Chipotle looks to recover with temporary loyalty program

The company is hoping another initiative like this will help to bring customers back after food-safety scares sent many away from the chain.

Chipotle, the fast casual Mexican restaurant chain still dealing with fallout from E. Coli and norovirus outbreaks, is launching a loyalty program to boost its brand and gain back customers over the next three months.

There are three levels of status customers can reach in Mild, Medium, and Hot.

Chipotle’s summer rewards program launches July 1. The Chiptopia Summer Rewards offers free food and bonus rewards for customer visits. Remember, it’s not how much you buy that counts towards Chiptopia, it’s how often you visit. The first free entrée one can earn is at the Mild level, which comes from eating at Chipotle 4 times within a month. BUT, the points don’t accumulate throughout the entire three months: “At the end of each month, purchase totals reset to zero, and participants begin again the following month”. From July through September 2016, Chipotle Mexican Grill customers can earn rewards by joining the restaurant’s Chiptopia rewards program, which is based on the number of paid visits to the restaurant within a given month.

Generally, people can earn a free entree after their fourth, eighth and 11th visit within a month.

Adding another layer of complexity, earning any of the three status levels for three straight months during the promotion period unlocks more freebies, such as catering for 20 people. So purchasing multiple entrées on the same day won’t earn you additional rewards (for example, if you buys three meals at one time, or in the same day, it still only counts as one visit). Those who register by July 31 will earn free chips and guacamole with the first entrée purchase of $6 or more before tax.