An iced strawberry matcha latte in one hand and a shopping bag in the other is pretty much the unofficial uniform of summer.
Whether it’s an iced coffee on the way to the farmers’ market, a bubble tea after a shopping trip, or a cold drink enjoyed on a sunny patio, people are constantly looking for ways to cool down while they’re out and about. For cafés, bubble tea shops, and restaurants, that’s a huge opportunity.
But while a busy summer can be great for sales, it also comes with a challenge: how do you turn those one-time summer visits into repeat customers?
That’s where loyalty programs come in.
Because while customers may walk through your door for a refreshing drink, what happens next determines whether they're a one-time summer visitor or someone who keeps coming back long after patio season ends. And for many businesses, loyalty is already driving a significant share of revenue. The average restaurant operator attributes 39.6% of total sales to their loyalty program, with that figure expected to reach 53.3% by the end of 2026.
Getting a customer to choose your business is already a win. Getting them to join your loyalty program is an even bigger one.
Why? Because once a customer joins, you have a way to stay in touch. You can reward future visits, promote seasonal offers, celebrate birthdays, and encourage them to come back again and again.
The challenge is that signing up can feel like extra work. A customer is already making decisions: Which drink should I order? How much do I want to spend? Do I have time to stop here? Adding "Do you want to join our loyalty program?" can feel like one decision too many.
That's where a sign-up incentive can help.
Give customers an immediate reward for joining, such as:
After all, signing up is the biggest hurdle. Once customers are enrolled, participating becomes easy. They simply scan their loyalty card, enter their phone number, or tap their app during future visits.
And every time they do, they're given another reason to come back.
Want to learn more about turning seasonal visitors into year-round customers? Check out From Patio Season to Pickup Season: How to Stay Top of Mind After Summer Ends.
Now that you've earned a spot in their wallet, it's time to earn a spot in their group chat.
Summer is naturally social. People are meeting friends for iced coffees, grabbing bubble tea after shopping, and spending hours catching up on sunny patios.
Referral rewards help make sure those plans happen at your business instead of the coffee shop across the street.
After all, if a customer knows they can save $5 by bringing a friend (and that friend can get a free drink just for signing up), the choice becomes pretty easy. "Let's go to that café! I have a referral reward, and you can get a free drink when you join!" It feels like a no-brainer.
Try offers like:
The best referral programs don't feel like marketing. They simply give customers a reason to invite their friends along and choose your business for their next summer catch-up.
Looking for more summer loyalty ideas? Check out our blog on 5 Examples of Summer Campaigns to Boost Loyalty (Plus Tips to Bring Them to Life) for additional inspiration.
Now that you've captured their information through your loyalty program, you have something more valuable than a single transaction: an ongoing relationship.
And those relationships can have a huge impact on your business. New data from Toast and Resy found that up to 50% of a restaurant's sales can come from just 7% of guests, while customers enrolled in loyalty programs can see their return rates increase from a 7% baseline to nearly 30%.
After all, the customer who stops in for a single iced coffee is nice. The customer who comes back every week, redeems rewards, brings friends, and visits throughout the year is the one that drives long-term growth.
This is where lights-out promotions really shine.
Lights-out promotions are automated campaigns that trigger based on customer behaviour, helping you stay top of mind without creating extra work for your team.
For example, you could automatically:
Imagine someone grabs a strawberry matcha in July, signs up for your loyalty program, and earns 100 bonus points. Summer ends, routines change, and before you know it, those points are collecting dust.
Then they receive a message: "Your 100 points are set to expire soon! Stop by this week and put them toward your next drink." Now, what was once a forgotten loyalty account is now the perfect excuse to stop in for another drink.
The beauty of lights-out loyalty is that it works behind the scenes. You set up the rules once, and the system automatically reaches customers at the moments they're most likely to return.
Summer might be temporary, but the relationships you build during it don’t have to be. A strong loyalty program turns a short burst of seasonal traffic into long-term, repeat customers who keep coming back long after the crowds die down.
The businesses that make the most of this season aren’t just focused on filling seats or driving one-time visits, they’re capturing those moments of high engagement and turning them into the foundation for year-round growth.