza is redeemed.
This design is smart from a loyalty perspective. To reach 10 slices, a member will have spent at least £100, but along the way, they unlock three separate rewards, each more valuable than the last. That structure makes the program feel generous and builds the perception that Hut Rewards delivers plenty of value, a critical success factor for any restaurant loyalty program.
Customer value:
- Simple, predictable earn rate: 1 slice per £10 spent on online and in-app orders.
- Clear reward ladder: free side at 5 slices, free medium pizza at 7, free large pizza at 10.
- Digital-first experience that fits how people already order: via app or website, straight to delivery.
Business impact:
- Drives higher average order value and repeat purchases as customers aim for the next reward step.
- Encourages digital and delivery channel usage, where upsell and personalization opportunities are stronger.
- Creates an easy-to-communicate value proposition that supports national marketing for Hut Rewards in the UK.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: The escalating rewards (side → medium pizza → large pizza) create a powerful progression loop: each order moves members closer to a more valuable treat, nudging them to keep ordering.
- Learn from Pizza Hut: Focus your earn/redeem mechanic on 1–2 iconic items to make the “why join?” instantly understandable.
- Antavo feature: Rewards management. Configure multi-step reward ladders (like sides → mains → premium items) and automate when each reward becomes available or resets, mirroring the Hut Rewards slice journey for your own restaurant loyalty program.
10. Costa Coffee: Costa Club Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Costa Club: stamp-style, sustainability-friendly, surprise perks.
Costa’s Costa Club loyalty program revolves around Beans: 1 Bean per drink purchase, with extra Beans for using a reusable cup. The program also accelerates the path to reward by offering a free drink for every 5 purchased (using the classic stamp-card method), plus birthday treats and referral bonuses, all delivered through an app-first experience that keeps members coming back.
The standout feature is Costa’s reusable cup reward accelerator: every time a member brings a reusable cup, they instantly earn an extra Bean, effectively doubling their reward velocity. Not only does this encourage sustainable behaviour, but it turns eco-friendly habits into tangible value, making the loyalty program feel both purposeful and rewarding.
Customer value:
- Digital punch-card simplicity (“buy X, get 1 free”).
- Extra rewards for sustainable behaviors (reusable cups).
- “Little treat”-style perks such as birthday cake, app-exclusive surprises, and referral incentives.
Business impact:
- Higher visit frequency for daily coffee customers.
- Promotes sustainable practices, strengthening brand affinity, and reducing single-use cup costs.
- App-led interactions provide rich behavioural data and enable targeted offers that boost frequency.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Rewarding reusable cups turns a sustainability initiative into a loyalty growth engine: Members earn faster, feel smarter, and build deeper brand connection.
- Learn from Costa: Add a reward multiplier for behaviours you want to encourage, whether that’s eco-friendly actions, mobile orders, or referrals.
- Antavo feature: Promotions and Double Point Campaigns. Create reusable-cup style reward multipliers that instantly increase earn rates and reinforce the behaviours your restaurant loyalty program wants to promote.
11. Starbucks: Starbucks Rewards Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Starbucks: stars as currency, stored value, and app-only.
Starbucks Rewards is a point-based loyalty program that lets members earn Stars on every purchase. As Stars accumulate, members can spend them on customized add-ons, free menu items, and even branded merchandise.
The program’s easy, earn-and-redeem structure, paired with bonus Star promotions and personalized offers, makes it one of the most effective and habit-forming loyalty ecosystems in the QSR space.
The standout feature is definitely the integration of stored value: Customers preload funds and pay with the app to streamline ordering. It not only saves time but also adds comfort. Using this method also pays its weight in stars, with members earning 2 Stars per $1 spent when they make payments this way.
Customer value:
- Convenient Order Ahead and collection.
- Wide variety of redeemable items with different thresholds (25-400 stars).
- Extra opportunities to earn stars: Bonus Star challenges, Double Star Days, Member-only games.
Business impact:
- Significant share of revenue driven by loyalty members.
- Preloaded balances generate cash flow and stickiness.
- Deep data on preferences gathered through gamification enables personalized offers.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Stored value plus loyalty creates a powerful habit loop: preload → feel committed → keep ordering to “use up” balance and earn rewards.
- Learn from Starbucks: Combine stored value with loyalty: Reward top-ups and app payments, not just purchases.
- Antavo feature: Challenges and Bonus Point Campaigns. Make sure to constantly elevate and refresh your program with time-bound promotional offers and frequency boosting challenges.
