Customers Into Repeat Delivery Orders

The Festival Problem: Love You Saturday, Forget You Monday

Festivals and events are a rush. You feed hundreds of people in a single day. The line is long, the buzz is real, and by the time the last customer walks away you’re exhausted and (hopefully) counting a great take. The downside? By Monday most of those people have already moved on. They tried your tacos, your BBQ, your birria, loved it, and then life got in the way. They don’t know your name, your truck’s schedule, or that you even deliver. Unless you’re strategic about capturing that momentum, you’re leaving a huge amount of potential repeat business on the table.

The goal isn’t just to have a great day at the event. It’s to turn a one-time experience into an ongoing relationship. That means making it obvious how they can find you again, giving them a reason to order soon (like a first-delivery discount), and staying visible so “that amazing truck from the festival” becomes “our regular order.” The following strategies are built around that: capture attention at the event, follow up fast, reward repeat behavior, and remove every friction between “I want that again” and “order placed.”

None of this has to be complicated. Simple, consistent actions beat fancy campaigns every time. Start with the basics and layer on as you go.

QR Codes and Signage at Events: Make It Stupid Easy to Find You Again

The moment someone leaves your window with food in hand, their attention shifts. They’re eating, talking to friends, checking the next act. If they have to remember your name, search you later, and hunt for a way to order, most of them won’t. So your job at the event is to make the next step impossible to miss. Table tents at the pickup window with a big QR code that goes straight to your ordering page are the baseline. One scan and they’re on your site; no typing, no guessing.

Tuck a small card into every bag with the same QR code and a short line like “Order again for delivery. First order: 10% off.” Now they have a physical reminder in their hand. When they get home and empty the bag, that card can sit on the counter and nudge them to order again. Verbal mentions from your crew matter too. “We deliver all week. Scan the code on the tent and get 10% off your first order.” It sounds simple because it is. Repetition at the point of sale turns “maybe I’ll look them up” into “I’ll try that discount.”

Keep the message consistent: same QR code, same offer, same “order for delivery” angle. The less people have to think, the more likely they are to act.

Social Media Follow-Up: Show Up in Their Feed Before They Forget

Post within 24 hours of the event. Tag the festival or event, use the official hashtag, and share a few strong photos or a short clip. Everyone who was there is still in “event mode” for another day or two. If they see your post while they’re still scrolling through festival content, you’re top of mind. That’s when they’re most likely to follow you, save your post, or tap through to your profile and find your ordering link.

Engage with anyone who posted about your food. Like, comment, or reply. “So glad you loved the birria! We deliver all week if you want it again.” That kind of reply does two things: it makes that customer feel seen and it puts your name and “we deliver” in front of everyone who reads the thread. Then keep showing up in their feed for the rest of the week. A post or two that says “You don’t have to wait for the next festival” with a link to order or a first-delivery discount keeps the idea alive. The goal is to turn “that truck from the festival” into “that truck I can order from anytime.”

Stay consistent. One post and silence won’t cut it. A 24-hour follow-up plus a few reminders over the next several days gives people multiple chances to act without feeling spammed.

Loyalty Programs and Discounts: First Order In, Then Keep Them Coming Back

A first-delivery discount is the fastest way to get festival tryers to place an order. It lowers the barrier from “I liked it” to “I’ll try it at home.” Use it everywhere: on the bag insert, in your social follow-up, and on your site. “First delivery: 10% off” or “Free delivery on your first order” gives them a clear reason to act now instead of “someday.”

Once they’ve ordered once, the next step is to make the second and third order feel rewarding. A simple repeat reward system works: earn a free item after X orders, get a discount on the next order, or unlock weekly specials or regulars-only menu items. Birthday freebies or “regulars get early access to new items” create a sense of belonging. You don’t need a complicated program. You need a reason for them to think of you again and again. Small, predictable rewards beat rare big ones for building habit.

Tie loyalty to the same ordering channel you’re pushing at the festival (your own site or app). That way you’re not sending them to a third-party platform where you pay high fees and they might never become “yours.”

Be Easy to Order From: If They Can’t Figure It Out, You’ve Lost Them

Someone remembers your food. They want it delivered. They open their phone and… can’t find you, or find a confusing site, or see a delivery fee that makes them bounce. At that moment you’ve lost them. Being easy to order from isn’t optional. Your ordering link should be one tap from your social profiles. Your site should work on mobile first. And delivery should feel accessible. A flat $1 delivery fee (like Outbites offers) keeps you affordable without sacrificing margins. You’re not eating the cost of free delivery; you’re just not stacking a huge fee on top of the food. That matters for someone who’s on the fence between “order now” and “maybe later.”

Capture festival momentum with clear signage and QR codes, follow up on social within 24 hours, reward first and repeat orders, and make the path from “I want that again” to “order placed” as short as possible. The goal is to turn a great day at the event into a lasting relationship with customers who order again and again.