From Tourist Season to Data Season: Why Your Summer Guests Hold the Keys to Year-Round Growth

Summer brings a surge of energy to your restaurant. Patios fill up, locals and visitors alike are eager to discover new spots, and your team works hard to deliver standout experiences. But here’s the real opportunity: every guest who walks through your door isn’t just a summer customer—they’re the key to stronger, steadier sales all year long.

The secret? Capturing the right customer data during this busy season so you can build relationships that last well beyond patio weather.

Let’s break down why smart data collection can help your restaurant thrive year-round.

Why Customer Data Is a Game Changer for Year-Round Success

Patio season is buzzing with locals eager to try new spots—and that’s a huge chance to turn first-time visitors into regulars who keep coming back all year. 

When you gather a little info from your guests while they’re here (with a little help from a loyalty program), you’re setting yourself up for ongoing connections that keep your restaurant busy even when it’s cooler out. (P.S. We’ve got another blog packed with tips on turning your summer visitors into loyal regulars). 

Here’s why collecting customer data is so important:

• Turn summer visitors into repeat fans: Just grabbing simple details like emails or names means you can stay in touch and remind them to swing by again and again.
  
  
• Build loyalty that lasts: Since 70% of people say loyalty programs influence where they eat, giving customers points and perks makes sure they think of you even after patio season.
  
  
• Learn what your customers really want: When you know what people like and how they behave, you can create menus and specials that hit the mark every time.
  
  
• Enhance marketing with tailored messaging: Customer data lets you segment your audience so you can send the right message to the right people, making your campaigns more effective and engaging.
  
  
• Identify peak times and preferences: Data helps you understand when and how customers prefer to visit, so you can optimize staffing, menu availability, and promotions to match their habits. This data even helps you craft offers to lure customers out during your typically slow hours—you just need the right loyalty offer!

Alright, you’ve got the why—now let’s get into the how.

Here are four steps to make your summer traffic work harder (and smarter) for your business.

How to Turn Your Summer Traffic Into Year-Round Growth (In 4 Easy Steps)

1: Get Sign-Ups For Your Loyalty Program

The best time to collect customer information is when guests are already having a great experience with your business. Whether they’re waiting for a latte or checking out, that moment of satisfaction is your golden window.

The key? Keep it simple and low-pressure. A quick ask paired with a clear benefit makes people much more likely to say yes.

Here are a few easy, guest-friendly ways to encourage sign-ups:

• Offer a digital receipt in exchange for an email: Skip the paper clutter and offer a digital receipt instead. It’s an easy, low-effort way to ask for an email while providing something useful in return. 
  
  
• Promote a discount for loyalty sign-up: Everyone loves a deal. Offering 10% off for joining your loyalty program gives customers an immediate reward and increases the chance they’ll come back.
  
  
• Add a QR code at checkout: Make sign-ups seamless by placing a QR code at your register. It can lead to a quick form, a giveaway, or a “members-only” offer—no extra effort from staff, and no waiting around for the customer.
  
  
• Use Wi-Fi check-in as a sign-up opportunity: If you offer guest Wi-Fi, you’ve got a built-in moment to collect data. Have customers check in with their email address and use the opportunity to introduce them to your rewards program.
  
  

With a POS-integrated loyalty system, all that customer info—emails, purchases, sign-ups—flows straight into your point-of-sale system automatically. No clipboards, no manual entry.

It connects each transaction to a customer profile, making it easy to track behavior, send targeted offers, and keep guests engaged long after they leave. Tools like DataCandy handle the heavy lifting, so you can focus on delivering a great experience while your system builds lasting loyalty in the background.

2: Learn What Makes Your Customers Return

A well-designed loyalty program does more than drive repeat visits—it helps you build a clearer picture of who your customers are. Every time someone signs up, you have an opportunity to gather useful (and voluntary) data that can help you fine-tune your offers, menus, and marketing to better match your audience.

