LOYALTY LEADERS

Two chains with stunning loyalty program success share their secrets for getting customers on board—and coming back for more.

BY TRACY MORIN

It’s no small feat to land a spot on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Loyalty Programs 2022, and Round Table Pizza graces the list twice: No. 1 in the pizza category and No. 3 in restaurants overall. The award, presented by Newsweek and Statista, is given to brands based on an independent survey taken by more than 4,000 U.S. customers who are members of loyalty programs of retailers or service providers. In total, about 20,000 evaluations were collected, and customers were given the opportunity to evaluate various loyalty programs based on six criteria: Likelihood of Recommendation, Ease & Enjoyment, Benefit, Overall Satisfaction, Customer Support, and Trust.

How would you stack up in those categories? If you fear your loyalty program is not yet up to snuff—or if you’ve never offered a loyalty program and are considering adding one—lean into these lessons from Round Table and another top-performing loyalty provider, Mountain Mike’s.

The Player: Round Table Pizza, Los Angeles, CA (410-plus locations)

Credentials: Since launching the Round Table Royal Rewards Program in 2019, customers have flocked to sign up to “receive the royal treatment.” From 2020 to 2021, loyalty membership grew by 90% and, as of the fourth quarter 2021, loyalty platform Punchh reported Round Table Pizza ranked in the 80th percentile of QSR brands and the 85th percentile among pizza brands in terms of participation of active members.

How it works: The value-driven rewards program welcomes guests from the start with an offer of a free order of Twists, a

Round Table Pizza signature item. Along with receiving points per purchase to redeem for rewards, fans regularly receive a slice of the pie with piping hot deals for the likes of National Pizza Day, Pi Day, Halloween and more. Consumer touchpoints are also a priority, with the program boasting an integrated experience across platforms and regular communication with guests to ensure they take advantage of their rewards.

Keys to success: “We attract customers to our loyalty program by staying true to the key pillars we built the rewards program around,” notes Warwick McLaren, vice president of omnichannel marketing at FAT Brands, which includes Round Table Pizza. Here, McLaren lists and explains these pillars in his own words:

• A strong/engaging signup offer. Our brand is built around providing value to our customers, so it’s only natural that we offer an incentive to drive our fans to sign up to become Round Table Royal Rewards member. To attract customers, the incentive must be thoughtful and have a high enough perceived value to encourage new member signup. We offer our customers six free Garlic Parmesan Twists—our No. 1 selling appetizer—upon registering. Rather than applying to a future order, guests can apply the free reward on the same transaction. We find that this user experience is what drives high repeatorder intent.