Chubby Group & Chowbus Webinar Recap: Unlocking Restaurant Success
Thank you to everyone who joined us today for an enlightening webinar on scaling restaurant operations and enhancing customer loyalty!
A special thanks goes to our speakers, David Zhao of Chubby Group and Balinda Wu from Chowbus, who shared invaluable insights drawn from their extensive experience in the food and beverage industry.
We discussed Chubby Group’s journey to a $300M valuation and explored how Chowbus’s smart ordering solutions and loyalty program features can revolutionize restaurant success. Here’s a quick recap of the session:
Chubby Group’s Story of Rapid Growth
Chubby Group has grown from a single hot pot restaurant in Las Vegas to an F&B holding company operating over 30 restaurants across 15+ states. With big ambitions to open 70+ restaurants in 2025 alone, the secret sauce behind this expansion lies in their fully integrated supply chain (Chubby Supply), retail product line (Chubby Foods), and marketing/media branch (Chubby Media).
Key Milestones
2016–2020: Established Chubby Cattle hot pot restaurants and overcame supply chain challenges by investing in their own Wagyu cattle ranch.
2021–2024: Opened multiple premium dining concepts (The X Pot, NIKU X, Mikiya, etc.), launched an industry-first NFT membership, and introduced the Chubby Club loyalty app.
2025 and Beyond: On track to open 70+ new locations this year and expand global reach using Chubby Center’s modular design approach.
The Power of Loyalty: Chubby Club
A major highlight of the webinar was Chubby Club, Chubby Group’s loyalty program. Originally introduced as an NFT-based membership, the program has now evolved to include a free app-based tier—making it easy for new customers to join while still rewarding longtime fans.
Two Membership Options:
Lifetime NFT for those wanting premium, exclusive benefits.
Free App Membership for everyday diners who can collect points, earn rewards, and stay engaged.
10 Million Members by 2026
With a goal of reaching over 10 million members, Chubby Group envisions a thriving community across its diverse restaurant portfolio—ranging from hot pot, yakiniku, and Wagyu BBQ to future concepts like cafés, nightlife spots, and more.
Driving Revenue
Over 40,000 existing loyalty members already contribute an annualized $6 million in customer spend. This repeat business and strong brand affinity help fuel both short-term revenue and long-term customer relationships.
Smart Ordering with Chowbus: A Game Changer
In the second half of the webinar, Balinda Wu, Director of Marketing at Chowbus, introduced a suite of smart ordering solutions that transform how restaurants engage customers, optimize operations, and drive revenue. By leveraging technology-driven ordering systems, restaurants can streamline service, enhance customer experience, and improve efficiency.
Chowbus POS: The All-in-One Solution
Integrated System – A powerful POS that combines delivery, order management, and real-time analytics.
Proven Growth Impact – Adopted by over 3,000 restaurants, increasing revenue by an average of 25% and saving operators up to $8,000 in monthly labor costs.
Smart Ordering Tools
Kiosk Ordering – Self-service kiosks offer a fast, seamless ordering experience, reducing wait times and allowing staff to focus on hospitality. Perfect for high-traffic brands like Chubby Tea, where speed and accuracy are essential.
QR Code Ordering – Customers can scan a QR code at their table to browse menus and place orders from their smartphones. This speeds up table turnover and encourages add-on orders, as seen at Chubby Skewers.
Tablet Ordering – Handheld devices enable staff-assisted ordering, minimizing errors and ensuring real-time menu updates. At Chubby Cattle BBQ, tablets provide a more interactive dining experience, allowing customers to explore Wagyu selections and special promotions with ease.
Chowbus solutions are tailored to fit different restaurant types, from quick-service spots to fine dining establishments. Whether it's hot pot, sushi, BBQ, or bubble tea, their versatile technology adapts to various operational needs—helping restaurants improve efficiency and customer engagement without sacrificing quality.
Loyalty That Works: Chowbus & Chubby Group’s Success
One of the core discussion points was how Chowbus enhances the Chubby Club membership model by seamlessly integrating loyalty and marketing tools into restaurant operations. This synergy helps businesses attract repeat customers, drive engagement, and optimize performance.
Optimized Restaurant Loyalty Programs
Restaurants can create tiered memberships (free vs. paid) to offer tailored perks and rewards.
For Chubby Group, the Chubby Club extends benefits across multiple brands, building exclusivity and a strong customer community.
With Chowbus, membership data is directly linked to transactions, allowing restaurants to personalize offers and incentives.
Flexible Membership & SMS Marketing
Businesses can offer free or annual plans, ensuring they meet the needs of different customer segments.
Built-in SMS campaigns help maintain engagement, sending timely offers, event invitations, and reminders to keep diners coming back.
Chubby Group has leveraged this strategy to increase foot traffic and online orders by keeping customers connected and informed.
Data-Driven Insights for Smarter Operations
Real-time performance tracking across multiple locations provides actionable insights for managers.
Features like automated overtime calculations and labor cost analysis ensure efficient staffing and cost control.
With these tools, restaurants can fine-tune their strategies to maintain a consistent, high-quality guest experience.
By leveraging Chowbus’s smart ordering system alongside its loyalty program, restaurants can drive customer retention and streamline operations—ensuring long-term success in a competitive industry.
Looking Ahead
With the continued rise of digital dining experiences, Chubby Group’s Chubby Club loyalty program and Chowbus’s all-in-one POS & ordering solutions illustrate how crucial it is to adopt smart tech and innovative customer engagement. From cutting operational costs to personalizing promotions, these strategies can help restaurants stay relevant and profitable in a rapidly evolving market.
Thank You for Joining Us!
We hope you found today’s webinar as inspiring and informative as we did. By harnessing smart technology and innovative loyalty programs, your restaurant is well on its way to scaling operations and delighting customers. Your success is our success—and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Stay in Touch:
📌 Chowbus POS:
📌 Chubby Group:
Thank you again for joining us today—we look forward to unlocking more success stories with you soon!
