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8 Strategies for building customer loyalty in your restaurant

12 de June, 2025

Customer loyalty is a driving force for business success. And the restaurant sector is no exception.

In a highly competitive market, restaurants must be concerned with attracting new customers, but also with retaining them.

But what are the best strategies for increasing customer loyalty to your restaurant? How can you build a loyal customer base? Discover eight tips.

Read also: 7 tips to improve the customer experience in your restaurant

Why is customer loyalty so important?

Building a consistent and lasting relationship with customers is fundamental to business growth and sustainability. Customer loyalty to a brand or company has advantages such as:

  • More revenue: repeat customers tend to spend more, allowing you to increase the average ticket as well;
  • Reduced acquisition costs: keeping existing customers is generally cheaper than acquiring new ones;
  • Increased ROI: by reducing customer acquisition costs and increasing revenue, there is a positive impact on return on investment;
  • Better use of installed capacity: the establishment’s resources are used more profitably and the business becomes more efficient;
  • Spread the positive word: satisfied customers share their positive experience with friends, family and even on the internet, generating more referrals.

Strategies for building customer loyalty

Keeping customers satisfied and making them want to return to your establishment is an ongoing effort that involves different aspects.

1 – Impeccable customer service

It’s impossible to talk about customer retention without talking about service. People remember the way they are treated, so providing excellent service is a key factor in customers deciding to return to your establishment.

The quality of customer service involves aspects such as:

  • Professional, efficient, helpful and friendly service;
  • Reduced waiting times;
  • A warm and comfortable atmosphere;
  • Tasty food and good value for money.

2 – Personalizing the experience

Personalizing the customer experience makes them feel valued and understood. Establishments must take advantage of the data they have on their public, and pay attention to detail in every interaction, so that employees can..:

  • Address customers by name;
  • Make recommendations based on your preferences or dietary restrictions;
  • Congratulate them on their birthday or other special occasions;
  • Surprise them with small gestures that show you remember them and know them.

3 – Loyalty programs

A well-designed loyalty program can be a powerful tool for cultivating customer loyalty and boosting their involvement with the establishment.

Create a loyalty card – physical or virtual – on which you record customer visits. When they reach a certain number of stamps or points, they can have access to discounts or exclusive offers, such as a dessert or meal. Alternatively, you can establish partnerships with other establishments to offer vouchers for services, tickets to shows or movies, among others.

4 – Collecting feedback

It’s difficult to retain customers if you don’t know what’s going well and what can be improved in your establishment. And that can only happen if you know what your customers think.

Collect feedback through questionnaires, comments and messages on social networks or Google Business Profile, as well as through interactions with customers and your team.

Analyze the data collected to identify any opportunities for improvement (in terms of service, the quality of the dishes, the ambience of the space, among other aspects). If you receive negative criticism, respond professionally and demonstrate the establishment’s commitment to improvement.

5 – Keeping in touch online

Digital technologies allow establishments to keep in touch with customers and potential customers more easily and regularly.

Having a website, sending newsletters, being present on social networks or online booking platforms, responding to messages and comments, for example, can be a good way of building a more consistent and relevant relationship with the public and, consequently, increasing their loyalty.

6 – Showing appreciation for customers

Go beyond the expected and surprise your customers with gestures that show your appreciation. For example, offer desserts on a special occasion, coffees if the service has taken a little longer or a glass of wine that you think the customer will like.

These small gestures will live on in people’s memories and help to create a stronger emotional bond.

7 – Taking advantage of technology

Technology can be an important ally in creating more positive and fluid experiences for both customers and your team.

Consider investing:

  • An online reservation system and home delivery orders (you can develop your own software or provide these features through partners such as Uber Eats, DIG-IN, Mygon or Odisseias, among many others).
  • At payment terminals that allow contactless payments (via MB WAY, for example).
  • A POS for order management, table management, stock control, accounting and invoicing, etc.

8 – Accept the Edenred Meal card

Edenred Refeição is used by more than 700,000 users in Portugal who receive the monthly meal allowance granted by their employers on this card. This amount must be spent in establishments that are part of Edenred’s network, in order to ensure that this benefit is used for meals or food.

As such, by accepting payments with Edenred Meal, you are in a better position to retain customers who have this card and who tend to become repeat customers because they know they can use the subsidy amount in your restaurant.

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