Note: As part of a regular series here at the Fivestars blog, we’ll take a look at some of our clients who have achieved success with our one-stop loyalty reward program. We’ve seen proven results for some time – now, we’d like to share them with you to give you a better idea of how implementing our program can help you acquire, grow, and retain your customer base and ultimately, improve your business.

Customer Profile

Name: Fibbar and Molly MaGee’s
Business Type: Irish Bar/Pub and Restaurant
Location: Two California Locations (Molly Magee’s in Mountain View and Fibbar Magee’s in Sunnyvale)
Member Since: August 2011

Background: An Irish pub and restaurant that’s a home away from home

Although they have two different names and are in two different locations in the extended Bay Area, both Fibbar and Molly MaGee’s have one shared goal in mind – to be an authentic Irish pub and restaurant that anyone would be proud to call their home away from home. Featuring comfortable seating, a large contingent of colorful regulars to interact with, and plenty of Guinness on tap, Fibbar and Molly MaGee’s are among the most popular watering holes in their respective neighborhoods and pride themselves on bringing a touch of Ireland to the Silicon Valley. When the sun is out, it’s a food-focused bar and restaurant – when the sun goes down, it’s a crowded, happening bar that features lots of live music and events.

The owners were looking to implement an easy-to-use loyalty rewards program that would appeal to both the afternoon dining crowd as well as the late night party-going audience.

Goals: Needed an easy to operate, yet tech savvy, customer loyalty program

The owners of the Magee restaurants were starting from scratch in terms of a loyalty rewards program, but they knew they wanted to use something that was a breeze to operate and install, something that would appeal to the hip and tech-savvy Mountain View and Sunnyvale crowds, and something that people could still earn points with even if they forgot or lost their card. With FiveStar’s comprehensive program, all of these goals were easily met from day one.

They also were looking for ways in which to reward their absolute top customers with great prizes. Allowing customers to choose several different prize or reward options at different thresholds was another key goal on Fibbar and Molly MaGee’s wish list. Knowing that word of mouth advertising is far and away the most successful form of it, the owners sought to increase referrals and word of mouth via Facebook check-ins. And finally, they wanted to utilize social media and text message marketing to further interact with and engage their customers than their standard email newsletter. They wisely realized many of their patrons were constantly on their smartphones and wanted to incorporate mobile technology into their loyalty program and deal offerings.

Solution: Customized reward program shared between both restaurants

In August of 2011, Fivestars was proud to bring Fibbar and Molly MaGee’s onto their client roster. The owners saw the value in our proven loyalty reward marketing program that would immediately address all of their concerns and help them reach their goals. Both locations went with the same program specifically designed for them – customers would earn 1 point for each $10 spent in either location. 5 points would allow the late night crowd to skip any cover charge for the band or DJ mandated at the door that night. 10 points catered more toward the afternoon food crowd, allowing patrons to get one appetizer on the house.

Results: 3,000+ customer signups and 14% increase in monthly visits

As is the case with many of our clients, the owners of Fibbar and Molly Magee’s saw immediate success with our customizable loyalty rewards program and drastic improvements in customer engagement over their previous efforts. The free cover charge was an instant hit with the night crowd, and due to its relative uniqueness, patrons earning this reward were much more likely to share the news on Facebook and other social platforms, which drastically improved their word-of-mouth advertising value and referrals.

To date, over 3,000 regulars have enrolled in the program, with over 320 of those consisting of VIP members (folks with 15 visits or more). The small chain has seen a healthy 635 referrals come through its collective doors, and with our customer spending tools, they have been able to track over $97,000 in revenue. Monthly visits have increased 14% since the inception of the program.

“I love being able to use the texting tool to reach customers through Fivestars,” said Lara, the Assistant Manager at Fibbar MaGee’s. “We’re able to send quick specials right to their phones at an extremely low cost, and we’re confident our messages are reaching them.”