Russell Brunson’s Funnel Secrets for Pubs and Restaurants in 2025: Turning First-Time Guests into Loyal Regulars

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Part 1: Why Pubs Need Funnels, Not Just Promotions

Russell Brunson is the man who made sales funnels mainstream. His company ClickFunnels exploded past $100M by teaching businesses a simple truth: most people don’t buy straight away — you need a journey that guides them from stranger to customer to loyal fan.

That journey is the funnel.

The concept isn’t new. Supermarkets do it with loyalty cards. Gyms do it with free trials. SaaS companies do it with onboarding sequences. But here’s the thing: pubs and restaurants rarely think about funnels. They run promotions, slash prices, or post on Facebook, hoping people will turn up. And sometimes they do. But without a funnel, most of that effort leaks away.

Funnels vs Promotions

A promotion is a one-off spark.

  • “2-for-1 Cocktails Tonight.”
  • “Steak Night £25.”
  • “Quiz Night Tuesday.”

They get attention — but then what? The next day you’re back to zero. You’re always chasing, always pushing out the next deal. It’s exhausting and unpredictable.

A funnel is different. It captures the attention from that promotion, nurtures it, and turns it into repeat visits. Instead of resetting to zero every week, you build momentum. Each campaign feeds the next.

Why Funnels Fit Hospitality in 2025

Hospitality has never been tougher. Rising costs, cautious spending, and endless competition mean landlords and managers need more than “hope marketing.” Funnels give pubs and restaurants a system.

Here’s why it matters:

  1. Customer acquisition is expensive. Studies show it costs 5–7 times more to win a new customer than to keep an existing one (HubSpot). Without funnels, pubs constantly pay that acquisition cost.
  2. Retention drives profit. According to Morning Advertiser, regulars spend 67% more per visit than first-timers. Funnels are retention machines.
  3. Social media reach is unreliable. A viral TikTok today doesn’t guarantee footfall tomorrow. Funnels give you control by capturing emails, phone numbers, and repeat bookings.
  4. Consistency is king. Promotions are random hits. Funnels create predictable flows of customers week after week.

In short: funnels turn pubs from reactive to proactive.

What a Funnel Looks Like for a Pub

Russell Brunson’s classic funnel is:

  1. Awareness →
  2. Interest →
  3. Decision →
  4. Loyalty.

For pubs, that looks like this:

  • Awareness: A Facebook post about Quiz Night.
  • Interest: People sign up their team via a form.
  • Decision: They book a table and pre-order food.
  • Loyalty: You email them every Monday with new events.

Suddenly, your Tuesday quiz isn’t just one night. It’s a funnel that fills itself every week.

Where Most Pubs Go Wrong

Most pubs only play at the top of the funnel. They post on social media, maybe boost a post, and cross their fingers. But they never capture customer data, never follow up, and never nurture. It’s like pouring water into a bucket full of holes.

  • You run a curry night → 50 people show up → next week, you start from scratch.
  • You run a big football promo → one busy Saturday → no follow-up, so the crowd disappears.

Funnels fix that by plugging the holes.

Why ClickFunnels Isn’t the Answer for Pubs

Russell Brunson built the funnel movement with ClickFunnels. It’s powerful — but let’s be real. For pubs and restaurants, ClickFunnels is often too expensive, too complex, and too SaaS-focused.

Hospitality needs something simpler. A tool that can:

  • Build landing pages for events.
  • Capture emails and phone numbers.
  • Send automated reminders and offers.
  • Handle bookings and loyalty campaigns.

That’s where Groove.cm shines.

Introducing Groove.cm for Hospitality Funnels

Groove.cm is an all-in-one marketing platform that gives you everything ClickFunnels does — without the hefty monthly bill.

Why it works for pubs and restaurants:

  • Landing Pages: Create simple pages for Steak Nights, Quiz Nights, or Bottomless Brunch in minutes.
  • Email & SMS Automation: Follow up automatically with reminders and loyalty offers.
  • Bookings & Upsells: Add order bumps like “Reserve a bottle of Prosecco for £15” at checkout.
  • Membership Areas: Build a VIP Club for regulars.

The beauty of Groove is that it’s built for people who don’t have time to wrestle with tech. You can launch a funnel in hours, not weeks.

