Wondering how to increase customer loyalty in restaurants? Just ask Samantha Buckley, CEO of fast casual success story Ghost Taco. At the 2025 RC Show, she shared valuable advice on using customer analytics for restaurants to inspire devoted fans in an increasingly competitive market.
In this article, we’ll unpack key takeaways from Ghost Taco’s session, The Next Level of Fast Casual: Building Your Own Fan Base, alongside findings from TouchBistro’s 2025 Canadian Diner Report. Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How Ghost Taco turned a pandemic pop-up into a multi-location brand
- How real-time data fuels product, brand, and expansion strategies
- How Ghost Taco personalizes experiences to build community
- Why the right POS system is crucial for scaling up without losing your competitive edge
From Pop-Up to Fast Casual Phenomenon
Ghost Taco began during the pandemic as a way to keep staff employed and a business afloat. When Samantha and Grant Buckley’s full service restaurant and event catering business was impacted by the repeat lockdowns, the couple pulled their head chef aside and asked for help coming up with some interesting takeout concepts.
Just two days before the second lockdown was announced, the pair invited 25 of their closest friends to join them for a taco-tasting party. “Our chef came up with 20 different tacos and we invited all of our friends to come and try them, and gave everyone comment cards,” says Samantha. “All that feedback developed into our first menu.”
They originally launched the new business as a pop-up with an array of menu items. The tacos took off and Ghost Taco was born. Shortly after, the team started developing the concept for its first brick-and-mortar store, a dream that was realized in December of 2023.
The company made $1.3 million in its first year. Now Ghost Taco operates across four locations, with three more in the works. The brand is excited to be expanding to Kingston. It’s also opening a new restaurant in Toronto’s Liberty Village.
4 Ways to Use Data to Build a Fanbase and Increase Customer Loyalty in Restaurants
Ghost Taco was able to achieve an incredible amount of growth within a relatively short period of time. The key? Using data to build a highly engaged and enthusiastic customer base. Here’s how.
1. Use Data to Shape Your Product
Samantha spotted the potential in gourmet tacos right away – but she quickly discovered why no one else had them on their takeout menus. Simply put, “they don’t travel well.” So, the company got to work designing custom packaging that held the tacos upright, looked great in photos, and helped the pop-up go viral overnight.
“We sent a bunch of free tacos in the new packaging to a bunch of our friends and asked them to post them online to help announce our pop-up,” says Samantha. “Boom. The next day, we had all these followers, and it was all because of that user-generated content.”
The social media analytics made it clear: tacos – and the company’s new packaging – were the right choice. But when it came time to grow, Ghost Taco knew it would need more than good instincts and feedback from friends.
“Technology is at the forefront of absolutely everything,” says Samantha. “It captures all of our customer insights. All of our menu insights. And the numbers in any business tell a story, so once we decided to expand, we did a deep dive into POS systems.”
Ghost Taco transitioned to TouchBistro’s Point-of-Sale (POS) system just before opening its first brick-and-mortar store. “It changed our lives,” says Samantha. “You can log in at any given moment to see where your sales are, and to see what’s working and what’s not.”
Now, the company combines data insights with customer feedback gathered through Instagram contests and online surveys. Sometimes Ghost Taco still holds taste-testing events, except now inviting fans instead of friends.
“We put forward a contest on social media, and brought in two groups of people,” says Samantha. “We tested 20 different new menu items with each group, one after another, and it was extremely clear what they wanted.”
Ghost Taco built its new menu based on that customer feedback. “It makes your customers feel like they’re part of your journey,” says Samantha. “It’s not the owners who pay the bills – it’s the customers, so we need to make them feel valued. That’s such a huge part of it for us.”
2. Use Data to Develop Your Restaurant Brand Identity
Ghost Taco’s fan-first marketing shines through in its personality-packed product names and rotating product drops. Finding out how to start a brand ambassador program was an obvious next step. The company quickly acted on the idea by tapping into TouchBistro’s Loyalty platform.
