case study

Velvet Taco delivers on-brand loyalty perks without relying on discounts

Thanx helps drive high-margin growth

30%

Participation rate tied to weekly revenue

13%

Tier upgrade from a single hidden menu campaign

+5k

Average weekly sign-ups

About

Velvet Taco: Loyalty participation grew by 30% with Thanx.

Velvet Taco is a Dallas-based, fast-casual restaurant serving inventive and globally inspired tacos. Founded in 2011, the Velvet Taco brand elevates the traditional taco through inventive recipes and the freshest ingredients. In addition to dozens of local and national accolades, Velvet Taco was awarded “Hot Concept” (2016) and received the Menu Masters Award (2020) By Nation’s Restaurant News.

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Learn more about Thanx’s implementation and account support services and read the full case study below.

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We found a partner in Thanx because they were equally as passionate about building a program that improved our bottom line without relying on traditional discounts, and instead moving towards offering exclusivity and access to our guests.

Cassie Cooper, Director of Marketing

Velvet Taco

A loyalty program just turns into a discount program unless we first understand guest behavior. With The Velvet Room, we are tying transactions to guests regardless of their order mode, and then trying to understand behavior. With this data capture, we can personalize our loyalty program–it’s our way of building personal relationships with our guests, not just with typical rewards, but memorable experiences.

Cassie Cooper, Director of Marketing

Velvet Taco

From the name of our program to the experiences we provide as part of our incentives, The Velvet Room is distinctively tailored and personalized to our guests.

Cassie Cooper, Director of Marketing

Velvet Taco

RESULTS

Saw immediate results

Weekly revenue tied to loyalty purchases.

30%

Sign ups per week on average since launch.

Digital check average increase compared to other channels.

Velvet Taco's Recipe for Success

Real loyalty goes beyond the loyalty program—it’s about providing a convenient experience in-store and online. It’s about not spamming people with information that’s irrelevant. It’s about creating genuine loyalty, not discount seeking behaviors.

Loyalty as unique as your brand

With imaginative flavor combinations, Velvet Taco customers have come to expect more from the not-so-average taco-concept. The Velvet Taco team loved that Thanx made it easy to create a rewards program that reflected Velvet Taco’s unique look-and-feel. Every aspect of their loyalty program is a distinct representation of Velvet Taco’s brand identity.

Exclusive perks that go beyond discounts

Velvet Taco wanted to avoid paying costly 3PD commissions while retaining valuable customer data to inform their marketing strategy. Velvet Taco used Thanx’s Hidden Menu feature to offer special dishes exclusively available to the highest tier loyalty members who order directly. With a single campaign, 13% of members progressed to a higher tier. The flexibility of Thanx’s rewards programs also allows Velvet Taco to give VIPs access to other fun perks such as exclusive merchandise and a chance to win a trip to Dallas to meet the executive chef.

Digital innovations that enhance data capture

With Thanx, Velvet Taco launched a new branded app and online web ordering interface. Both digital channels are optimized for convenience and conversion with technology like password-less login, linked credit cards, and easy-to-apply rewards. Tableside ordering helps streamline team member operations while offering additional opportunities for data capture, even after an initial order.

Guest engagement for every segment.

Thanx made this data actionable through lifecycle insights, A/B testing, automated campaigns, and recommendations.