Quick Informal Govt Summit
High restaurant leaders share perception on fueling progress via on-line engagement and good promotions on the upcoming Quick Informal Govt Summit.
Picture: Willie Lawless, Networld Media Group
July 29, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
Each quick informal restaurant desires its on-line expertise to be as robust as its in-store expertise. It desires to drive gross sales with data-driven promotions all whereas enhancing buyer loyalty via private expertise.
Neither of these methods are straightforward, however all of them are doable — particularly when offered skilled model chief perception on what works and what would not.
That is precisely what shall be shared in the course of the panel session, “Digital Chew: Fueling Development Via On-line Engagement & Sensible Promotions,” on the upcoming Quick Informal Govt Summit going down in Austin, Texas, from Oct. 5-7. Register right here for the session.
Panel members embody:
- Mike Burns, CEO, &pizza.
- Joey Cioffi, CEO, Salad Home.
- Kayla Dillon, fractional CMO, Erik’s DeliCafe.
- Clay Dover CEO/President/Taco Maker, Velvet Taco.
The Quick Informal Govt Summit is owned by Networld Media Group, publishers of Fastcasual.com, QSRweb and Pizza Market. The corporate’s subsequent occasion is the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit which can happen March 16-18, 2026 in San Diego, California.
Actual world perception
One key to constructing a robust on-line presence, in accordance with Dover, is to craft your individual model voice. At Velvet Taco that voice is rebellious, witty, edgy and unapologetic.
“Similar to our tacos. Mirror your model together with your on-line character,” Dove mentioned in an e mail interview.
One other key technique is to leverage person generated content material.
“There are such a lot of visitors on the market which are smarter, funnier and constant to your model. Search them out, use them to assist your content material, construct your model. I assure they make your job simpler,” he added.
The content material focus ought to be on highlighting folks and tradition.
“Sure the meals porn is apparent, and for Velvet Taco we’ve got it — however take the chance to spotlight your workforce, share their tales, create heroes, create connections, make it extra than simply the meals,” mentioned Dover.
What to not do
The issues not do, when constructing a robust on-line presence, are simply as essential as what to do.
One, mentioned Dover, is to not act like a company chain on-line. True followers see proper via generic adverts, inventory telephones and AI content material.
“It’s a must to keep real and true to the model,” he mentioned, including one other ‘do not’ is ignoring followers even when you do not have a solution for them.
Fellow panelist Dillon mentioned quick informal manufacturers want to grasp how the net presence will not be separate from the in-store expertise. The 2 experiences are the model, she mentioned in an e mail interview.
“Your digital presence ought to mirror the in retailer expertise. Deal with it like your most dear piece of actual property. Window procuring is now the norm on Instagram, TikTok, Google, Reddit, and past. Make sure that your data is constant, correct, and aligned together with your model voice,” Dillon mentioned.
She additionally recommends manufacturers guarantee they don’t seem to be treating buyer interplay channels as a dumping floor for promotions.
“Nobody logs on hoping to be bought to. Present up as a model price partaking with, not simply shopping for from,” mentioned Dillon, including that it isn’t essential to chase each development to remain related.
“If it would not reinforce your model, it is simply noise. Deal with content material that educates, entertains, or emotionally connects. It isn’t about being all over the place — it is about being intentional. Company do not owe you their consideration. Earn it,” she mentioned.
The important thing to data-driven promotions
Relating to promotions Dillon advises manufacturers to keep away from attempting to market to everybody — the “spray and pray,” method and “market to somebody.”
“Information-driven promotions work as a result of they really feel private. They present the visitor them, and also you’re right here to serve, not simply promote,” she mentioned.
When promotions are based mostly on actual conduct, reminiscent of go to frequency, ordering patterns and previous preferences, they really feel like a service.
“That is what drives loyalty,” mentioned Dillon.
The perfect method to collect significant knowledge, she added, is thru a loyalty program that rewards conduct past simply the transaction.
“Ask why visitors behave the way in which they do, not simply what they purchase. Use instruments like SMS, receipt surveys, and actual time suggestions loops. And act on what you be taught,” she mentioned. “On the finish of the day, belief and worth are the shopper’s value for entry. Make it price their time, and so they’ll provide the insights you should meet them the place they’re and produce them again time and again.”
Get private
Dover described data-driven promotions as “vital” to restaurant success, as they allow manufacturers to maneuver from the one-size-fits-all reductions to hyper-targeted personalised affords that talk on to visitor conduct.
“The extra I perceive a particular visitor, the smarter I might be about reaching them and motivating their conduct to return to my restaurant,” he mentioned.
At Velvet Taco the method known as “tailor-made incentives” which is predicated on realizing the visitor and what motivates them. Velvet Taco has a database of over 900,000 members and targets visitor on a stage that features every thing from dayparts to examine common.
“It is tremendous detailed data on a person stage however it took just a few years to get that constructed up and in place,” mentioned Dover.
