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Tips6 min read3 May 2026

7 strategies to build customer loyalty at your café or restaurant

Discover concrete techniques to bring your customers back regularly. Loyalty programme, push notifications, Google reviews and more.


Why loyalty is your best investment


Acquiring a new customer costs 5 to 7 times more than keeping an existing one. For a café or a restaurant, that means every regular customer is worth their weight in gold.


Here are 7 concrete strategies to bring them back.


1. The digital loyalty card


Forget cardboard cards. A card on Apple Wallet that the customer always has on them is far more effective than a card they leave at home.


How to do it: Use Goodly to create your card in 5 minutes. A QR code at the counter, and that's it.


2. Push notifications at the right moment


Send a notification at 8 a.m.: "Your coffee is waiting for you ☕". The customer sees it on their lock screen and thinks of you.


Tip: Don't spam. 1 notification a week, at the time your customers usually drop by.


3. A reward that makes them want to come back


"10th coffee free" works, but get creative:

  • A surprise dessert on the 5th visit
  • Double stamps on Tuesdays (your quiet day)
  • A special coffee reserved for your loyal customers

  • 4. Automatic Google reviews


    After each visit, automatically send an email asking for a Google review. The more positive reviews you have, the more new customers find you.


    The result: A business with many Google reviews attracts far more customers than one with very few.


    5. Knowing your customers by name


    When you type in a customer's PIN code, their name appears. "Hello Sophie, the same as yesterday?" — it makes all the difference.


    6. Spotting customers who drop off


    With RFM analytics, you instantly see which regular customers haven't been in for 2 weeks. Send them a push: "It's been a while, we're keeping your spot!"


    7. Gift cards


    A happy customer gives a gift card to a friend → you gain a new customer without spending on advertising.


    Get started today


    Most of these strategies can be set up in under 10 minutes with Goodly. Free to get started.


    Ready to turn visits into loyalty?

    Create your digital loyalty card in minutes. Free.

    Get started free →