12. Dunkin’ Donuts: Dunkin’ Rewards Loyalty Program
3 highlights from Dunkin’: boosted status, fast first reward, app-driven.
Dunkin’ Rewards is a flexible, spend-based restaurant loyalty program where members earn 10 points for every $1 spent whenever they scan the Dunkin’ app. Rewards start at just 150 points (the equivalent of $15 spent) for Li’l Treats like MUNCHKINS, making this one of the most accessible reward entry points among restaurant loyalty programs.
The standout feature is the program’s Boosted Status: When customers visit Dunkin’ 12 times in a single month, they earn a rate that jumps from 10 to 12 points per $1 for the next three months, a clear, motivating challenge with a rewarding 20% boost. This makes frequent visits feel significantly more valuable and gives high-frequency guests a “VIP mode” that is earned through action, not spending alone.
Customer value:
- Boosted Status: 20% faster earnings for the most engaged members.
- Points don’t expire as long as members make a qualifying purchase every six months.
Business impact:
- Higher visit frequency as customers push to hit 12 visits, driving consistent footfall and daily habits.
- More premium beverage sales as members save for high-value items.
- App scanning provides Dunkin’ with rich data on preferences, time-of-day patterns, and visit frequency for targeted marketing.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: Boosted Status turns loyalty into a gamified monthly challenge, directly linking behaviour (12 visits) to tangible earning power.
- Steal this: Introduce a clearly defined “boost” tier triggered by a specific behavior (visits in a month, new item trials, multi-channel engagement).
- Antavo feature: Dynamic Earn Multipliers & Status Challenges: Build Dunkin’-style “Boost Modes” by giving members accelerated earn rates when they hit specific visit or purchase milestones, perfect for restaurant loyalty programs that want to gamify frequency.
13. Panera: MyPanera Rewards Loyalty Program & Unlimited Sip Club
3 highlights from Panera: free + paid dual model, surprise-based rewards, subscription-driven visit frequency.
Panera has built one of the best restaurant loyalty programs with a uniquely flexible loyalty ecosystem by offering both a traditional rewards program and an optional premium membership. Members can collect personalized perks through MyPanera or opt into a subscription for enhanced, everyday benefits, allowing the brand to meet different customer needs under one cohesive experience.
The standout feature is this free-plus-paid duality: Customers can engage for free and still receive meaningful value, or upgrade to a subscription that fundamentally changes their habits. This combination allows Panera to serve casual customers with surprise-and-delight rewards while converting heavy beverage buyers into reliable, recurring revenue through the Sip Club.
Customer value:
- Free program perks: $5 off the first online order, free bakery treat, 30 days of free delivery, etc.
- Subscription perks: unlimited drinks every two hours, waived delivery fees, extra savings, and exclusive Sip Club bonuses.
- High-value welcome incentives (instant free treats) that make joining immediately worthwhile.
Business impact:
- The dual model widens the funnel: free MyPanera attracts mass participation, while Sip Club locks in frequent café-goers.
- Predictable subscription revenue significantly improves customer lifetime value.
- Free delivery, challenges, and personalized rewards steer customers toward online ordering, increasing data capture and operational efficiency.
- Daily Sip Club visits often lead to incremental food purchases, boosting average order value.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: MyPanera satisfies the masses with personalized rewards and surprise perks, while Sip Club monetizes habitual drinkers and keeps them returning daily.
- Learn from Panera: A hybrid model: Free loyalty + premium subscription can maximize both reach and revenue by letting customers self-select the value level that fits their habits.
- Antavo feature: Dual tier structure: Combine traditional earn-and-burn rewards with paid subscription layers (like Panera’s Sip Club) to serve multiple customer segments, boost retention, and create new recurring revenue streams.
14. Pret A Manger: Pret Perks Loyalty Program & Half Price Coffee Club
3 highlights from Pret: dual loyalty structure, fast-mover Perks, and highly flexible drink subscription.
Pret A Manger operates a distinctive dual loyalty model that blends a visit-led rewards program (Pret Perks) with a high-frequency drink subscription (The Half Price Coffee Club). Pret Perks is built around a simple, momentum-driven mechanic: scan the app, earn Stars, and unlock a Perk every 10 Stars, choosing from a rotating selection of freshly prepared treats.
