Gregg Majewski sits down with Steve Fusco, President of Rewards Network, to explore how independent restaurants can drive revenue through smart loyalty strategies.

Key Takeaways

How Restaurants Can Stand Out in a Crowded Market
Loyalty Programs Should Tap into What Customers Already Value
Small Business Owners Need Simplicity, Not Complexity

In this episode of Room for Seconds, Gregg Majewski sits down with Steve Fusco, President of Rewards Network, to explore how independent restaurants can drive revenue through smart loyalty strategies. Steve shares how partnering with global rewards programs—like airlines and hotels—helps restaurants attract full-price paying customers without relying on discounts. They also discuss the power of data-driven insights, making it easier for operators to understand customer behavior and increase repeat visits. Steve highlights the biggest challenges in customer acquisition today and why simplicity is key when implementing loyalty programs. Plus, he shares his journey from the Marine Corps to leading a business that supports 20,000+ restaurants and his work with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Don't miss this insightful conversation on scaling smarter and building long-term success!

How Restaurants Can Stand Out in a Crowded Market

In today’s digital world, consumers are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily, making it harder than ever for independent restaurants to get noticed.

As Steve Fusco explains, "To pierce through that noise, you either have to be a large global brand with the presence and channel access and the ability to invest in impressions, or you have to find a way to access a population through other means." For small restaurant owners, the key is leveraging data-driven marketing and established loyalty networks to reach the right audience.

Rather than competing with big brands for attention, restaurants can tap into powerful customer insights to refine their approach. "We can show them, this is how your marketing looks. This is what your customers look like. This is the average that they're spending. This is when they last dined," says Fusco.

By utilizing enterprise-level data, small operators can target high-value customers, optimize marketing spend, and drive repeat business. Through partnerships with major loyalty programs, independent restaurants gain the visibility and influence of global brands—without the massive ad budgets. In a world where attention is scarce, smart marketing backed by data is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Loyalty Programs Should Tap into What Customers Already Value

Many restaurant owners struggle to build effective loyalty programs because they expect customers to engage with yet another app or rewards system. However, Steve Fusco argues that restaurants should integrate into existing loyalty ecosystems that diners already care about.

"There is a real intrinsic value to these globally recognizable rewards programs... What we're able to do is take these very powerful secondary currencies and put them into the hands of a local operator."

Programs like airline miles, hotel points, and major brand rewards already have millions of dedicated users actively looking to earn more. By tapping into these networks, independent restaurants can attract new high-value guests who are incentivized to choose their location over the competition. Instead of competing with national chains on price, smaller operators can win on experience and loyalty-driven incentives.

Small Business Owners Need Simplicity, Not Complexity

For restaurant owners juggling marketing, operations, and customer service, overcomplicated loyalty programs can become more of a burden than a benefit.

Steve Fusco emphasizes the importance of keeping things simple, saying, "Anything that adds complexity to your operation takes you away from doing that, which is the core purpose for your business in the first place."

Operators should focus on programs that integrate seamlessly without extra staff training, manual tracking, or expensive technology investments. The most effective strategies drive customer engagement effortlessly, allowing owners to concentrate on creating exceptional dining experiences rather than managing another system. When loyalty programs are easy to use and valuable to customers, they naturally drive repeat visits, higher spending, and long-term profitability.

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About Josh Kopel

Steve joined Rewards Network as President in 2018, overseeing the Sales and Partnerships functions and serving in a general leadership position in support of the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and organization at large.

As a growth leader, Steve brings a strong background and deep experience in the fields of e-commerce, finance, banking, and technology, translating into the successful businesses he built at PayPal and before that, Citigroup. At PayPal, Steve served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Steve served as Vice President and General Manager of Global Distribution in which he led a global team responsible for partnership with technology platforms and marketplaces. Prior to PayPal, Steve served in a variety of executive roles at Citigroup, in both the Credit Card and Retail Banking businesses.

A native of New York and graduate of Duke University and UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, Steve spent his early career in the Marine Corps and remains active in veteran’s causes. In 2014, he was recognized by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of Silicon Valley’s “40 under 40.”

Steve currently resides in Northern California with his wife and three children.

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About Gregg Majewski

Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.

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Room for Seconds is produced and published by Cali BBQ Media on behalf of Craveworthy Brands

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Loyalty Strategies That Work with Steve Fusco, President of Rewards Network