What Happened:
Newk’s Eatery is growing loyalty-driven revenue with nearly 27% of its sales tied to loyalty members on a rolling 90-day basis. Those guests visit 2.6 more times than non-members according to Chief Development Officer Chris Cheek.
Unlike many fast-casual competitors, Newk’s avoids discount-centric loyalty. Instead, it frames value around “pick two / pick three” bundles, scratch-made food, and a hospitality-first service model rooted in eye contact, smiles, and staff engagement.
Newk's loyalty program allows points accumulation for any menu item rather than restricting rewards to specific products, with implementation of customer data platform (CDP) technology planned to advance personalization and guest segmentation capabilities.
These insights were discussed during Cheek’s conversation on Loyalty360’s Brand Stories podcast.
Our Take:
Many fast-casual brands have responded to economic pressures by leaning harder on discount-driven loyalty mechanics. Newk’s resists that gravitational pull by doubling down on hospitality and by creating value through choice.
Photo taken from the Newk’s website.
Their “pick two / pick three” meal format lets guests build combinations that feel personalized (ex: half sandwich + soup + side), delivering a sense of value without reducing price. At the counter, Newk’s recently rolled out Toast’s guest-facing screens to make ordering easier. This allows staff to spend more time helping guests and less time working the register.
Newk’s also takes a pragmatic approach toward third-party delivery like DoorDash and EasyCater. Rather than fighting these channels, which many customers are already loyal to, Newk’s accepts them as permanent "distribution channels."
As Cheek notes, “If you can't have a smiling Newk’s employee handing that bag across the counter, the packaging has to carry that experience instead.”
Their lifecycle focus shifts from controlling the in-restaurant interaction to controlling the package and proactively managing service recovery, understanding that when something goes wrong, the brand’s response becomes the moment it fully owns the customer relationship.
Looking ahead, Newk’s plans to use its CDP implementation to deepen segmentation and personalize communication across channels.
Listen to the full interview with Cheek here.