[3377en]

Maybe I'll be able to get a seat at the bar now.

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by Miles42

If you advertise the loyalty card brings with it the 3 dollar martini then cancel the deal after the card was bought then it seems to me something is rotten in Denmark.

They run loyalty card specials. Right now you get the $3.00 martini "if" you have the loyalty card.

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by newguyintv

Anyone selling Martinis for $3 is probably using something akin to rubbing alcohol instead of quality Gin/Vodka.

Don't knock it if you haven't tried it !
They have very good martinis. I have them quite often.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

My understanding from reading this thread is that the $3 martini has not been canceled,
but that you now need to purchase a loyalty card to get this special rate.
As Bonny pointed out, for martini lovers this card will "pay for itself".

I disagree. It won't pay for itself because the martinis were $3 before the card was instituted. Now you have to spend $20 to get the martini at the former $3 price. So that equals a raise in the martini price for not only the people who spend the $20, but an even bigger raise in price for the people who don't.

I don't drink martinis, so it doesn't affect me, and I think a martini at $4.50 would be a bargain anywhere else. But those who think they're getting a "deal that will pay for itself" are missing the fact that they just spent more $ for the same thing.

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

It appears that everyone, including the restaurant owner, has lost sight of what a loyalty card is.

Loyalty cards are given out free when you make a purchase. When you make a certain amount of purchases, you get a bonus or in layman's terms -- something free. The loyalty card doesn't cost you one cent.

The loyalty card everyone is speaking about is a disgrace and another term would be screw the customer.

Some places you buy the loyalty card. It just depends on the deals, whether they are good or not. Lopez has a loyalty card that costs $20.00 that many people have and love it. 1 perk I think they still do is you get 10% off lunch plus other perks.

[Happinow]

We have a loyalty card from a local pizza place and it was given to us for free. From my experience, a loyalty card has alway been given to customers to encourage them to frequent their establishment. Where we lived, we had a pizza loyalty card, a milk loyalty card as well as a coffee loyalty card. You buy say 10 gallons of milk and get the 13th free, you buy a dozen pizzas and get the 13th free. I would never pay for a loyalty card. I agree with other posters, paying for a card isn't a deal because you are paying more for the product in the long run. What are they trying to pull???? Sounds greedy to me.

[FlamingoFlo]

I don't think they are trying to pull anything over on us. They are a business and trying something different. The specifics were all spelled out. The choice to buy or not is up to us as individuals. It seems for some it is a good deal and others not so much. We did not feel the card would work for us. It does not make them a bad business to deal with. I enjoy their restaurants and food. The only thing that would stop me from going someplace is bad food and/or service and even then we usually give them a "three strikes" chance.

[bagboy]

I would like to thank all the restaurant and business owners here in The Villages for investing their hard earned money to provide us who live here with pleasant and safe environments to enjoy. I have found that most all offer decent to outstanding fare at very reasonable prices, compared to other cities across the country. I don't lose sleep worrying about the price of beer, cocktails and martinis as all are more affordable here than most anywhere in the country. Should there be a gift card or loyalty card program, thankfully I still have enough sense left to make that decision to participate, or decide it's not for me. Why not walk up to that shop or restaurant owner this week and just says thanks, thanks for your investment in this place we call home. A warm handshake will make you feel better than a cold complaint.

[tomwed]

What if you buy a Loyalty Card and they catch you eating someplace else. Do they take it away? I do have a disguise.

[raynan]

They cancelled the $3 martinis for the high season like all restaurants cancel special deal when high season comes. They are offering specials like the $3 martinis and the 1.50 draft beers for the month of Dec. to Loyalty card holders. Other specials will be offered other months (some food specials) and the opportunity to make reservations for parties of 4 or more which will be great during high season. The other offers, like getting cash back for very frequent diners, is above and beyond the specials. You don't have to eat there 5 times a week unless you want the cash back on top of the specials.
It's just an offer. You still have the option to buy or not. I was willing to try it. If I don't think it's worth it, I won't buy it again.

[joesin]

Did anyone read the Loyal Tee info???? For your $20.00 you get to make reservations for a party of 4 or more. Standard policy is 16 or more. For 20 visits you get $15 in credit, etc. Credits do not expire at the end of the month..they carry over. READ THE CARD information !!!!

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by tomwed

What if you buy a Loyalty Card and they catch you eating someplace else. Do they take it away? I do have a disguise.

They will make you eat the kale slaw at Havana.

[gomoho]

I may be wrong, but I believe they backed off on the opportunity to make reservations for a party of 4.

[tomwed]

Here's the card info:

9. How many visits do I need to earn Credits?

You must visit any of our family of restaurants a minimum of 20 times in a calendar month to earn $15. 30 visits earn $25 and 40 visits earn $50. These amounts are not added together just one full amount.

11. When does the 1 month time frame start and end?

The time frame starts on the 1st day of Each month and ends on the last day of the month.

12. After 40 visits in a month can you still acquire points?

The $50 Credit after 40 visits is the maximum amount of credits that any member can acquire in a 1 month period.

13. Can your earned credit rewards be carried over to the next month?

Yes, credits only expire after your membership expires.

[tomwed]

So visits only add up during a calendar month. Once you reach 20 visits you earn $15. They are giving you 75 cents a visit no matter what you spend on each So let's say you are a 1 martini a weekday after golf person. You drink 20 martinis at $3 each in 20 days and at the end of the month you get $15. Now your martinis are only costing you $2.25. You will have your $20 back in 26 days.