Restaurant Name: Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe

Cuisine: Local Cuisine

Service Level: Casual

Products Used: Loyalty Check-In Rewards, Oddle Shop

About Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe

Founded by Keith Kang, the owner of Yang Ming Seafood, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe started as a charming 70-seater kopitiam situated on Craig Road. Drawing inspiration from the traditional kopitiams of the 1950s to 1980s, the cafe provides a nostalgic experience for those eager to relive the flavors and ambiance of a bygone era. Earlier this year, they expanded with a second outlet at 111 Somerset.

Needs

• Developing strategies for long-term success

• Capturing data from dine-in customers to drive repeat visits

• Identifying and segmenting key customer groups for more effective and targeted re-engagement efforts

  
  

As the cafe's popularity grew, Keith recognised the need for a long-term strategy to ensure sustained success. He understood the importance of re-engaging customers and encouraging repeat visits. However, the cafe needed a loyalty system and had no effective way to capture customer data beyond orders made through Oddle Shop for delivery and takeaway.

Since dine-in customers typically account for the majority of a cafe’s patrons, it became clear that capturing data from this group was essential for building lasting customer relationships and ensuring continued growth.

Most loyalty solutions available in the market focus exclusively on the paying customer—whether through purchasing discounted store credits or prepaying for deals. However, this approach overlooks other influential customers, such as loyal fans who frequently return with new groups of people but may not always be the ones paying.

Several loyalty systems aim to capture the data of the person paying via discounted vouchers

Additionally, many loyalty systems require customers to take multiple steps to register or claim their reward, causing higher friction and reduced enrolment rates. A case in point is Genki Sushi’s program, which we reviewed in August.

The cafe needed an easy way to capture relevant data and identify such customers to have the opportunity to conduct targeted and effective marketing.

Solution

To address these challenges, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe implemented Oddle's Check-in Rewards Program. This program allows merchants to reward customers with promotional dishes or drinks based on their visit count, gathering crucial customer data for re-engagement, tracking customer behaviour, and motivating repeat visits.

Collect Customer Data and Encourage Re-visits

QR codes are displayed on a banner and on every table for customers to check-in.

Customers simply have to scan a QR code to complete their first check-in and obtain a complimentary kopi/teh as a welcome reward for signing up.

Based on our data, customers who visit at least 3 times are 3 times more likely to return for their 4th visit compared to 1st time customers. Thus, additional rewards such as a free Chicken Berempah Leg Nasi Lemak, are offered for customers to claim on subsequent visits to encourage consistent re-visits.

As an extra touch, the cafe also issues a birthday reward to customers 21 days before their actual birthday and a reminder 14 days prior. This personalised gesture not only makes customers feel valued but also encourages them to celebrate their special day at the cafe, driving repeat visits.

Rewards are offered at different milestones to encourage repeat visits

Automated Reminders

Oddle's Check-in Rewards Program includes automated reminders sent at key intervals, ensuring customers don’t miss out on earned rewards like birthday treats or visit milestones. This automation allows Keith and the team to re-engage with customers without any additional manual effort.

Reminders are automatically sent to customers via the Oddle Check-In Rewards Program

Quick and Easy Check-In Process

With Oddle’s Check-in Rewards, customers can quickly check in with just a phone, without the need to download any additional apps. If the customer is already registered with Oddle Pass, a network of over 2 million food lovers, the check-in process becomes even quicker.

Smooth and fast user experience during check-in

Segmentation

As customers check in during their visits, the rewards programme tracks their behaviour, helping the cafe identify loyal customers and advocates.

• Loyal customers are identified based on the number of visits.

• Advocates are identified if they bring along new diners who also check in during the visit.

  
  

This sets the stage for Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe to engage with customers in a more personalised and prioritised manner in the future.

Results

In less than 2 months, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe managed to achieve:

• 25% of 1st-time customers returned for a second visit compared to the industry average of 10%

• 40% of 2nd-time customers returned for a third visit.

  • As our data shows, customers who visited at least 3 times were 3 times more likely to return for a fourth visit compared to first-time customers.

• Near 7,000 check-ins

• Out of which, 83% are new customer data

• Identified regular customers and advocates of the cafe:

  • Most regular customer with 20 visits

  • 380 new customers had been referred to the cafe by existing customers

  • The biggest advocate referred 8 friends

    
    

Through Oddle's Check-in Rewards Program, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe has gained a comprehensive view of its dine-in customer base, significantly expanding its database of customer details.

Additionally, this database integrates customer information from both dine-in experiences and delivery (Oddle Shop), allowing the cafe to clearly segment customers across various categories—such as regulars, advocates, lunch or dinner crowd, weekday or weekend diners, and both dine-in and delivery patrons.

Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe can now personalise its re-targeting efforts more effectively, ensuring that customers return for their next visit.