Club Pret adds another layer of everyday value, giving subscribers 50% off up to five barista-made drinks per day, plus bonus Stars when renewing the subscription or purchasing food alongside discounted drinks.
The standout feature is the Half Price Coffee Club, offering deep daily savings with full member control: pause, cancel, or resume anytime. This flexibility, combined with substantial drink value, turns Pret into a habitual stop for coffee lovers and encourages complementary food purchases throughout the week.
Customer value:
- Free Perks ensure everyone benefits, with no spending threshold to join.
- A quick reward cycle (10 Stars lead to a Perk) makes progress feel continuous and motivating.
- The subscription unlocks high-volume daily value for a low monthly fee.
- Members can manage their plan completely on their terms, ideal for fluctuating routines.
Business impact:
- Two engagement paths attract both casual visitors and committed regulars.
- Discounted daily drinks boost repeat visits and naturally drive higher food attach rates.
- Consistent app scanning enriches Pret’s ability to personalise experiences.
- The subscription creates predictable revenue and reinforces routine-led customer behaviour.
Why it works:
- Impactful logic: A free Perks program for broad engagement and a drink subscription for high-frequency monetisation, turn Pret into both an occasional treat and a daily habit.
- Learn from Pret: Pair a simple, fast-moving rewards mechanic (Stars lead to Perks) with a subscription option that deepens commitment and boosts predictable revenue.
- Antavo feature: Hybrid Loyalty Model using tiers. Mix visit-based perks (like Pret Perks Stars) with optional paid subscriptions that offer enhanced benefits, flexible pausing, and daily savings, creating a sustainable dual-engine loyalty ecosystem.
From Insight to Action: Your Profit-First Loyalty Blueprint
Seeing what the best restaurant loyalty programs do is useful, but if you want actual value, you need to turn those insights into your own program strategy.
To get this started, here are our cliffnotes:
- Diagnose your current economics. Decide what your true margin is, what your current repeat rate is, and what the point-to-cost ratio should be for your rewards.
- Pick a northstar metric or primary behavior you want to achieve. For the next year or so, decide whether you want more frequent purchases, a higher engagement rate and in-store visits, or more app usage. Trying to focus on everything at the same time won’t yield success.
- Launch a lean MVP program. You don’t need to replicate everything Starbucks or KFC does from day one. Those programs were built over years, and so should your program. Launch with one unique feature or memorable reward, and expand on it.
- Layer on gamification and challenges. Once the basics are down and you have your (financial) footings, add instant-win mechanics, surprise & delight gifts, or even better, challenges (order X 10 times, use the app weekly, etc.)
- Monitor, learn, and iterate. Don’t let the early success go into your head. Running a loyalty program is a marathon, not a sprint. Over time, you need to change the scope, add new channels, or remove stuff that doesn’t work.
How Antavo Powers Results for Restaurant Loyalty Programs
Antavo is a modular, enterprise-grade loyalty platform built to execute exactly the kind of strategies you’ve just seen, most notably without forcing marketing teams to depend on IT. Here are some of Antavo’s key capabilities, which could help restaurant loyalty programs truly stand out in this oversaturated industry, driving revenue, business KPIs, engagement, and value both for customers and companies:
Drag-and-Drop Workflows
- Design automated journeys (onboarding, expiry, win-back, missions) in a visual editor.
- Run complex A/B tests and triggers without development work.
Example:
A restaurant sets up a simple onboarding journey: no dev work, just Antavo’s visual editor.
Flow:
- Customer signs up, receives welcome reward.
- If no purchase within 5 days, send a reminder with a small incentive.
- After the first purchase, trigger a “next visit within 7 days = bonus points” mission.
- If idle for 30 days, an automatic win-back offer will be made.
- Marketing doesn’t rely on IT anymore; everything is handled by automated triggers.
Result: Higher activation and earlier habits formed.
Advanced Reward & Customizable In-Program Loyalty Currency Management
- Support multiple in-program currencies (points, stamps, experience tokens).
- Manage catalogs of items, experiences, partner offers, and vouchers.
Example:
A bakery café wants a simple but flexible reward system. They use:
- Points for purchases.
- Stamps for coffee (buy 5, get 1).
- Experience tokens for engaging in challenges (e.g., “Try 3 new pastries this month”).
Antavo handles all currencies in one place. Rewards include free drinks, limited-edition items, partner perks (e.g., local gym discounts), and seasonal experiences.
Result: customers engage through multiple paths without confusing the operations team.
