Lunch Garden offers a 10% discount to motorists: "We understand what matters to our customers"

The Belgian restaurant chain has launched a rare campaign: upon presentation of a fuel receipt, customers will now receive a discount on their meal. "A small gesture, but a clear signal," stated Sabine Vanderveken, the CEO of Lunch Garden, during the Gondola Foodservice Congress, which had the specific theme: "Stop guessing. Think like the Guest."

"Thinking like the customer. Even after decades in the restaurant industry, this mindset remains my compass," Sabine Vanderveken asserted this Thursday during her highly anticipated keynote at the Gondola Foodservice Congress: Rebuilding Lunch Garden, from legacy to strategic repositioning.

After nearly a year into her comeback and an equal amount of effort dedicated to rebranding, the CEO reaffirmed her mission to bring the historic restaurant chain back to the forefront as THE brasserie where all Belgians gather. It was a statement that echoed the slogan of the "leafy" brand. However, the executive made it clear that to achieve this, the real needs of consumers must be at the heart of the strategy.

"Not by making assumptions, but by truly listening," Vanderveken emphasized. "Because our customers are feeling the impact of rising costs, such as fuel prices." This provided a seamless transition to announce the launch of the "fuel campaign."

"Eat well to forget the fill-up"

Anyone who presents a receipt for a full tank of gas at any of the forty-two Lunch Garden locations will see their bill reduced by ten percent. In practice, throughout the month of April, the fuel receipt remains valid for one week from the date of purchase and entitles the customer to one discount per week.

"A small gesture, but a clear signal: we understand what matters to them," she explained. "More than ever, we want to be a place where everyone can simply enjoy a Belgian classic in an accessible, warm, and welcoming setting."

🧂 Effective Marketing: Emotional and Strategic

Sabine Vanderveken’s mantra, "Think like the customer," is more than just a slogan; it is a direct critique of detached, "ivory tower" marketing. It serves to demonstrate a human-centric focus, which her "fuel campaign" brings to life. By indexing the price of a meal to the cost of gasoline, Lunch Garden moves beyond a purely transactional relationship, showing a keen and comprehensive awareness of the challenges its customers face.

The chain no longer views itself simply as a restaurant, but as a budget line item competing with other household expenses. Lunch Garden isn’t trying to solve the energy crisis – it can’t – but it is offering a comforting gesture in the face of its customers' financial discomfort. Admittedly, from a purely economic standpoint, the actual impact on purchasing power remains modest.

However, Vanderveken’s focus here isn’t on unit value, but on perceived value. With fuel currently costing around €2.50 per liter, the discount for a solo driver at Lunch Garden amounts to less than €2 – even if they opt for the €12 salmon steak with béarnaise or the €18 lamb navarin.

The same applies even if they choose the "smart" deal to upgrade their main course to a two-course (+€2.50) or three-course (+€5) menu for access to the salad bar or dessert. The appeal is as much symbolic as it is mathematical. The success of this short-term campaign lies in the connection between the promotional offer and the "sting" of the bill at the gas pump. The restaurant even turns a constraint (having to drive to go out to eat) into a promotional hook. This feeds into a top-of-mind strategy, built over time through visibility, consistency, and memorability – ideally at the perfect moment in the customer journey.

Leveraging vehicle traffic to drive foot traffic is a classic example of drive-to-store mechanics. The one-week validity period following a fill-up is designed to manage recurrence, fostering a reflex in prospects: "I just fueled up, I’ve got a discount waiting." Given that most Lunch Garden locations are situated near major highways or shopping centers, the correlation between drivers and customers makes this a very shrewd marketing move.

So much for the praise. Any pitfalls? In the face of the climate crisis, logic dictates that companies should be accelerating their sustainability efforts. Encouraging the use of combustion-engine vehicles – even symbolically – could be seen as deeply anachronistic.

Furthermore, if inflation persists, the "clear signal" of a 10% discount becomes diluted. Why not 20, 30, or more? The danger is that customers grow accustomed to constant promotions, which could tarnish the brand’s reputation for "listening" if the offer is withdrawn, or erode margins if it is maintained long-term without guaranteeing true loyalty.

Speculation aside, the CEO has clearly achieved one goal: getting people to talk about Lunch Garden. By using our Foodservice conference as a platform, she spoke not just to customers, but to the entire industry. Her intention was clear too: the new leadership of this family brasserie chain has reclaimed control of its narrative.