Without a big investment or complicated program, some restaurateurs have created informal “membership” programs that customers can join. Dan Sachs, co-owner, Bin 36, Chicago, IL, says, they created their loyalty program seven years ago as a necessary part of being competitive in a big city restaurant community. “It was important that the program be easy to use and very straightforward, with no points to track or information to sift through to understand the benefits,” says Dan. “Also, we didn’t want to give it away.”

There’s a one-time fee of $36. Members receive a membership card and “10% off everything, always.” “Of our 12,000 customer list, 3,500 are members, many of whom come in consistently,” reports Dan. “Having this group segmented from the regular list gives us a chance to communicate with them independently and give them special offers and opportunities, e.g., first dibs on events. Members receive a coupon for a glass of wine when they sign up, plus exclusive wine offers, advance notice of events, free holiday shipping, etc. throughout the year. Dan says the key to getting new members is having the servers actively involved, which means continually coaching them and from time to time giving incentives, e.g., $5 per member signed. “We emphasize to servers that membership is one vehicle to win a loyal customer, but not the only one. The membership is an extra – not a substitute for building a relationship.”