New Cause-Based Mobile Rewards App Replaces Traditional Restaurant Customer Loyalty Card

MINNEAPOLIS, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ValuedPatron Marketing Services, LLC  (VPMS) has launched Eat-A-Bite, Give-A-Bit™ — a long-term, cause-marketing program based on a smartphone app that unites food manufacturers, restaurants and consumers to help feed hungry Americans, while rewarding each group for their participation. 

A new concept in customer-relationship building that replaces the traditional loyalty rewards program, Eat-A-Bite, Give-A-Bit is based on a Cause Rewards Marketing technology and viral social media platform that utilizes mobile-based scanning technology.

Now in the second week of a 90-day kickoff, the program has already signed on 50 restaurants in three U.S. markets --Denver/Boulder, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago. All restaurants in these three metro areas are encouraged to participate in the Eat-A-Bite, Give-A-Bit program by registering at http://business.valuedpatron.com/register.

ValuedPatron is partnering with Performance Foodservice, one of the nation's leading foodservice distributors, and Roma Food, the largest distributor of Italian and Italian-American food products, to introduce Eat-A-Bite, Give-A-Bit to its more than 100,000 U.S. restaurant customers. Both are part of Performance Food Group, a leading food distributor based in Richmond, Va.  Among the participating restaurants are Angelo's Pizza Parlors in Denver and Lafayette, Colo.; Champp's in Minneapolis and Gonzo's Pizzeria in suburban Chicago.

"We're proud to have Performance Food Group's support of the Eat-A-Bite, Give-A-Bit program, " said Keith Bluford, CEO of ValuedPatron.  "Our technology gives PFG's restaurant customers a replacement for the outdated loyalty rewards punch card -- a totally new concept that enables a group of like-minded individuals to rally together for a single cause and gives restaurants a way to focus on valuing their customers."

In this program, participating food manufacturers and VPMS pledge money to a pool of funds to be donated to local food banks affiliated with Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity.  A portion of those funds is released to the local Feeding America food bank every time a customer receives a digital "punch" at a participating restaurant.  The size of the pool in each market determines how much each "punch" is worth to the food bank. Leprino Foods is one of the initial funding partners.

Following the initial three-city launch, which is expected to engage more than 30,000 consumers, the Eat-A-Bite, Give-A-Bit program will be rolled out to new cities every month starting in June 2012. The program will eventually include restaurants in 95 cities throughout the country. Find more information, graphics, photos and video at http://customer.valuedpatron.com/page/customer-newsroom.

SOURCE ValuedPatron Marketing Services, LLC