Payments

Famous Dave's reports 26% increase in customer frequency

May 17, 2021

BBQ Holdings, which owns Famous Dave's as well as three other restaurant brands, has tapped Mobivity Holdings Corp., to run its mobile engagement programs via a 2-year agreement. The chain, which has been using Mobivity's personalized text message marketing over the past two years at Famous Dave's to increase customer frequency by 26%, is now rolling out the technology to all 145 brick-and-mortar locations, according to a company press release.

COVID-19 requirements across the country created spikes in restaurant delivery and takeout business, and Famous Dave's increased its messaging subscriber base by 17.5% in Q1, a solid indicator of the effectiveness of text messaging, BBQ Holdings COO Al Hank said in the release.

"Text messaging is a critical channel which we own and control, thanks to Mobivity," he said. "It not only enabled us to improve guest engagement but was instrumental in helping us navigate various business interruptions and challenges during the pandemic. Messaging has also elevated our guest experience and strengthened customer loyalty, enabling us to grow our customer base across the board."

BBQ Holdings evaluated other text message marketing providers but said it chose Mobivity after seeing how it engaged guests through personalized campaigns driving customer frequency and spend for Famous Dave's. Additionally, Mobivity's platform segments, targets and integrates into the restaurant portfolio's entire customer experience.

"This partnership is a testament to BBQ Holdings' belief in our ability to help drive guest frequency and spend that is measurable and data-driven," Dennis Becker, Mobivity chairman and CEO, said in the release. "Leading restaurant brands are turning to more targeted, one-to-one engagement that text messaging makes uniquely possible and provides an unfair advantage over restaurants that have yet to embrace the channel."

BBQ Holdings is among the more than 30,000 other restaurant locations using Mobivity's platform.