Today, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on eight innovative brands who earned 2023 PAR Punchh Customer Awards! Our fifth annual award winners distinguished themselves through their strategic and creative ability to craft and execute personalized guest experiences that fostered increased loyalty and impressive sales growth.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our clients who have embraced the PAR Punchh platform to enhance their customers’ experiences.” said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology “These brands have shown innovation and dedication in leveraging technology to drive loyalty program engagement, customer feedback, and overall business success.”
The PAR Punchh Customer Awards serve as a testament to our unwavering commitment to celebrating excellence within our customer community. This year’s award winners were selected from Punchh’s extensive customer base of over 275 esteemed global brands. Evaluation criteria encompassed both quantitative and qualitative metrics, innovative utilization and platform adoption.
To all the winners – CONGRATULATIONS! It’s our pleasure to work alongside you as you harness the power of the Punchh Loyalty and Engagement Platform to deepen your customer relationships and drive program ROI for your brand.
Introducing the 2023 PAR Punchh Customer Award Winners!
Rookie of the Year – Goodcents
Goodcents, celebrating 35 years of QSR experience providing high-quality freshly sliced subs served on pillowy-soft bread baked in-restaurant twice a day, as well as pastas, To Go meals, and catering options in each of the company’s 65 locations. With an eye on the future to scale their operations and grow their franchise model, they launched the Punchh-powered Goodcents Rewards Refreshed loyalty program along with utilizing Premium Strategy Services in February of 2023. “We’re blown away by the customization and data, as well as the ability of the app to serve as a direct line of communication with our customers,” explains Rebecca Murray, Vice-President of Marketing for Goodcents.
Campaign Hotshot – Charleys Philly Steak
Charleys Philly Steaks opened its doors in 1986 and has been satisfying guests’ cravings for classic Philadelphia cheesesteaks, wings, fries, and lemonades in more than 825 locations across 46 states and 17 countries ever since. The brand is dedicated to serving delicious food, delivering a great customer experience, and strengthening their local communities.
Through data analytics, Charleys excelled at identifying key segments within their loyal customer base that allowed them to understand purchase patterns and deliver personalized messages, promotions, and other offers. Charleys introduced campaigns in 2023 that created buzz around their new products, flavors, and pricing promotions that lead to increased adoption and purchase frequency. Their efforts in 2023 helped them to achieve above the 75th percentile fast casual benchmark for sign-ups, unique users, and average check size.
Top International Customer – Taco Bell Romania
Taco Bell Romania, the QSR brand internationally renowned for its Mexican-inspired products, uses its Taco Bell Rewards loyalty program to give members unique experiences, in the #livemas style, as well as a variety of offers and innovations. Loyalty members earn points resulting from transactions through any ordering methods and channels, such as directly in the restaurant, on kiosks, with the Click&Collect service, and from partner aggregators.
Taco Bell Romania embraced new loyalty members with the help of digital and social media awareness and signup campaigns, and increased app usage through a customized offer-based welcome journey campaign, for new users in 2023. Using their loyalty program helped the brand consistently grow frequency, unique users, redemptions, and average transactions, in a local market where Mexican cuisine is not very popular.
Digital Innovator – Condado Tacos
Condado Tacos, the award-winning taco joint and growth brand specializing in unique and craveable tacos, margaritas made with fresh fruit purées and tequilas in a colorful, energetic atmosphere, leans into their “Buds with Benefits” reward program to build brand loyalty into their digital marketing strategy and social initiatives. This approach has helped Condado Tacos achieve a 44% retention rate – positioning them above the 75th percentile fast casual benchmark.
Since the beginning of July, Condado Tacos has successfully implemented about 20 challenge campaigns delivered through custom segmentation to drive new menu item purchases, different day part visits, and in-restaurant experiences. In an effort to create an emotional bond with their members, the brand drives meaningful connections through feedback from a variety of surveys, research and development panel opportunities for new menu offerings, and even a holiday playlist launched within their app for top tier Best Buds.
Retention Rockstar – Pancheros
Founded in Iowa City in 1992, Pancheros is a fan favorite in the Mexican, fast-casual space, featuring delicious, made-to-order burritos, bowls, salads, quesadillas and has grown to over 70 locations across 13 states with a robust franchising program. The brand leads with a dedication to high-quality food based on simplicity, inspiring the concept of Burritos Better Built. With their fresh-pressed tortillas and unique tool created to seamlessly mix burrito ingredients to create the perfect bite, the brand has developed a fierce fanbase through its loyalty program.
Through a commitment to making loyalty the centerpiece of their marketing, Pancheros has fostered a 47% retention rate in Q3 2023, which sits above the 75th percentile benchmark for fast casuals. Pancheros’ integrated tactics encouraged members to learn about referral offers, digital ordering deals, local campaigns for a cause and more that promoted program value and helped Pancheros earn 2.91% of signups from referrals in Q3 2023 as well as 3.08 transactions QoQ.
C-Store Champion – RaceTrac
RaceTrac, the family-owned and Atlanta-based convenience store company with over 580 stores in 10 states, is staying ahead of the curve to meet the needs of its rapidly expanding customer base. The RaceTrac Rewards loyalty program is helping the brand transform every customer touchpoint and deliver on its mission of making people’s lives simpler and more enjoyable.
In 2023 RaceTrac launched a number of initiatives to increase member engagement through personalized promotions and offers that drove a 46% YoY lift in loyalty transactions and increased loyalty revenue by 76% YoY. With a focus on driving member long-term value, RaceTrac is able to drive increased program engagement and incremental visits through member exclusive incentives. RaceTrac Rewards members are very passionate about the program and are keen to earn points in exchange for free items from the RaceTrac Rewards Catalog including food, beverages and fuel discounts.
All Star – McAlister’s Deli
McAlister’s Deli, a fast-casual restaurant chain founded in Oxford, Mississippi in 1989, is known for its deli-style sandwiches and Famous sweet tea. To help support its 520+ restaurants across 29 states, McAlister’s Rewards program offers members the opportunity to earn Points on every menu purchase which they can redeem for their choice of Rewards.
McAlister’s innovative approach to digital and loyalty increases visit frequency and brand affinity. One example of this is the brand’s Tea Pass, which allows guests to get 30 consecutive days of tea when they purchase the Tea Pass through their Rewards Account. The brand has seen 21% YoY growth in loyalty participation and 20% of overall transactions deriving from loyalty purchases in 2023. The brand retains guests quarter over quarter with tailored automated journeys leveraging Punchh data pipeline and the platform’s open APIs.
VoC Advocate of the Year – Sean Thompson of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
The Voice of the Customer Advocate of the Year is new in 2023 and awarded to Sean Thompson, VP of IT for Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Freddy’s has been a Punchh customer since May of 2022 and utilizes the Punchh platform to grow its loyal customer base for its over 500 locations.
As a leader in the restaurant industry and valued Punchh customer, Sean Thompson, participates in both the Punchh User Group and Customer Advisory Board. He is committed to sharing important insights into customer needs and preferences that guide the future of Punchh and help the restaurant community elevate the customer experience.
Congratulations again to our PAR Punchh Customer Award Winners who encompass the brands, teams, and individuals that go the extra mile, push the boundaries of what’s possible, deliver on the guest experience every day, and build a culture that values customer loyalty. We are so proud to work with you!
If you’re interested in remaining at the forefront of innovation and want to succeed in an era of elevated customer experiences, contact Punchh today for a personalized demo.
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