Operations

Velvet Taco launches first loyalty program

Provided

December 15, 2021

Velvet Taco, a fast casual concept feature globally inspired recipes and the freshest ingredients, has partnered with Thanx, a guest engagement platform for restaurant and brick-and-mortar retailers to improve customer experience, according to a company press release.

Velvet Taco wanted to revamp its technology stack while focusing on direct-channel ordering. Thanx presented a technology solution that covered four guest experiences: loyalty, mobile app, online ordering experience and tableside.

Velvet Taco's new loyalty program, The Velvet Room, offers a tiered, visit-based program that rewards guests with offerings and VIP experiences without traditional discounts. The program also plays a role in guest data capture, which will give leadership a picture of their guests' behaviors and spending habits to inform overall strategy.

"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," Cassie Cooper, director of marketing at Velvet Taco, said in the release. "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."

With each purchase, guests earn points toward "Velvet Taco" status tiers ranging from "Kick Ass," with perks like special invites; to "Bad Ass," offering free chips, queso and tacos. Guests who spend $400 or more reach the elite "Hard Ass" tier, featuring personalized "surprise and delight" rewards. Five loyalty members will have a chance to earn a trip to Dallas and attend an exclusive weekly Taco Feature tasting.

"In a time when so many restaurants are launching loyalty, it is critical that brands differentiate their program so that everything — from the messaging to the experience - is distinctively tailored and personalized to the individual customer," Zach Goldstein, Thanx CEO and founder, said in the release. "It's been fantastic working with the Velvet Taco team to ensure that their brand voice is reflected in not only their loyalty program, but across all of their digital touchpoints to create a fun and enticing program for their guests."

Thanx will also power Tableside, which Velvet Taco is testing at two locations. Tableside gives guests the ability to place orders from their table via QR code. The goal is to launch Tableside at all locations by 2022.

"Our guest expectations are constantly evolving, and we are pleased we found a technology partner in Thanx to help deliver on those expectations whichever channel our guest prefers to use," Cooper said.

Founded in 2011, Velvet Taco is based in Dallas. Thanx was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco.