Quiznos is taking a page from Chipotle's playbook and using free sandwiches and food to drive sales.
The Denver-based restaurant chain unveiled the Toasty Points loyalty app Monday. Customers who download the app are being offered a free four-inch sub with any purchase.
To get more free food, customers can earn Toasty Points through purchases, linking the app with Facebook accounts and asking friends to join the program.
While Toasty Points might drive sales, the app isn't a totally innovative concept. Chains from Starbucks to McDonald's are exploring using loyalty programs to get fans to spend more and bring back customers who might have drifted away.
This summer Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. launched Chiptopia to lure back customers who might have left following food safety issues at the company. Toasty Points started being tested in Denver in May, a representative for the company said Wednesday.
"The app allows us to gain real-time insights about our customers, understand what they love about Quiznos and provides a way to connect with customers in a one-to-one manner at a mass scale," Tim Kraus, Quiznos director of innovation and interactive, said in a statement to Denverite.
It's unclear if Quiznos is having similar trouble to Chipotle in bringing people in. The company has locations across the U.S. and in 34 countries.
In 2014, Quiznos closed dozens of locations and went through a financial restructuring after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. "Of the 1,500 Quiznos restaurants still open, the company owns only six itself," Forbes reported last year.
Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or twitter.com/adriandgarcia.
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