Your Most Loyal Customer is 5 Years Old

My son just turned 5 yesterday. Earlier this week, I asked him where he wanted to go for his birthday dinner. We told him we would take him anywhere. His didn’t have to think twice before shouting Habit Burger!!

I was unphased (and actually expecting it) as Habit Burger is his favorite restaurant. We are there at least once a week and it might even be our most frequented restaurant.

Actually… I did not want to guess. I checked my credit card statements (because of course I did). Confirmed. Habit Burger is number one. And number two? Jersey Mike’s.

Also not surprising. That is my older son’s favorite.

So here is the real question… what do these two MVPs of the Zucker family have in common?

Yes, I love a good Charburger (no cheese/extra pickles). Yes, I will never say no to a #7 (No Cheese/Mike’s Way). But if I am being honest, we are not choosing these places. My 5 year old and my 10 year old are.

So now we had the birthday dinner location secured. I called my dad to invite him. When I told him where we were going (in a slightly sarcastic, slightly “no surprise here” tone) He said: “Of course he loves it there. He gets to use the kiosk. He pours his own drink. It’s an experience.” (And can you guess the Zucker’s favorite Kiosk Company? If you said BITE – ding ding ding! (Shoutout to you Brandon Barton). He loves that it feels like his experience.

And just like that… lightbulb.

Same thing with Jersey Mike’s. My older son loves walking the line, choosing his bread, his toppings, his whole sandwich adventure.

How often do kids actually get to feel in control when they go out to eat?

Not often.

But when they do… they remember it. And more importantly… they ask to go back.

This got me thinking about my favorite story from Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken/CBO Craveworthy Brands. (Josh keep me honest here). On paper, Big Chicken’s core customer might show up as 37 to 55.

But anyone with kids knows… that is not the full story.

Because the person making the decision is often not the person paying the bill. And it’s not just my house.

Research shows that 71% of parents say their kids influence where the family eats out or orders from.

Other studies put that number even higher, with nearly 9 in 10 parents saying their kids influence purchase decisions, including dining out.

So yes… your data may tell you your customer is 42.

But your real customer might be in elementary school.

And it goes even deeper than that.

Studies show that most kids already know what they want to order before they even walk into a restaurant… especially at places they frequent.

They are not just influencing the decision.

They are driving it.

The 5 year old picks the restaurant.

The 10 year old confirms the order.

And the parent… taps the card.

Another take on data I jotted down in my notes tab this week. Our new friend Eric Skae (CEO of Carbone Find Foods) was on the Hospitality Hangout podcast this week. He shared this: “Data is not just numbers. It is the story behind the numbers”.

And right now… I think we are missing a few chapters.

Because if your data is only tracking who is paying… you are not actually capturing who is deciding.

And if you are not capturing who is deciding… are you really building loyalty with the right customer?

Which brings me to my next thought.

I LOVE loyalty programs. Like truly. I am the person who is very excited about my free Starbucks birthday drink, my free Chopt salad, my free Just Salad. (I can keep going…)

But here is the irony.

On my son’s birthday, we are going to his favorite restaurant… and he gets nothing (Yes, I am on the account holder and yes I got my birthday reward back in January, but this is not about me).

No points.

No reward.

Why is loyalty tied only to the person paying and not the person choosing?

Where is the family plan for restaurant loyalty?

Because I can promise you this… if my 5 year old got a birthday reward from his favorite restaurant, he would be over the moon. And if one kid gets it… the other one will want it too. (Anyone with siblings knows exactly what I am talking about.)

So while this is my POV… who is going to be first to build the family loyalty program?

Because the brand that figures this out is not just building loyalty with one customer… they are building it with the entire household.

And if you are already working on this and looking for a partner, I might just know who you should call (😉) And if you have already built it and want to tell your story on a top industry podcast… I definitely know who you should call (😉, 😉).

And to the operators reading this… a little reminder:

Your most loyal customer might not be the one paying.

He might be 5 years old.

Lastly, another reason we love Habit Burger? Every time we check out, we’re asked if we want to round up to donate to No Kid Hungry and I’m always tapping yes. Because while I don’t take for granted that my family has the luxury of three meals a day, there are many families and children who do not. No kid should ever be hungry.If you’ve read this far, and feel motivated and are in a position to help kids get the meals they need, click here to make a donation to NoKidHungry.