There’s no evidence that the folks at Piada Italian Street Food have anything against Benjamin Franklin but they are saying that its uniform $5 loyalty reward had run its course.
Jason Profitt, vice president of technology at Piada
“After listening to guests, we decided it made sense to switch to a new points program based on spend and with more options for rewards,” said Jason Profitt, vice president of technology for Piada, in an interview. “Our previous program was technically a points program but it operated like a frequency-based program. We had some really good adoption but now we’re doing more to thank guests who use us for larger orders or spend more with us.”
Piada, which has 58 locations, is growing, Profitt said, and the new loyalty approach has been designed to capitalize on the expansion. “We’re opening a location in Tampa in early next year, and another in Houston,” he said.
The loyalty program is easy to understand: 10 points for every dollar spent. Bigger spenders can unlock rewards faster than before and now they get control over three tiers of incentives.
“If you’re someone who wants to get rewarded quick and often, you can pick lower point-value rewards, like a small- or a regular-size entrée, a free side, or even just being able to add avocado to your meal,” he said. “If you like to save up, you can do that and wait for larger, personalized rewards, such as early access to new menu items or specialized gifts.”
Its digital engagement platform is called Piada One, which includes the loyalty program, online ordering, and digital gift cards. It integrates with third-party systems and customer data platforms and is powered by Sparkfly and Olo.
The brand flipped the switch in mid-June and has already seen double the registrations compared to its previous loyalty program, said Profitt.
Profitt beams like a proud parent when discussing who designed, owns and operates the brand’s tech ecosystem.
“We do. It was developed in-house and we handle everything, from the marketing to the mobile apps to the website. This makes us agile and quick to get things to market,” he said. “We’re unusual for a brand our size. Most take a white-label app from an online-ordering provider, or use one from a shop. But we own ours.”
The next loyalty iteration for the brand will be to gamify rewards.
“We’re going to be rolling out digital badges by the end of the year, or early next year, which is going to add another level of fun and engagement for our guests,” he said. “Some of the badges will be cutesy, some will be easy to get, some will be hidden. We’re excited to get those out there and give our guests another way to be connected.”
All of this has a strategic focus, he says. The bottom line after all is the bottom line.
