Voodoo Brewing Co. Launches Loyalty Program for Franchisees

As Voodoo Franchise Group accelerates its national expansion, the brewpub franchise is giving its owners new tools to deepen relationships with guests who already know the brand and its beer best.

Voodoo recently launched a new loyalty program designed to drive repeat visits and local engagement across its network of franchised restaurants. The program uses Toast to power in-store rewards and Popmenu to support loyalty in terms of online pickup and delivery (along with built-in text and email marketing capabilities). The new initiative fills a long-standing gap in terms of how the brand connects with its most engaged customers.

“I think it’s a direct line to giving back to people who are loyal to our brand” said Erik Ivey, chief operating officer. “We haven’t done this in the past. But it’s probably the most important thing we can do right now to really engage the guests we know are loyal members.”

Voodoo’s franchise model has always leaned into flexibility and local ownership. Each location follows core brand standards but features menus, events and programming shaped by its community, empowering owners looking to build deeper connections at the local level. Until now, however, franchisees lacked a simple way to communicate those local experiences directly to the guests who visit most.

But the new loyalty program changes that. It gives Voodoo Franchise Group operators a direct line to their customers, equipping them with the ability to promote everything from new menu items to live music and other weekly events.

“We like to call ourselves an ‘anti-franchise’ company because we give freedom to franchise owners,” Ivey said. “We have a core menu, plus local flair menus created by chefs in each community. So, every Voodoo franchise is unique to its market because we’re a unique brand.”

While the new loyalty program operates across both Toast and Popmenu, ease of use has led Voodoo more heavily toward the latter as local franchisees get comfortable with the new marketing efforts (particularly those without dedicated marketing teams).

Beyond communication though, the loyalty program is also beginning to generate data that franchise owners can use to make better, smarter marketing decisions. Tracking loyalty member growth and engagement now for several months, Voodoo plans to share the insights gleaned systemwide.

“If you’re going to spend money on marketing, would you rather market directly to people already engaged with your business — or send it to the general population with a return rate of less than 1%?” Ivey said. “I’d rather have a higher return by going directly to loyalty members.”

Early feedback from franchise owners has been positive (especially as they experience clearer engagement and are able to exert more control over how each local community is reached). At a broader level, the loyalty program reflects Voodoo’s franchisee-first approach to innovation. After spending the past year visiting every location and gathering feedback directly from local operators, Voodoo corporate identified guest engagement as a priority.

“This didn’t come from a magical idea,” Ivey said. “Franchise owners were asking, ‘How do we better engage our communities? How do we get more people through our doors?’ That led us here.”

Looking ahead, Ivey said the real value of the loyalty program lies in its ability to turn strong in-store experiences into sustained growth across the greater Voodoo franchise system.

“If you bring loyalty members back and they have a great experience, they’ll transfer that experience to people who aren’t members yet,” Ivey said. “That creates upward momentum and more loyalty members over time.”

For Voodoo and its franchise owners, that momentum is built not through cookie-cutter marketing, but by giving local operators the tools to keep their communities elevated, engaged and coming back.

More than just a brewery, Voodoo Brewing Co. is a community of passionate beer lovers dedicated to pushing the boundaries of craft beer. Alongside world-renowned “liquid gold,” provided directly from the brewery, local owners offer killer food, craft cocktails and hard seltzer in their community-focused brewpubs.

Each location has a customized logo, locally inspired menu and consistent local events, allowing Voodoo Brewing Co. franchise partners to become truly immersed in their communities. With over 20 locations across multiple states, Voodoo Brewing Co.

has already captured the hearts of beer enthusiasts nationwide and has proven itself as the fastest-growing brewpub franchise in the world. Now, it is on track to quickly grow roots across the nation.