How to build customer loyalty in a restaurant: ideas to bring them back

A restaurant lives on customers who come back and the people they bring. These ideas help the second visit come sooner and the third become a habit.

12 October 2026 Β· 2 min read

Set menu or Γ  la carte: two different customers

The set-lunch customer comes often and spends about the same each time: a stamp card suits them (Β«on your tenth menu, one freeΒ»). The dinner or weekend customer comes less often and spends more, often in a group: points work better there, because they reward what the whole table spends. Many restaurants have both; choose based on the one you most want to grow.

Fill the quiet days

Monday and Tuesday evenings, or Saturday lunchtime, are often emptier. Instead of cutting prices for everyone, tell only your customers: Β«this Tuesday, double pointsΒ» or Β«free dessert with dinner on MondayΒ». It reaches their lock screen the same day and costs you nothing if nobody comes.

Birthdays, at your table

Few rewards work as well in a restaurant as a free dessert or drink for a birthday. The customer rarely comes alone, and usually chooses where to celebrate in advance. If you remind them a few days before, they’re more likely to think of you.

Gift cards

A gifted dinner brings a new customer through a loyal one. With gift cards on the phone, customers buy them online and the recipient saves them in their wallet. They’re especially useful at Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Make booking easy

Your loyalty card app can have a booking button linking to your system, your phone number and directions. If the customer has your card on their phone, they also have your booking one tap away.

Reviews after a good meal

Reviews weigh heavily when choosing a restaurant. The ideal moment to ask is at the end of the meal or the next day. Ask everyone equally and without offering anything in return, as Google requires. There’s a guide in how to get more reviews.

Touches that aren’t on the menu

  • Remembering a regular’s favourite table or allergy.
  • A complimentary appetiser for someone on their fifth visit.
  • Telling loyal customers about the seasonal menu before anyone else.

A note on the customer’s profile helps the whole team know, not just the waiter who always serves them.

Where to start

Choose stamps or points based on your customers, put the QR code on the table or the bill and switch on birthday reminders. The full recipe is in loyalty cards for restaurants.

Frequently asked questions

Stamps or points in a restaurant?

Stamps for the set lunch, with a similar ticket and high frequency. Points for dinners and groups, with variable tickets.

Where should I put the QR code?

On the table, on the menu or with the bill. The best moment to join is while waiting to pay.

Try it in your business.Create your loyalty card in 2 minutes. 14 days free, no credit card.
Create my free card β†’
Keep exploringLoyalty card for restaurants β†’Gift cards β†’

Keep reading

By industry Β· 2 minHow to build customer loyalty in a bar: ideas that fill the counterThe local is the local because they treat you well and you feel like going back. These ideas turn the one-off visitor into the regular at the bar every week.
By industry Β· 2 minHow to build customer loyalty in a beauty salon or nail barIn beauty, clients come back every few weeks if they remember and if it’s worth it. These ideas help them keep coming to you instead of trying the salon across the street.
By industry Β· 2 minHow to build customer loyalty in a clothing storeIn fashion, customers buy a few times a year, but every purchase counts. The key is that they remember you when the new season arrives.