As restaurant brands look to drive loyalty in the face of stiff competition, some are turning to subscription offerings to incentivize purchasing as frequently as every day.
Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant (QSR) giant Taco Bell, for one, which has more than 7,000 U.S. restaurants and almost 500 in international markets, announced Thursday (Sept. 29) that it is bringing back its Taco Lover’s Pass subscription program to U.S. Taco Bell Rewards members. The program offers one taco a day for pickup for 30 days for a one-time fee, which may vary by location.
“We’re always looking at offers and innovations that are unique to our brand but most importantly, unrivaled value for our Taco Bell fandom,” Sean Tresvant, the chain’s global chief brand officer, said in a statement.
The return of this offering follows an initial nationwide run of the program back in January, which in turn followed a pilot test in Arizona the previous September.
The program appears to have proven successful at boosting loyalty and growing the brand’s rewards program. On a call with analysts in May, Chris Turner, chief financial officer of Taco Bell’s parent company Yum Brands, noted that the nationwide launch “helped fuel growth in loyalty memberships during the quarter” as well as “drove customer frequency.”
Additionally, back in fall 2021, Zipporah Allen, then chief digital officer for Taco Bell, told PYMNTS in an interview that the chain was “thrilled with the positive reception” of the initial pilot test of the program in Arizona, adding that top of mind for today’s digital consumers are “convenience and reliability.”
Related: Taco Bell Serves Up a Subscription Service to Keep Customers Loyal
The news comes as an increasing number of restaurant brands turn to subscription programs to drive loyalty. For instance, just a day earlier, Chinese-inspired casual dining chain P.F. Chang’s announced Wednesday (Sept. 28) the launch of an in-rewards-program subscription offering, offers free delivery, expanded rewards-earning opportunities and “VIP-level service” for $6.99 a month.
See also: PF Chang’s Tests Subscription Commerce Waters, Free Delivery
Other restaurant brands to make moves into the subscription commerce space include fast-casual chains Panera Bread, Subway and Sweetgreen, among others.
PYMNTS research finds that the audience for restaurant subscriptions is relatively small, but that these subscribers are especially valuable customers for restaurants to win over. Research from the February/March edition of PYMNTS’ Digital Divide study, “Digital Divide: Restaurant Subscribers And Loyalty Programs,” found that 17% of consumers are “very” or “extremely” interested in being provided a restaurant subscription service, and 25% are neutral to the concept. Yet, the majority of consumers (58%) reported being just slightly interested or not interested at all in participating.
Read more: Four in 10 Consumers Open to Restaurant Subscription Services
That said, these subscription-seeking diners tend to be brands’ most loyal customers. The study, which drew from a December survey of a census-balanced panel of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, found that 78% of subscribers and 73% of those interested in subscriptions reported being very or extremely loyal toward their preferred QSRs. Conversely, just 41% of those who are uninterested in subscriptions said the same.
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