The short answer

Start with the reason guests do not return: quality, price, convenience or a missing reason to come back. Choose one improvement and measure repeat visits for a defined group over a consistent window. A loyalty program supports this work; it does not replace a good first experience.

Customer retention — StampiGram
Actual app components · sample data

1. Fix the experience before adding a reward

Review feedback, waiting times, availability of popular items and pricing clarity. A future reward will not fix an unsatisfactory first visit. Ask guests what would prevent them returning and start with a problem you can address.

2. Define a return

A weekly coffee purchase and a monthly restaurant visit can require different observation windows. These are examples, not industry benchmarks. Decide how long you will observe guests and which purchase counts as a visit. Do not change the definition after seeing the results.

3. Use a consistent cohort

For example, select 100 guests who first purchased in a chosen month. If 28 return within 30 days of their own first purchase, their repeat-visit rate is 28%. This is a teaching example, not a StampiGram result. Give the last guests their full observation window before calculating the rate.

4. Make the next step relevant

Consider a stamp card for frequent purchases, or a clearly limited coupon for quieter hours. Permission to receive a login code should not be treated as permission for promotional messages. Further communication needs its own review of applicable rules and guest preferences.

5. Separate program effects from background changes

Compare similar periods and groups. Account for holidays, weather, menu changes and advertising. Program members may already be more loyal, so a difference from non-members does not establish causation. Measure contribution and reward costs alongside visits.

Action plan

  • Identify experience problems.
  • Choose a first-visit cohort.
  • Define the return window.
  • Test one offer.
  • Compare visits and economics without a fixed uplift promise.

What to measure

Repeat-visit rate = initial-cohort guests who return within the window / all cohort guests with a complete observation window × 100%. This is an explicitly defined measure, not a universal formula for every retention metric.

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Where StampiGram fits

StampiGram gives guests visible progress and access to offers. This website does not promise ready-made cohort reporting or automated campaigns; agree the measurement process during your pilot.

FAQ

What is a good restaurant retention rate?

There is no single number for every venue. Purchase frequency, format, area and observation period differ. Establish your own baseline first.

Can we measure program members only?

You can describe their behaviour, but that does not prove the program caused it. Account for self-selection and use a comparable control group where possible.