Taco Bell is re-launching its taco subscription program as it seeks to boost customer visits and frequency. The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain announced its Taco Lover's Pass, which offers loyalty members one free taco every day for 30 days after a $10 purchase. This subscription is available for purchase for a limited time.
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GLOTaco Bell is re-launching its taco subscription program as it seeks to boost customer visits and frequency. The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain announced its Taco Lover’s Pass, which offers loyalty members one free taco every day for 30 days after a $10 purchase. This subscription is available for purchase for a limited time.
In an effort to attract more customers to their stores, restaurants are exploring innovative loyalty incentives beyond traditional points-per-dollar models. Many have turned to subscription programs to encourage more frequent visits. Examples include Panera Bread’s Unlimited Sip Club for beverages, P.F. Chang’s rewards program subscription with free delivery, Sweetgreen’s Sweetpass+ offering, and smaller brands like Piada Italian Street Food and Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar introducing their own subscription plans.
Daniel Shlossman, former Chief Marketing Officer at Sweetgreen, emphasized that for subscriptions to be cost-effective for restaurants, they must appeal to customers who are not already frequent visitors. Restaurants want to avoid merely discounting their offerings for existing customers.
In the recent study, PYMNTS Intelligence and Paytronix, revealed that 17% of non-members of restaurant subscription services are “very” or “extremely” interested in subscribing in the future. Additionally, 42% of U.S. consumers are curious about such programs but have not yet signed up. Food and beverage subscriptions often struggle to retain customers over extended periods, as indicated by PYMNTS Intelligence’s “Subscription Commerce Readiness Report: The Loyalty Factor.” Compared to other product subscriptions, food and beverage subscriptions have lower retention rates.
Taco Bell’s limited-time model for its Taco Lover’s Pass is aligned with the nature of food and beverage subscriptions, which tend to face challenges in maintaining long-term customer engagement.
