What's Behind Chinese F&B Chains’ Rapid Expansion in Singapore: Membership and Loyalty

Chinese chain restaurants coming into Singapore aren’t just winning on branding and menu – they’re quietly winning on membership.

Their “secret weapon” isn’t just spicy hotpot or cheese tea… it’s data-driven loyalty programmes that help them:

• Attract new customers
  
• Make them come back more often
  
• Confidently open more outlets because they already “own” a customer base.

Here’s how they’re doing it and how Singapore F&B brands can compete using similar strategies.

Membership is integrated into every part of the customer journey

Chinese chain restaurants make membership unavoidable by embedding it naturally into the customer flow. Instead of presenting membership as an optional perk, they integrate it from the moment customers queue, place their order, or make payment.

Customers can scan a QR code to join the queue, log in during QR ordering, or sign up at payment to earn points or cashback instantly. After the visit, e-receipts and reward messages further push engagement. This seamless integration quickly converts first-time diners into members without friction, allowing the brand to grow its database from day one.

They combine points, cashback, vouchers, and top-ups for maximum impact

These chains use a layered reward system to influence different customer behaviours. Points accumulate over time to encourage repeat visits, cashback offers immediate gratification, vouchers drive short-term traffic spikes, and wallet top-up bonuses lock in future spending.

By combining all four, customers are motivated to return more often, spend more per visit, and stay active within the brand’s ecosystem. It also gives the restaurant flexibility to run targeted promotions without relying on blanket discounts that reduce margins.

Membership data helps them open new outlets with confidence

Before expanding, Chinese brands analyse membership data to understand where their customers live, work, and dine. By studying order density, spending patterns, and location clusters, they can identify neighbourhoods with strong demand even before setting up a new outlet. Once a new branch opens, targeted messages, cross-outlet vouchers, and double-point campaigns drive immediate traffic. Instead of guessing footfall, these brands open outlets knowing their member base will follow, significantly reducing the risk of expansion.

Membership gives them direct access to customers

Unlike businesses that rely heavily on delivery platforms or walk-in traffic, Chinese chains use membership to build a direct communication channel with customers. Through WhatsApp, SMS, email, or in-app notifications, they can promote new dishes, announce store openings, and send personalised rewards without paying platform commissions.

This lowers marketing costs over time and gives them full control of the customer relationship, helping them grow sustainably without depending solely on third-party marketplaces.

They increase customer lifetime value through behaviour-based rewards

With every transaction tied to a member profile, these brands gather detailed insights into ordering habits, preferred dishes, dining times, and spending levels. This allows them to create personalised offers for different segments—such as lunch sets for office workers, off-peak deals for students, or exclusive rewards for high spenders. By understanding what resonates with each customer group, they encourage higher visit frequency, drive upsells, and strengthen loyalty, making each member significantly more valuable over time.

Singapore F&B brands can replicate this model too

Local F&B businesses can compete effectively by adopting a modern membership system that mirrors the strategies of Chinese chains. With simple phone-number sign-up, unified multi-outlet membership, wallet top-ups, cashback rewards, birthday vouchers, and automated WhatsApp campaigns, even a small café or hawker brand can build a loyal customer base quickly.

When integrated with a smart POS, these features provide real-time insights on customer behaviour, best-selling items, peak hours, and outlet performance, enabling data-driven decisions for expansion and marketing. By focusing on membership as a growth engine rather than a bonus feature, Singapore F&B operators can strengthen customer loyalty, reduce reliance on third-party platforms, and scale with confidence.



If you are looking to grow your F&B brand using memberships programmes, come speak with us and we can share how you can utilise our solutions to simplify and grow your membership programmes. Click here to get in touch!