Gamification & Instant Win Mechanics
- Configure KFC-style arcade games, spin-to-wins, or mystery boxes.
- Control reward probabilities and caps to stay profitable.
Example:
A fast-casual restaurant brand launches a “Lunch Rush Spin-to-Win” inside its app. Every time a customer orders between 1:30 and 4:00 pm (in the timeframe between the lunch and dinner hours), they get one spin of a digital wheel, and prizes include a free drink, bonus points, or “better luck next time.”
Through Antavo’s platform, their marketing/loyalty team controls the probability rules, so customers feel like they’re winning often, but the brand stays profitable. For example:
- 60%: bonus points.
- 30%: free low-cost side.
- 8%: medium ticket item.
- 2%: high-value reward.
Result: Repeat visits spike during lunch hours without the brand giving away margin carelessly.
Performance & KPI Tracking
- Monitor core loyalty KPIs: frequency, redemption, channel mix, margin uplift.
- Iterate quickly based on real data, not assumptions.
Example:
A marketing team checks Antavo’s dashboard and sees:
- Redemptions of high-cost items are rising.
- Off-peak missions increased weekday visits by 18%.
- Based on this, they lower the earn rate on expensive items and create a new challenge that drives app ordering.
Result: The loyalty program becomes intentionally profitable, backed by real data.
API-First Architecture & Integrations
- Connect POS, mobile apps, CDPs (like mParticle), and marketing automation tools (like Braze).
- Keep customer profiles and events synchronized across channels.
Example:
A QSR chain connects Antavo with their POS + mobile app + marketing automation platform.
Here’s how it works in action:
- POS sends order + customer ID to Antavo.
- Antavo counts the points and also updates external systems.
- The automation platform receives the updated profile and triggers a personalized message (“You’re 10 points away from your next free side!”).
- Customer sees consistent data whether they’re in-app, in-store, or at a kiosk.
Result: Unified customer journeys and real-time personalization across channels.
FAQs About Restaurant Loyalty Programs
Are loyalty discounts always bad for profit in restaurant loyalty programs?
Not necessarily, but in restaurant loyalty programs, untargeted discounts often hurt margins. Successful loyalty programs focus rewards on specific behaviors, like shifting customers to owned channels or boosting off-peak visits. Using low-cost, high-perceived-value rewards and probability-based mechanics keeps the program profitable.
Should points in a loyalty program expire?
In most cases, yes. Expiry creates urgency, triggers reactivation, and prevents unused points from piling up as liabilities. In restaurant loyalty programs, the key is to communicate expiry clearly and remind members.
Is an omnichannel loyalty program always better when it comes to restaurant and QSR loyalty programs?
Only if it treats channels differently. Successful loyalty programs reward customers more for using owned, efficient channels while still recognizing (but gradually steering them away from) third-party platforms. That balance is what makes omnichannel effective.
How quickly can a modern restaurant loyalty program go live?
With an API-first, no-code platform like Antavo, brands can launch a basic points or instant-win program in weeks, then layer in tiers, missions, and experiences later on. Technology isn’t the bottleneck; usually, the strategy and alignment are, make sure to have those ready as well!
Final Thoughts: Turn Restaurant Loyalty from Cost Center into Growth Engine
Most restaurant loyalty programs start with generosity, but the most successful restaurant loyalty programs start with behavior design and solid economics. The standout examples: KFC’s gamified arcade, Subway’s accessible tiers, Chick-fil-A’s experiential status, and Starbucks’ stored-value loop, all tackle the same fundamental question: How do we get the right customers to come back more often, in the right channels, without destroying margin?
With the right framework and the right technology, the same approach is within reach for any brand. Begin by auditing your current program against profit-first principles, then choose one core behavior you want to influence. From there, build a lean, automated program and let data guide each iteration.
If you’re ready to design or relaunch a restaurant loyalty program that drives sales while protecting profit, Antavo can support you from strategy to rollout. Book a demo with our experts.
Don’t forget to download our case study on the award-winning KFC Rewards Arcade loyalty program – powered by Antavo.
Zsuzsa is the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder of Antavo. She has experienced Antavo grow from a startup into a market-leading, global scaleup for loyalty program technology, serving global brands and retailers. She was named Personality of the Year at the 2024 International Loyalty Awards, and listed by Forbes as one of Europe’s top 100 female founders in tech, Zsuzsa is a former journalist recognized by the European Commission.
