Customer frequency is the holy grail of restaurant SSS growth. But building habits isn’t about guesswork—it’s about smart, timely, and targeted actions that keep your guests coming back more often. Whether you’re just getting started or optimizing a mature program, Thanx offers simple, data-driven strategies to drive frequency at every stage of your journey.

From quick wins to more advanced plays, here are seven ways to use Thanx to increase visit frequency and unlock more revenue from your loyalty members.

1. Add a New Reward to Your Marketplace to Re-Engage Members

Fresh rewards = fresh motivation.

Keeping your rewards marketplace dynamic is one of the easiest ways to re-engage lapsed or passive members. By introducing seasonal, limited-time, or high-margin rewards, you create new reasons for guests to browse and redeem—turning digital engagement into physical traffic.

Guests are more likely to take action when there’s something new to earn, and redemptions reliably drive visits. Think of it as your low-effort, high-return tactic for ongoing engagement.

Pro tip: Drop a limited-time summer reward and promote it with seasonal copy like “Just dropped: Summer Rewards! Redeem now before they melt away.”

2. Automate 2nd & 3rd Purchases to Build Habits

Want to drive frequency at scale? Start by growing your pool of habitual customers.

The biggest lever in frequency marketing isn’t just running more campaigns—it’s having more people likely to respond to them. And that begins with establishing good habits early.

The 2nd and 3rd visits are critical inflection points in a guest’s journey. Customers who make repeat purchases within their first few weeks are significantly more likely to become habitual customers—those who visit regularly without prompting and are more responsive to challenges, LTOs, and bonus campaigns later on.

Thanx’s Activation Funnel lets you automate outreach to first-time guests who haven’t yet returned. A well-timed thank you message or incentive, sent within 7 to 10 days of their first visit, can be the gentle nudge that turns a one-time buyer into a repeat loyalist.

Why it matters:
The more guests you convert into habitual buyers, the larger your addressable audience for frequency-driving tactics like challenges, multipliers, and personalized offers. It’s not just a short-term win—it’s long-term compounding value.

Brand Example – Flower Child:
Flower Child leverages this strategy with a warm, timely message: “Thank you for your first purchase—we look forward to serving you more goodness in the future!” It’s a light touch, but it keeps the brand top-of-mind and drives strong second-visit conversion.

3. Respond to Feedback to Win Back At-Risk Guests

Closing the loop on feedback isn’t just good hospitality—it’s good business.

Responding to guest reviews—whether raves or complaints—shows customers that you care. Thanx makes it simple to reply directly from your dashboard, and you can even add bonus points or rewards as a gesture of goodwill.

These touchpoints can de-escalate negative experiences, recover at-risk guests, and reinforce positive moments that drive referrals and return visits.

Pro tip: A simple note like “Thanks for your feedback—we’ve added 50 points for your next visit!” can transform frustration into loyalty and increase your chances of a return trip.

4. Use Points Multipliers to Create Urgency

Double (or triple!) the rewards, double the fun.

Points multipliers create urgency by offering guests more bang for their buck—especially effective during mid-week lulls, holiday gaps, or new product launches. The best part? You only incur the cost if the points are redeemed, making it a budget-smart tactic for increasing frequency.

Brand Example – Bubbakoo’s Burritos:
Their recurring “Double Points Wednesdays” promotion keeps loyalty members engaged and drives traffic on slower days. It’s a win-win: guests feel rewarded, and restaurants benefit from a predictable lift in visits.

Example: “Earn 3.14x points this Pi Day—today only!”

5. Add Limited-Time Rewards to Generate Buzz

Scarcity drives action.

Introducing exclusive, time-limited rewards to your marketplace taps into FOMO (fear of missing out) and creates marketing buzz. This is especially powerful when promoting seasonal items, new menu launches, or collaborations.

Limited-time rewards not only boost redemptions but also drive curiosity and repeat visits as guests check back for “what’s new.”

Copy to try: “Order our limited-time burger before anyone else!” or “Unlock this week’s secret shake—only in the app.”

6. Gamify Loyalty with Challenge Campaigns

Who doesn’t love a good challenge?

Gamification makes loyalty feel fun, not transactional. With Thanx, you can create behavior-based challenges that unlock rewards only after certain goals are met—like visiting twice in a month or trying three different items.
These campaigns work across segments, allowing you to encourage just one more visit from each cohort. They’re a fantastic way to drive incremental behavior without needing deep discounts.

Brand Example – Tocaya:
Tocaya’s “Order Twice in October, Score 25% Off” challenge created urgency and repeat purchase behavior, especially among semi-active users. The campaign was simple, timely, and clearly communicated—perfect for driving action.

Try this: “Visit 2x this month—unlock $5 off your next order!”

7. Use Behavioral Segmentation to Personalize Outreach

Personalization at scale drives results.

With Thanx, you can target customers based on real behavior, such as visit cadence, favorite locations, or spending habits, without any technical effort. Whether you’re nudging high-frequency diners or reactivating lapsed guests, smart segmentation ensures every message is timely and relevant.

Copy to try: “Haven’t seen you in a while at [location]—your favorite bowl is waiting!”

Start Small, Test, then Scale

These strategies don’t require heavy lifting, but they deliver serious impact. Whether you’re crawling, walking, or running, Thanx makes it easy to turn occasional guests into regulars and unlock the full value of your loyalty program.

Want to know which tactic will drive the biggest lift in your program?

Thanx customers can reach out to their Success Manager, who can help you identify high-potential cohorts. 
Not a Thanx customer? Reach out to one of our loyalty experts to learn more!