Velvet Taco recently hosted the brand’s top five loyalty spenders at an exclusive VIP Taste Testing event in The Colony, Texas. A unique perk of The Velvet Room, this loyalty trip was the first large-scale implementation of the brand’s exclusive non-discount rewards for members of The Velvet Room. Additionally, Velvet Taco has announced an enhancement to their loyalty program by adding an easy-to-accrue, flexible point system model powered by leading loyalty provider, Thanx.
Velvet Taco first launched The Velvet Room in 2021 with a vision to revamp their technology stack with the goal of delivering the ultimate guest experience while focusing on direct-channel ordering. Now with over 40 restaurants across the U.S., the Dallas based restaurant brand continues to elevate the taco through globally inspired recipes and the freshest ingredients.
VIP LOYALTY TRIP
One of the biggest non-discount loyalty perks of The Velvet Room, the brand’s aptly named loyalty program powered by Thanx, is a trip to Dallas for a special WTF Tasting.
This year, Velvet Taco’s top five loyalty members, or “WTF VIPs,” received a trip to Texas for them and one friend to attend a Weekly Taco Feature (#WTF) taste testing. WTF VIP members were determined by the preceding year (January – December 2022) based on overall total spend through The Velvet Room® loyalty program at Velvet Taco restaurants (excluding Assembly Food Hall and Legacy Hall).
The VIP trip package included round trip air transportation for two from an international airport near the WTF VIP members’ homes to Dallas Love Field or DFW Airport, two nights’ accommodations, $250 prepaid gift card, and $100 Velvet Taco digital gift card.
The VIP Taste Testing introduced guests to a night of unreleased menu items, featuring new tacos and guacamole, and an exclusive tour of the Granscape kitchen with Velvet Taco Head of Culinary, Chef Venecia Willis. The four tacos that the VIPs taste tested this year included the Quesa Birria Duo, Al Pastor, Chicken n’ Pig, and Brisket & Cheesy Potatoes. The four new guac flavors included Classic Guac, Jalapeno Popper Guac, Pineapple Fresno Guac, and Elote Guac.
“We wanted to offer our most loyal guests an unforgettable Velvet Taco experience,” says Head of Culinary, Chef Venecia Wills. “We are so proud of the four exclusive tacos showcased during the VIP loyalty night, and we’re honored to share the flavors with our most loyal fans.”
VELVET TACO SWITCHES TO POINTS BASED LOYALTY SYSTEM
The Velvet Room is now an ongoing loyalty program, rewarding guests with points based on spend that are redeemable for an array of unique offerings and VIP experiences, without leaning into traditional discounts.
One example, introduced in 2022, of one of Velvet Taco’s creative, non-discount rewards is their ‘Secret Menu,’ which features six exclusive menu items available to only dine-in and The Velvet Room loyalty app members. This year’s introduction of new secret menu items, yet to be announced, is enabled by the flexibility of Thanx’s technology and the ease in which brands can change perks and make updates to rewards availability instantly, directly from the platform.
Velvet Taco’s addition of a seamlessly integrated points-based system comes over a year after the initial tiered and visit based program launch. Velvet Taco’s team thoughtfully designed the new points system based on rich customer data captured from their Thanx-powered loyalty program. The agility of the Thanx platform allows brands like Velvet Taco to make self-serviceable, iterative changes to their loyalty program in real time. These regular optimizations keep guests engaged and loyalty programs like The Velvet Room® fresh and dynamic.
With the new points program, guests will earn one point for every dollar spent, earning access to a robust Rewards Marketplace while unlocking spend-based tiers with unique perks for every $200 spent.
Thanx’s innovations allow Velvet Taco to offer non-traditional and traditional perks, such as complimentary red velvet cake on birthdays, exclusive access to WTFs, a WTF tasting for the top five loyalty members, and a few more experiential perks only offered at Velvet Taco not yet announced.
Join The Velvet Room by downloading the mobile app in Apple Store or Google Play, order online, or text “velvet taco” to 43618.