Games become another reason to open the app
Restaurant apps are turning short games into a way to prompt repeat visits, and early results suggest the tactic can build loyalty without steep discounts. Smoothie King’s spin-to-win games drew more than 2 million plays and lifted loyalty sign-ups by over 40% in their first three months, according to platform provider PAR Technology. The games also helped re-engage lapsed customers.
Those figures point to a useful distinction for restaurant operators: a promotion can attract attention, but it may also give customers a reason to join a loyalty program or return to an app they’ve stopped using. A game makes that invitation more interactive than a standard coupon message. Customers take an action, see whether it produces a reward, and may associate the experience with the brand. That sequence can make an app feel less like a digital menu and more like a place to check in between orders.
Still, plays aren’t the same as visits, and sign-ups aren’t the same as lasting loyalty. The reported figures show that people participated and that sign-up activity rose during the first three months; they don’t establish how many players later bought something, how often they returned, or whether the gains persisted. That gap matters. A campaign can perform well on the measures closest to the game while having a weaker effect on the business outcomes that matter over time.
Chains test different versions of the format
That performance is drawing more chains into the format. Taco Bell rewards members can play a new mini game each Monday through Nov. 1, earning “Paddles” for prize drawings that include a signed Davante Adams jersey, Nation’s Restaurant News reported. Domino’s introduced its first in-app game, Soccer Shootout, this summer. Burger King is offering Royal Perks members weekly sweepstakes prizes of up to $5,000.
The examples show several ways a chain can make an app game part of its rewards program. A recurring weekly game gives members a reason to return on a predictable schedule. A game tied to a familiar sport can provide a theme, while a sweepstakes gives participation a possible payoff. Each approach asks customers to spend some attention inside the restaurant’s own app, where the company can present menus, ordering options, or loyalty information alongside the activity.
But the mechanics alone won’t tell a restaurant whether the program is working. A weekly game may draw repeat play because the game is entertaining, because members want a chance at a prize, or because they’re already frequent app users. Those explanations carry different implications for future campaigns. If participation is driven mostly by the reward, activity could fall once the prize changes or the promotion ends. If the game creates a habit of checking the app, it may have value beyond a single drawing. The available examples don’t settle which effect is stronger.
There’s also a practical design question. A game that takes only a moment may fit naturally into a mobile app, while a more involved one could ask for more attention than a customer is willing to give. And this is the part most people overlook: a game can increase activity inside the app while adding little to the customer’s overall relationship with the restaurant. An operator needs to distinguish an entertaining feature from a repeatable reason to order.
A large audience, but no guarantee of conversion
The customer attention is there to pursue: two-thirds of Americans play video games weekly, most on phones, according to the Entertainment Software Association. The commercial test for restaurants is whether app play translates into durable engagement. Smoothie King’s reported sign-up gains offer an encouraging early signal, while the broader results will depend on whether customers keep returning after the prizes end.
Mobile play gives restaurants a familiar format for reaching people on devices they already use for ordering and rewards. That familiarity may lower the effort required to try a short game. Yet a broad audience for video games doesn’t automatically translate into an audience for branded restaurant games. People can enjoy games in one setting and ignore them in another. The format has to fit the app, the brand, and the customer’s reason for opening it.
The business case also depends on what “engagement” means. App opens and game plays are easy to count, but they’re only intermediate signals. Loyalty sign-ups offer a stronger indication that someone took a step toward an ongoing relationship, though even that doesn’t show whether the new member will use the program. Repeat orders, continued participation, and activity after a promotion ends would offer a fuller picture. The source figures don’t provide those longer-term measures.
What restaurants will need to learn
This is more significant than it looks, but the early evidence is narrow. Smoothie King’s reported results suggest a game can draw participation and support sign-ups; the other chains show that the format is being tested across different rewards programs. Neither point proves that games will consistently produce more visits or stronger loyalty. For now, the evidence supports interest in the tactic, not a settled verdict on its returns.
If you’re working in this space, the useful question isn’t just whether customers play. It’s whether play leads to behavior the business wants to sustain, and whether that behavior continues when the immediate prize is gone. Restaurants may also need to weigh the cost and effort of maintaining fresh games against the attention they generate. A short campaign can be easy to promote; keeping it interesting over time is a different challenge.
That said, games may give brands another way to communicate with customers without relying entirely on price cuts. Discounts can prompt a purchase, but they also reduce the amount the customer pays. A game shifts the offer toward participation and the chance of winning, though that doesn’t make it free of cost or guarantee a stronger relationship. The value will depend on how customers respond and what the restaurant can learn from that response.
The next test is persistence. If customers keep opening the app, playing, and ordering after the prize cycle changes, the format could become a useful part of loyalty marketing. If activity fades with the giveaway, the game may have served mainly as a temporary promotion. A promising start. The longer view will decide whether it’s a habit or a brief diversion.