Once Ghost Taco had a framework for its restaurant loyalty program, the company advertised the opportunity on social media. The offer? Free tacos in exchange for monthly ambassador posts.
“We had thousands of people apply,” says Samantha. “And you know what? If they decide to bring a friend, the friend is probably going to post too. It’s all about the micro and nano influencers.”
Now, Ghost Taco’s fun, inclusive, and cheeky social media presence has attracted over 11K highly engaged Instagram followers. This is a massive asset at a time when 35% of potential diners look for a restaurant’s social media profile on Instagram, according to our latest Diner Trends Report. That fan-first mindset is key if you’re trying to figure out how to increase customer loyalty in restaurants – and it’s evident in every tech investment the brand makes. From Ghost Taco’s ordering system layout to its social media scheduling, every tech purchase aims to make fans feel valued and connected.
3. Use Data to Expand Successfully Into Franchising
If you’re thinking about opening a second restaurant, make sure you’re prepared to maintain a consistent experience. Ghost Taco brought on two franchisees before opening its first brick-and-mortar, so setting up shared systems was critical.
Platforms designed to provide customer analytics for restaurants – like TouchBistro’s POS system – help keep franchises connected. This makes it much easier to roll out changes like menu selection and pricing. It’s also easier to collect data on popular menu items, peak times, and order totals.
“You have to protect your brand at all costs,” says Samantha. “Every single person that works for you is a steward of your brand. You need to make sure that they’re all representing you and your company the way that you want them to.”
If that’s not happening, your customers likely aren’t getting a consistent experience across franchise locations.
With about a third of diners basing their restaurant decisions on reviews and influencer posts, consistent quality is critical. Fortunately, Ghost Taco is able to build cohesion by using TouchBistro to keep franchisees aligned with the corporate team, reduce training friction, sync menus across franchises, and capture customer insights across locations.
These customer insights also help Ghost Taco create new menu combos that add price value without diluting its reputation for high quality food. “This is key,” says Samantha. “Pricing is one thing, but value is perception. At the end of the day, value is what it’s all about.”
She’s right about that. In our 2025 Canadian Diner Report, 58% of diners said that prices and value for money were their top deciding factors when choosing a restaurant.
4. Use Data To Choose New Locations
Before opening a new restaurant, Ghost Taco leverages traffic and demographic data to identify neighbourhoods that are similar to places where they’ve already had success.
“Numbers don’t lie,” says Samantha. “We look for brand adjacencies where there’s a certain amount of customers every day in the neighborhood. We look for similar populations and average annual incomes. Those things are so critical.”
TouchBistro’s POS platform supports these decisions by providing customer analytics for restaurants
that can be compared across regions. By analyzing peak hours, order trends, and customer preferences, Ghost Taco can identify which markets mirror their strongest performers. These insights help Samantha and the Ghost Taco team assess whether or not a new location is likely to attract the same kind of dedicated, enthusiastic fans.
The company’s new Toronto location is a partnership with a local brewery in Liberty Village. This was a decision aligned with Ghost Taco’s commitment to community, and an example of how the company chooses every location based on how well it fits Ghost Taco’s ethos – the values that its ambassadors love and respect.
Data + Fans = Long Term Success
Ghost Taco’s growth story offers a powerful blueprint for building customer loyalty. While real-time POS data, a robust ambassador program, and a strong brand identity are key, understanding wider dining trends is crucial.
For more insights into what’s shaping the Canadian restaurant scene, including how diner preferences impact decision-making, TouchBistro’s 2025 Canadian Diner Trends Report provides a wealth of data, making it an invaluable resource for any restaurant looking to connect deeply with their audience and stay ahead of the curve.
Megan is the Content Marketing Specialist at TouchBistro, where she uses her passion for food to write about the restaurant industry. She’s a big “foodie” at heart, and you can always find her enjoying a delicious meal at a restaurant with friends and family, or cooking one up at home. She also loves relaxing with a good book and making progress at the gym.
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