Introducing ChowNow’s Membership Program for Restaurants

National restaurant chains already know that membership programs can significantly change diner ordering behaviors by improving customer engagement and generating even more value from top spenders and casual diners alike. The required technology to launch and maintain such restaurant membership programs has often been available only to the biggest players in the field—until now.

At ChowNow, we are here to help our local restaurant partners compete in an increasingly digital landscape. Our products are designed for restaurants to sustain their sales, strengthen their customer relationships, and serve their communities for years to come.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce a new restaurant membership program for your restaurant as part of ChowNow Direct.

Let’s take a closer look at how it all works.

What is ChowNow’s membership program?

Through ChowNow’s fully customizable restaurant membership program, diners can join via a prepaid membership—100% of which goes directly to you—and in return get a discount on orders for the coming year when they order from your restaurant’s website, branded mobile apps, or from the ChowNow website, iOS app, or Android app.

Think of it as a subscription loyalty program: Your customers will pay upfront to support your restaurant and sustain it throughout the year. In turn, they’ll get a perk whenever they order.

With this program, restaurants get a cash infusion, while customers are incentivized to order again and again straight from their favorite eateries.

How much does it cost?

We’re proud to offer ChowNow memberships to your restaurant at zero cost when you sign up for Direct. This is truly meant to drive more revenue back to your restaurant—we’re not here to take a cut.

What are the benefits?

We’ve designed the ChowNow membership program to achieve four important goals for your business:

1. Encourage repeat orders from your top customers. Memberships give you a way to increase your profits by encouraging your loyal fans to order from you, not from high-commission third-party apps.
2. Generate immediate revenue. Diners pay for their memberships upfront, and 100% of the cost goes to you.
3. Create long-term change in diner ordering habits. A membership brings you a whole year of increased orders, larger ticket sizes and word-of-mouth marketing from happy customers. Punch cards and points are all too easily forgotten or left unused.
4. Put you in control. With flexible options to use our default settings or customize your own Bronze, Silver, or Gold tiers, you create the membership that makes sense for your restaurant.

Did you know? Diners with memberships order over 5X more often than average ChowNow diners. Members spend 4X more over time than diners without a membership.

How does it work?

With memberships, you have the ability to customize a program that makes sense for you and your diners by specifying three tiers of discounts (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) and membership costs.

Here’s an example of how you may choose to set up your program: diners pay $25 to get 10% off orders for 1 year, $40 to get 15% off orders for 1 year, or $100 to get 25% off orders for one year.

The year-long membership does not auto-renew and works at a single location only, and these discounts apply to orders placed through your own website, branded mobile app, and the ChowNow Marketplace.

Where can I see it in action?

Here’s an example of ChowNow memberships at a beloved Vietnamese restaurant in Los Angeles, Pho Saigon Pearl. Keep in mind, your restaurant will also have your own membership page that you can share with your customers.

Is this a good deal for me?

Yes! You pay nothing to be part of the ChowNow membership program, so all the membership revenue goes directly to you upfront.

If you’re worried about discounting hurting your revenue, consider that your customers will need to spend even more before you start actually giving away any percentage of your sales.

Through this process, you incentivize repeat orders while training your loyal diners to order better now and far into the future.

Do I have to offer three tiers of discounts?

Our templated membership program comes with three tiers built in to give your diners the best range of options that suit them. That said, you can–and should!–customize these tiers to reflect the relationship you want to create with your top diners.

How will the membership program be promoted to my customers?

We’ll promote memberships through ChowNow’s marketing channels, as well as help you get the word out through your own channels.

We’ll also equip your restaurant with a marketing toolkit that includes:

• Three branded email blasts that we’ll set up and send out on behalf of your restaurant to your diners. These emails will invite new members to join, welcome them after sign-up, and encourage them to renew at the end of their membership year.

How do I opt in?

The membership program is a free feature included in ChowNow Direct—learn more and chat with an expert today.