Over the past few years, gamification has evolved into a powerful tool in the restaurant industry. It turns out this strategy actually works wonders, and brands are starting to see that. If you, too, have been thinking about leveraging gamification for your restaurant, this blog post presents you with some inspiring ideas. Read on!
What is Gamification?
Gamification is not like it sounds. It’s not about inviting people to come over and play games. Suppose you’re a cafe spot. You give your customer a star for every drink, and when it’s ten stars, you offer them a free latte. It’s as simple as that. You can do it any way you want. It’s about making things fun, highly engaging, entertaining, and a little bit addictive.
Addictive in a way that taps into your customer’s natural urge to win, complete the game, collect the prize, and feel fulfilled.
You can use gamification in your loyalty programs, surprise discounts, or spin-the-wheel popups. You can also throw it into daily streaks, progress bars, or personal records. Apart from that, you can use it in referral contests or challenges. It is also worth trying in user-generated content missions.
Why Give Gamification a Try?
If you are underestimating its power, let us tell you that gamification can boost customer engagement significantly, build loyalty without even sounding needy, and make your diners feel like an experience instead of a transaction. In simple words, by leveraging gamification, you don’t build just customers but a community.
To explain this better, let’s understand the psychology behind the game.
At the core of gamification lie some primal human cravings, and as a restaurant owner, you cannot agree more with this. These cravings are:
- Achievement: When a customer feels like “we are finally winning, and if we do, we will just get a free drink.”
- Status: “I’m a platinum member at that sushi place” just hits when they bring someone along and tell them about your restaurant.
- Competition: People will be more likely to join if it means they can earn more points than others.
- Surprise: Random rewards release that sweet, sweet serotonin
8 Gamification Ideas for Restaurants
Here is how you can include gamification in your restaurant marketing strategy:
1. Sign-Up Rewards
While charting out your plan to win your customers’ loyalty, your first goal should be to draw them towards signing up. For this, you can offer an instant reward for simple registration. But make sure your customers can easily spot the reward for their participation in the program. When you lure them with something big, they are more likely to make a purchase. According to Wirecard, 75% of consumers say they are more likely to make another purchase after receiving an incentive from a previous one.
You can learn this from Denny’s, a restaurant brand hyped for its breakfasts. They offer a straight 20% off to their customers’ first meal upon signing up for the Rewards program.
2. Tiered Loyalty Programs
As a restaurant marketing agency and CRM specialist, we have developed numerous innovative loyalty programs. We offer our guests three status levels, like Silver, Gold, and Platinum Pizza Royalty. Each level unlocks a whole new level of enthusiasm and better perks.
Here is how it works:
- Customers join your program simply by signing up online or through the in-store tablet.
- Once they are enrolled, they get points for every order they place. It does not matter whether they are dining in, picking up, or ordering through an integrated delivery system.
- As they collect points, they climb up the tiers.
- Silver members can access base-level perks such as birthday discounts, a welcome gift, and surprise offers on slow days.
- After hitting a certain threshold when they reach for Gold, you can start offering them premium rewards.
- Then comes Platinum Pizza Royalty, reserved for the most loyal regulars.
Also Read: 10 Unique Restaurant Loyalty Program Ideas
3. Keep Your Customers Aware of Their Progress
You should offer your customers regular updates on their loyalty status. You can do this through an email, app notification, or SMS, and make sure your customers know exactly where they stand in your program. A quick message letting them know they’re just one step away from unlocking a reward can encourage them to engage more with your brand. But make sure, instead of sending generic messages, tailor the communication to the individual. Use data to remind them of their favourite products or offer incentives that align with their previous purchases. This approach makes the progress feel more relevant and exciting, and not just a generic “you’ve earned X points” message. Make sure they feel achievable and enticing.
4. Incorporate Challenges
Challenges get people excited. They feel like they’re working towards something. Gamified elements, like earning badges or unlocking special levels, encourage customers to interact with your brand on a deeper level. This could include tasks like reviewing a product, visiting your store on a particular day, or making a purchase in a specific category. Each action they take unlocks a new experience or reward.
You can tailor the whole experience to match customer interests. For example, if a customer is really into fashion, they could be given a style challenge where completing tasks leads to exclusive discounts or sneak peeks at new collections. Personalization makes it more fun and rewarding for them.
5. Leverage FOMO
It’s a powerful psychological trigger that many brands use to their advantage in loyalty programs. FOMO can turn a casual shopper into a dedicated, repeat customer by tapping into the natural human instinct of wanting to be part of something exclusive or time-sensitive. It’s that little voice that tells you, “You’re going to miss out on something amazing if you don’t act now!”
The limited-time offer, an exclusive event, or a seasonal product are all types of FOMO that make people feel like they need to get involved before it’s too late.
