8 Subscription Ideas for Your Restaurant

8 Subscription Ideas for Your Restaurant
Considering creating a subscription service for your restaurant? Here's how to get started.
by Chidinma Nnamani Aug 03, 2022 — 3 min read
8 Subscription Ideas for Your Restaurant

This article is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal or tax advice. For specific advice applicable to your business, please contact a professional.

Subscription services are not new, but they are not traditionally associated with restaurants. The pandemic, however, drove restaurants to explore additional income sources, including subscriptions. 

The Square Future of Restaurants report shows that 50% of restaurants added new products or services because of the pandemic, with subscriptions and memberships topping the list. In fact, 75% of restaurants plan to continue with the pandemic-inspired products and services. Plus, customers are interested in supporting new revenue sources for their favorite businesses — 44% say they have bought items from a restaurant outside of standard meals, including food retail items.

Now is a good time to consider creating a subscription service for your restaurant. We’ve compiled some ideas to get you started. 

How does a subscription service for restaurants work?

Subscriptions can help you build deeper relationships with regulars while ensuring a steady income stream. In the subscription business model, customers pay a recurring price at regular intervals to access a product or service. 

Subscriptions usually come in three forms: 

Tips for creating a subscription service for your restaurant

Do your research

Check existing business data through tools such as Square Dashboard; identify what customers already love; send out a survey, if necessary. 

Keep it personal

Ask customers about their food preferences and dietary restrictions. Use technology to streamline how you collect and manage customer data. For example, with Square tools like Loyalty and Customer Directory, you can track important customer details across online and in-store channels. 

Request feedback

Customers can churn if the subscription does not meet their expectations. Encourage customers to give honest feedback about the service and make changes accordingly.

8 subscription ideas for your restaurant

Need inspiration? Here are vertical-based ideas to inspire your subscription service.

Subscription ideas for quick-service restaurants

  1. Coffee (or beverage) subscription 
    You can deliver a specific type of beverage or combination of beverages to customers for a monthly fee. For example, a coffee subscription can include a variety of different coffees and roasts so customers can experience a different flavor every month. Other beverages you can try are tea, smoothies, fruit juices, and soda. Panera’s Unlimited Sip Club is a great example — Customers get unlimited lemonades, coffees, teas, and soda.
  2. Snack box subscription
    Snack boxes can include anything from chips and chocolate to healthy snacks like fruit or protein bars. You can package the snacks in reusable boxes so customers can store their treats between deliveries. The more creative you can get with box items, the better.

Subscription ideas for fast-casual restaurants

  1. Takeout meal subscription 
    Takeout meal subscriptions are popular for people who don’t have time to cook or just want to add some fun to regular meals. You can create a subscription service that allows customers to pick up a curated takeout meal box on a regular basis. For example, Gado Gado experimented with a takeout subscription where subscribers pick up a mystery meal at the restaurant every Sunday for a month. 
  2. Meal box subscription
    A meal box subscription service delivers pre-portioned meals to the customer’s doorstep. Customers love meal boxes because they get healthy and nutritious meals and save time and money. There are many different types of meal box subscriptions you can consider. For example, you can offer vegan, gluten-free, paleo, or vegetarian options.

Subscription ideas for full-service restaurants

  1. Tasting club
    Food tasting clubs are a great way for your customers to explore new foods and meet new people who have similar interests. The idea is that customers sign up for a food tasting club and then get invited to events where they can sample different dishes. A tasting club could work well if your restaurant is into experimental dishes so you can try out recipes, cooking methods, or cuisines.
  2. Cooking classes
    Similar to tasting clubs, you can create an exclusive membership where regulars sign up to participate in online or offline cooking classes. Cooking classes work particularly well if your signature meals are popular or you have experienced chefs who are willing to share their recipes. 
  3. Dine-in subscription 
    Subscriptions aren’t just limited to takeout and delivery, you can also create a dine-in subscription for regular diners. For example, El Lopo, a San Francisco Tapas spot, created a dine-in subscription club where members receive $100 in credits for $89 a month. Members are served meals based on their personalized sign-up selections any time they walk into the restaurant, so they don’t need to pick items from a menu or pay onsite.
  4. Alcohol subscription service
    If you brew beer or sell wine and other types of liquor, your restaurant may benefit from an alcohol subscription service. For example, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse offers a beer club subscription that gives customers access to exclusively brewed beer, unlimited beer upgrades, takeout and dine-in perks, plus other loyalty rewards — all for $30 every two months. Keep in mind that you may need an appropriate liquor license or other relevant license required in your geographic area in order to sell alcohol subscriptions.

Chidinma Nnamani
Chidinma Nnamani writes about the food industry, digital marketing, and technology — and explores the fine spaces where they intersect. She works with B2B startups and agencies, helping them deliver clear, actionable, and insightful content for business audiences.

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