Example: Pub Funnel with Groove

  1. Awareness: A Facebook post → “Book your team for Quiz Night.”
  2. Interest: Link clicks to a Groove landing page → free quiz team sign-up + £5 food voucher.
  3. Decision: Groove booking form → secure table with card details.
  4. Loyalty: Groove automation emails → “Thanks for playing! Next week’s quiz theme: Music Special. Book now.”

That one funnel transforms a slow Tuesday into your busiest night, every week.

The Funnel Mindset

Brunson’s biggest gift isn’t ClickFunnels. It’s the mindset: stop treating every customer like a one-off. See them as part of a journey.

  • Promotions bring people in.
  • Funnels keep them coming back.
  • Automation makes it effortless.

In 2025, pubs and restaurants that embrace funnels will crush those that don’t.

Takeaway from Part 1

Russell Brunson proved funnels can grow any business to $100M+. Pubs and restaurants aren’t any different. You don’t need another discount. You need a funnel.

With Groove.cm, you can build that funnel without wasting time or money. Think of it as ClickFunnels built for hospitality — simple, powerful, and affordable.

If you’re tired of chasing one-off promotions and want predictable, loyal footfall, it’s time to stop posting at random and start funnel-building.

Part 2: Understanding the Customer Funnel in Hospitality

Russell Brunson often says: “You don’t have a traffic problem. You have a funnel problem.” Businesses aren’t short of people seeing them. They’re short of systems to capture and convert that attention.

In hospitality, the same applies. Every pub and restaurant gets awareness — whether from social media, word of mouth, or foot traffic. But without a funnel, that awareness leaks away. People might come once, then vanish.

A funnel fixes that. It gives you a structure to guide customers from first discovery through to loyal regular.

The Funnel Model

Brunson’s funnel can be boiled down to four stages:

  1. Awareness → Customers discover you.
  2. Interest → They engage with your offer.
  3. Decision → They book or visit.
  4. Loyalty → They come back, spend more, and bring friends.

Each stage matters. Skip one, and you lose customers. Nail all four, and you create a machine that feeds itself.

Stage 1: Awareness

This is the top of the funnel. Customers can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist.

For pubs, awareness comes from:

  • Social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok).
  • Local ads (Google, FB, flyers).
  • Word of mouth.
  • Walk-bys and signage.

Example: A TikTok reel showing your Bottomless Brunch. It gets shared, liked, and seen by hundreds of locals. That’s awareness.

But here’s the problem: most pubs stop here. They get the views but never capture the interest.

Stage 2: Interest

This is where you separate “just saw it” from “want it.”

Brunson teaches that interest needs a lead magnet — something small but compelling that gets people to raise their hand. In hospitality, that could be:

  • A free drink voucher in exchange for an email.
  • Quiz Night team sign-up.
  • Birthday club (free Prosecco on your birthday).
  • Event RSVP form.

The key is to collect details — email, phone number, or Messenger opt-in. Once you have that, you can follow up. Without it, interest dies.

Example: Your TikTok Brunch reel ends with: “Book your Bottomless Brunch table now — only 20 spots left this Saturday.” They click, sign up, and now you can contact them directly.

Stage 3: Decision

This is the moment of truth. Customers decide whether to spend with you.

Brunson insists this stage must feel irresistible. That’s where Hormozi’s value stacking comes in. Pubs can combine the two:

  • Offer clarity (Brunson): The customer knows exactly what they’re getting.
  • Stacked value (Hormozi): It feels like an insane deal.

Examples:

  • “Steak Night for Two: 2 Steaks, Fries, Sauces + Bottle of Wine. Normally £40, tonight £25.”
  • “Quiz Night Feast: Entry + Pizza + Pint (worth £25+) for just £15.”

The decision is easy when the offer is clear, simple, and framed as too good to miss.

Stage 4: Loyalty

This is where most pubs completely drop the ball. A customer books, attends, and… that’s it. No follow-up. No reminder. No upsell.

Brunson is blunt: “The fortune is in the follow-up.”

Loyalty in hospitality means:

  • Email/SMS after the visit (“Thanks for coming! Book again next week for 10% off”).
  • Birthday/anniversary campaigns (“Celebrate with us — free dessert on your special day”).
  • Loyalty programs (“Visit 5 times, get a free bottle of wine”).

