Lyon restaurant launches monthly subscription fee for meal deals

A restaurant in Lyon has launched a subscription membership in a bid to improve customer loyalty and give regulars discounts and offers.

Uni, in the city’s second arrondissement, offers regulars a membership of €5.90 per month. This enables them to pay - for example - just €7.90 for a dish that normally costs €13.90.

Almost 1,000 locals have already signed up, in what the restaurant says is the first model of its kind in the city.

One regular diner told BMF Lyon: “I find it extremely good value when you want to go out to a restaurant, to pay a membership to get reductions up to 40-50% across the whole menu.”

Another said: “For shopkeepers that work nearby, who often come here to eat, it’s good to have a membership, it enables them to come more often, at reduced prices.”

Another said that they come once or twice a month, but the cost of the membership pays for itself even in a single visit. He said: “As a result, we come more often.”

The system not only encourages customer loyalty but also invites constructive criticism for the restaurant on its menu, as members can use the connected app to offer feedback on dishes.

Baptiste Lauby, director of the UNI group, said: “Customers get into the experience on-site in terms of price, produce, and service. And I think the model that we are trying right now brings this experience closer to the customer.”

Should the system prove a success, Uni is planning to open a second restaurant in Lyon soon.

Related articles

Lyon becomes third city in France to ban foie gras on cruelty grounds

France wins 'world cup for chefs' with lockdown-inspired menu

Michelin nod for French vegan restaurant is 'call for peace'