In the context of a loyalty program, this feeling can be incredibly motivating. When customers believe that they might miss out on rewards, discounts, or special perks, it drives them to act faster, engage more, and stick around longer.
6. Photo Contest
A photo contest can turn out to be an outstanding way to encourage customer engagement. You can set up a specific theme for your contests, like “Best Family Dinner Moment.” This will prompt customers to take and share their photo on social media platforms, tagging your branded hashtag. You can reward your customers for doing so, like building them a cute frame or a pack a family dinner.
7. Audience Polls
You can run polls on social media or through your restaurant’s website and ask your customers to vote on things like new menu items or seasonal specials.
Here are some examples:
- Which new pasta dish would you like to see on the menu?
- What topping should we add to our signature pizza?
- What drink pairs best with our BBQ ribs?
- Which song should we add to the playlist tonight?
These polls can also be used for fun. To keep customers engaged, you can offer incentives such as discounts or exclusive access to new items that were voted for.
On-site, you could place QR codes or tablets at tables, allowing customers to participate in live polls while they dine.
8. Trivia Nights
You can also bring people together for fun with trivia nights. All you have to do is host weekly or monthly trivia events. For example, if your restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine, you can host a trivia night that focuses on Italian culture, history, and food. You can then offer small prizes, such as a free appetizer, to the winning team. You can keep the larger prizes, like a free meal for the grand prize.
Make Sure Not to Force the Fun
It all sounds fun, right? But here’s some advice: bad gamification can be worse than no gamification. Make sure it’s done right. You are not supposed to force anything on your customers because it can quickly spoil all the fun and make your customers feel irritated. The goal is to keep things light, engaging, and voluntary. If they feel like they’re being pushed or manipulated, it will create frustration, not excitement.
Gamification should feel like a natural extension of your brand’s personality. It should be something fun, rewarding, and smooth. If your customers can’t see the point or feel forced to join in, they’ll quickly disengage. So, use gamification wisely.
Tools or Smart Systems to Take Things to the Next Level
Tools aren’t just for enhancing your website or app’s functionality; you can also use them to supercharge the customer experience. Here’s how:
- You can use POS-integrated loyalty systems like Toast, Square, or Upserve to track customer loyalty and reward frequent visits seamlessly.
- You can leverage custom restaurant apps with reward functions to allow customers to earn points, claim rewards, and keep them engaged directly from their phones.
- You can use beacon tech for location-based surprises, sending personalized offers or notifications to customers when they enter your restaurant.
- You can create interactive menu tablets or QR-triggered games that entertain customers while they wait and encourage them to explore new items.
- You can also use social media platforms to host hashtag challenges, scavenger hunts, or foodie bingo to keep your customers engaged online and build excitement around your brand.
Clueless about where to start? Don’t worry, tell us your plans in a free consultation, and we’ll help you create a solid roadmap.
That One Brand Pulling it Off Like a Pro
We are talking about Starbucks. Their Rewards program is a textbook case of gamification done right. Customers earn “stars” with every purchase, which they can later redeem for free drinks, food, and exclusive member perks. It’s a simple yet effective way to encourage repeat business, making every cup of coffee feel like a step toward a reward.
But Starbucks doesn’t just stop at the basics. They also create seasonal challenges where customers can earn bonus stars for completing tasks like trying new drinks or making purchases during special events. These challenges not only keep things interesting but also motivate customers to engage more frequently with the brand.
With Starbucks as an example, we’re sure we’ve sparked your creative spirit and inspired you to give gamification a try for your own business.
How to See if Things are Working for You
You don’t simply have to get started with gamification and keep doing it pointlessly. What really matters is whether your customers love it or find it absurd. Is it making any difference or draining your efforts, or budget? Here are key performance indicators to look out for:
- How many people signed up for the game?
- How many are still playing 30 days later?
- Are visits and average spend increasing?
- Is your online presence popping with UGC and shares?
If your staff’s tired, your guests are confused, and no one’s redeeming anything, it’s definitely time to rethink your mechanics.
Classic Mistakes to Avoid
If gamification is not working for you, you are probably making these mistakes:
- Making it too complicated and time-consuming. Why would they engage in a hard activity when they have come to your place to chill?
- Offering boring or cheap rewards that feel worthless.
- Ignoring your staff training. They need to understand the system so they can tell customers how to enjoy the offers.
- Forgetting about mobile users when most of your users are on mobile is the universal truth now.
- Not promoting it, and no one knows about your loyalty game.
Summing Up
Pulling off gamification is not hard; all it takes is the right strategy and implementation. Restaurants that get it are building communities, not just collecting receipts. Starbucks is the classic example. So, whether you’re a taco truck or a tasting menu palace, nothing can stop you from creating a buzz when you do it right.
Give it a try today. Because in the end? People don’t remember what they ordered. They remember how it made them feel.