Here’s how your loyalty program can help collect valuable data:

• Ask for a postal code or neighbourhood during sign-up to understand where your guests are coming from and identify high-potential areas for outreach.
  
  
• Include an optional birthday field so you can create special birthday offers and boost return visits around those dates. (Chances are, they’ll be celebrating with a few friends, which means a larger order for your business)
  
  
• Offer rewards for completing profile info—small perks (like bonus points) encourage guests to share details like age range, dietary preferences, or family size.
  
  
• Track purchase behaviour over time to see what different segments of your customer base love most, so you can promote top items more effectively.
  
  
• Use survey-style questions during loyalty enrollment (or in follow-up emails) to ask about dining habits or interests in a fun, engaging way. Just don’t go overboard. No one like a survey that takes 10 minutes to complete.
  
  

The best part? Tools like DataCandy make it easy to collect and organize this data, so you can turn insights into action—creating more personalized experiences that keep customers coming back for more.

3. Keep In Touch (And Keep the Orders Going)

Collecting customer data is only the first step—you need a clear strategy to turn these one-time visitors into repeat customers. 

The key is to use the information you’ve gathered to stay connected and nurture the relationship.

How to maximize post-visit engagement:

• Send a “Thanks for Visiting!” message: A simple follow-up goes a long way. Send a friendly email shortly after their visit, thanking them for stopping by. It keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages a second purchase (especially if there’s some points to redeem).
  
  
• Follow up with a discount: Sometimes all you need is a little nudge. A limited-time discount on their next purchase can turn a one-time customer into a repeat buyer.
  
  
• Understand your audience: Send personalized offers or messages, such as discounts or promotions for their next visit.
  
  
• Offer seasonal or personalized perks: Make it personal with birthday gifts, holiday offers, or memory-triggering promos. Try something like: “Loved your iced latte? Here’s 10% off your next order—because you always need a little summer treat.” These little touches make your brand feel thoughtful and memorable.
  
  
• Encourage higher spend with smart incentives: With DataCandy, you can see what your average loyalty member typically spends (say $22), then craft offers that motivate customers to go a little further—like “double points on $25+ orders this week” or special time-limited bonuses.
  
  

Even better, personalize your messages using what you’ve learned. Maybe customers from Ontario love your handmade mugs, while U.S. visitors gravitate toward your maple syrup gift boxes. Segmenting your lists makes each touchpoint feel tailored..

Pro tip: Use DataCandy’s loyalty tools to automate emails and targeted promotions, making it easy to nurture these relationships year-round.

4. Spot What’s Working (And Do More of It)

Collecting data isn’t just about sending emails—it’s about learning what drives action so you can do more of it.

With the right tools, you can see:

• Which promotions led to the most loyalty sign-ups
• What product categories tourists and local explorers love most
• How many summer customers came back (either in-store or online)
• Which campaigns generated the most redemptions
  
  

This insight helps you plan better for next season. For example, if you notice that younger visitors engage more with email campaigns, you can adjust your outreach next summer to cater to that segment. 

With the data you’ve collected, you can:

• Create segmented email lists 
• Use customer behaviour insights to plan promotions during off-peak months
• Build lookalike audiences based on your summer shoppers for paid ads

Need help figuring out what metrics matter? Check out this guide on measuring loyalty program performance for a helpful breakdown.

And with loyalty software like DataCandy, you don’t need to be a data expert—built-in dashboards make it easy to spot trends, track ROI, and see what’s working at a glance. Cue the collective sigh of relief heard from marketing managers across the country. 

Final Thoughts: Make Summer Work for Every Season

The end of summer doesn’t have to mean sales slow down. Every guest who stops by has the potential to become more than just a one-time visitor—they could be part of your long-term growth. With the right data strategy, loyalty program, and follow-up, you can turn those busy summer days into steady momentum all year long.

This season, aim to turn casual visitors into subscribers, one-off customers into brand fans, and everyday moments into powerful social proof. When you collect the right data, every season becomes an opportunity to grow.