Decades ago, restaurants and businesses figured out the importance of loyalty. In fact, while we often associate loyalty programs with digital apps and plastic cards, the concept was pioneered long before these technologies existed. Research suggests that the first modern loyalty programs date back to the 18th century, when a New Hampshire merchant began rewarding customers with “copper tokens,” according to The New York Times. While the technology has changed, the underlying psychology remains the same ...

This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Panera Bread will test a points-based MyPanera rewards program in 216 cafes in the Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Seattle and Wyoming markets, the company wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive. The pilot will reach 4 million MyPanera members. Testing will begin on Jan. 28 in Dallas, with additional markets going live on Feb. 4. A broader rollout is expe ...