Loyalty360 Reads: Hardee’s Turns Empty Gas Tanks into Free Breakfast, Portillos Shrinks Restaurants, and Starbucks Expands In-Store Leadership to Elevate Customer Experience

Hardee’s Turns Empty Gas Tanks into Free Breakfast 

Key takeaways: 

• My Rewards members can earn a free breakfast biscuit by submitting proof of a low fuel tank. 

• The promotion runs through July 2, with rewards redeemable until October 31. 

• Customers can choose between Hardee’s Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit or Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit. 

Hardee’s is helping drivers offset rising fuel costs with a limited-time promotion that rewards customers running low on gas. Through July 2, My Rewards members who upload a photo showing their fuel gauge at a quarter tank or less can receive a free Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit or Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit, redeemable through the Hardee’s app by October 31. The campaign connects a common consumer pain point with a value-driven breakfast offer designed to keep customers fueled, even when their vehicles aren’t. 

Why it matters: 

• The campaign ties a timely economic challenge—high gas prices—to a relevant, value-focused promotion. 

• It encourages loyalty program enrollment while driving breakfast traffic. 

• The offer showcases how QSR brands are using everyday consumer frustrations to create memorable, engagement-driven marketing campaigns. 

Learn more here.

Portillo’s Shrinks Its Restaurants to Fuel National Growth 

Key takeaways: 

• Portillo’s is opening smaller restaurants with simplified menus to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. 

• Digital investments, including self-order kiosks and a new loyalty program, are expected to increase customer engagement and average check size. 

• The brand is targeting significant nationwide expansion by adapting its traditional restaurant model for new markets. 

Portillo’s is rethinking its expansion strategy by building smaller restaurants, streamlining menus, and investing in digital tools as it pushes beyond its Chicago roots, as The Wall Street Journal reports. The chain is reducing restaurant footprints and trimming menu offerings in newer markets to lower construction and operating costs while improving speed and efficiency. At the same time, self-service kiosks and a newly launched loyalty program are designed to boost guest spending and strengthen customer retention, supporting the company’s long-term goal of expanding from fewer than 100 locations today to more than 900 nationwide, according to the Journal. 

Why it matters: 

• The strategy reflects how restaurant brands are redesigning physical footprints to match changing consumer dining habits. 

• Menu simplification and technology adoption can improve profitability while making expansion into new markets more scalable. 

• Portillo’s approach highlights a broader industry shift toward balancing growth with operational discipline amid rising development costs. 

Learn more here.

Starbucks Expands In-Store Leadership to Elevate Customer Experience 

Key takeaways: 

• Starbucks plans to add thousands of full-time coffeehouse coach positions across its company-operated U.S. stores. 

• The majority of the new leadership roles will be filled through internal promotions, creating new career advancement opportunities for employees. 

• The initiative is part of a larger strategy that includes increased staffing, store remodels, and technology upgrades to improve operations and customer satisfaction. 

Starbucks is investing in frontline leadership by introducing thousands of new full-time “coffeehouse coach” positions across its U.S. stores, as Restaurant Business reports. After a successful pilot program, the company found that adding dedicated in-store leaders improved operational consistency, enhanced employee support, and strengthened the customer experience. Most of the new roles will be filled internally, reinforcing Starbucks’ commitment to career development while complementing broader investments in staffing, store redesigns, and digital ordering enhancements that have contributed to recent sales growth, according to Restaurant Business. 

Why it matters: 

• The move demonstrates how investing in frontline leadership can improve both employee engagement and the guest experience. 

• Internal career pathways can help strengthen retention in a competitive labor market. 

• Starbucks’ focus on operational excellence highlights the growing importance of people and process improvements—not just technology—in driving restaurant performance. 

Learn more here.