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Restaurant Rewards program shows large user and spending gains in year two
Summary
Staff reported a 93% increase in users (over 5,320) and an 85% increase in spend through March during Year 2 of the city's Restaurant Rewards cashback promotion; the program is budget-capped at roughly $100,000 and staff will monitor redemptions.
City staff provided an update on Year 2 of the Restaurant Rewards cashback program, reporting strong early metrics and explaining next steps to monitor activity as the promotion ends April 30.
Craig Holes said Year 2 launched with a 10% cashback offer and began with 2,758 existing users carried forward; through March the program had more than 5,320 users (a 93% increase), a 51% rise in transactions, and "over three-quarters of a million" dollars spent at local establishments. He said the city has so far rewarded $65,340 through the program and projects roughly 35,000 transactions and near the $100,000 budget cap by program end.
Councilmembers asked about redemption tracking and whether earned-but-unredeemed funds would still be paid if the cap is reached. Staff said they track redemptions (not just earned amounts) and assume earned funds will be redeemed; staff will monitor and notify the public if the cap becomes imminent and could return to council to request an amendment to the total if needed.
Staff also discussed marketing and comparative performance: neighboring cities running similar programs did not appear to implement similarly coordinated marketing, and staff said North Richland Hills benefited from a complementary marketing plan and video testimonials. A follow-up debrief is planned in June when full four-month data are available.
