Restaurant Marketing Expert Shares Key Loyalty Program Lessons

Original story and image on Food on Demand

Restaurant Marketing Expert Shares Key Loyalty Program Lessons

Restaurant loyalty programs work best when they influence customer behaviour rather than simply distribute points and discounts. Restaurant marketing consultant Olga Lopategui suggests operators focus on encouraging valuable actions, such as ordering more frequently or choosing first-party ordering channels over third-party platforms.

Convenience is especially important. Research cited in the article found 44% of surveyed customers forget to use loyalty programs, while 35% consider expiring points their biggest frustration. Saving money remains the leading motivation for participating.

Restaurants can respond with simpler rewards, timely promotions and personalised offers based on what customers actually enjoy ordering. Rather than trying to “own” the guest, the opportunity is to make returning easier, relevant and rewarding, ultimately encouraging more frequent visits and purchases.

Restaurant Marketing Expert Shares Key Loyalty Program Lessons

Original story and image on FER

30 Smart Savings Ideas for Smarter Hospitality Operations

Foodservice operators are finding smarter ways to control costs without compromising quality or customer experience. Foodservice Equipment Reports highlights 30 practical ideas covering kitchen design, equipment, technology, labour, menu planning and everyday operations.

Strategies include investing in automation, improving water efficiency, choosing energy-conscious equipment placement and designing smaller, more productive kitchen footprints. Operators can also reduce costs by using existing ingredients for new menu items, improving forecasting and adopting connected equipment that identifies maintenance needs earlier.

Long-term savings can also come from planned maintenance, better workflow, centralised production and thoughtful equipment selection. The key message is that profitability is not driven by one major change, but by many practical efficiencies that reduce waste, labour, energy use and unnecessary expenses.

30 Smart Savings Ideas for Smarter Hospitality Operations

Original story and image on Foodservice REP

Protein Plus: The Menu Trend Gaining Momentum

Protein-rich dining is gaining momentum as consumers increasingly look for meals that support health, energy and satiety. The growing “protein plus” trend goes beyond simply adding more meat, encouraging foodservice operators to offer protein-forward choices across different menu categories and dining occasions.

Restaurants and cafés can respond with familiar ingredients such as chicken, beef, eggs and seafood while exploring plant-based sources including legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. The opportunity is to create balanced dishes that deliver nutritional value without sacrificing flavour, presentation or enjoyment.

For hospitality operators, the trend also creates room for menu innovation. Protein-rich breakfasts, snacks, bowls and customised meals can appeal to health-conscious customers while allowing venues to highlight quality ingredients and develop distinctive offerings that reflect changing consumer priorities.

Protein Plus: The Menu Trend Gaining Momentum

Original story and image on NRA

Beverages Serve as Strategic Growth Lever for Restaurants

Beverage programs are emerging as an important growth strategy for restaurants, offering opportunities to increase traffic, average spend and customer loyalty. Younger consumers are particularly interested in innovative, customisable drinks, including specialty lemonades, smoothies, teas, coffees and premium non-alcoholic options.

The National Restaurant Association reports that 87% of full-service and 80% of limited-service operators view beverages as strategic traffic drivers. Afternoon beverage occasions, loyalty promotions and creative drink offerings can also help businesses generate sales beyond traditional meal periods.

Off-premise sales present another opportunity. Better packaging could encourage more delivery customers to add drinks to orders, while visually appealing, easy-to-produce beverages can support social media promotions, limited-time offers and profitable add-ons without requiring operators to overhaul their entire menu.

Beverages Serve as Strategic Growth Lever for Restaurants

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Restaurant Marketing Expert Shares Key Loyalty Program Lessons