Every loyal customer is worth 3–5× more than a one-off guest. Funnels make sure you don’t lose them.

Visualising the Funnel for a Pub

Let’s map it out with a real example:

Event: Bottomless Brunch.

  1. Awareness: TikTok reel → “Unlimited prosecco + DJ every Saturday.”
  2. Interest: Link in bio → Groove.cm page with “Book now and get a free dessert platter.”
  3. Decision: Simple checkout → secure table + optional upsell (“Upgrade to premium cocktails for £5pp”).
  4. Loyalty: Groove automation sends follow-up: “Thanks for brunching! Next week is 90s theme — book again now.”

Each step flows naturally. Customers don’t get lost.

Why Most Pubs Don’t Build Funnels

  • They think funnels are only for “online businesses.”
  • They rely on social media reach instead of data capture.
  • They see offers as one-off discounts, not part of a journey.

Brunson’s genius is showing that funnels aren’t just digital — they’re human behaviour patterns. Hospitality is the perfect fit.

Groove.cm vs ClickFunnels

At this point, you might think: So do I need ClickFunnels to run this?

Not really. ClickFunnels is powerful, but expensive and built for SaaS. For pubs and restaurants, Groove.cm is the smarter choice. It gives you:

  • Event landing pages.
  • Automated follow-ups.
  • Booking systems.
  • Loyalty campaigns.

At a fraction of the cost.

This is exactly where most pubs struggle — not in ideas, but in execution. Groove makes the funnel practical.

Takeaway from Part 2

Russell Brunson’s funnel model is simple: Awareness → Interest → Decision → Loyalty. For pubs, that means:

  • Stop relying only on social posts.
  • Capture interest with sign-ups and vouchers.
  • Make decisions easy with clear, irresistible offers.
  • Lock in loyalty with automation and follow-up.

Funnels aren’t theory. They’re systems for keeping pubs full, week after week. And with Groove.cm, they’re easier to build than ever.

Part 3: Awareness – Filling the Funnel

Russell Brunson is clear: funnels start with attention. If nobody knows you exist, nothing else matters. But he also warns that attention without capture is wasted — it has to flow into a funnel.

This is where Gary Vee’s playbook meets Brunson’s. Gary teaches how to create endless attention through content. Brunson shows how to turn that attention into customers through funnels. Together, they’re unstoppable.

For pubs and restaurants, awareness is about being visible where your customers spend time in 2025: social feeds, local search, and community spaces. The challenge is cutting through noise with limited time and budget.

Why Awareness Matters More Than Ever

Hospitality has always relied on word of mouth. But in 2025, word of mouth happens on TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp groups. If your pub isn’t showing up there, you’re invisible to a big chunk of your market.

And here’s the kicker: people are still going out. Data from CGA Strategy shows 77% of UK consumers visited a pub at least once a month in 2024. The demand is there. The pubs winning are the ones showing up consistently in feeds and searches.

Awareness isn’t about chasing viral hits. It’s about building steady, predictable visibility so your funnel is always full.

The Three Pillars of Awareness for Pubs

Brunson would say: pick the channels where your dream customers already are, then dominate them. For pubs, that means three main pillars:

  1. Social Content (Gary Vee style)
    • TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook videos.
    • Show food, drinks, atmosphere, behind-the-scenes.
    • Use humour, trends, and local references.
  2. Local SEO & Listings
    • Google Business Profile updates with events, photos, and menus.
    • Local keywords on your website/blog (“Pub quiz in Washington,” “Best Bottomless Brunch Tyne & Wear”).
    • Reviews (the ultimate awareness driver in search).
  3. Community Presence
    • Posters, flyers, local sponsorships.
    • School fundraisers, charity nights.
    • WhatsApp groups or local Facebook communities.

Each of these feeds awareness into your funnel.

Turning Awareness into Funnel Traffic

Here’s the Brunson twist: awareness should never be the endpoint. Every awareness piece should lead to a next step.

  • Social post → link to booking page.
  • Google Business post → link to Groove.cm offer.
  • Flyer → QR code for free drink voucher sign-up.

Awareness isn’t just “look at us.” It’s “take this next action.”

Examples of Awareness Campaigns for Pubs

Let’s run through some practical examples that blend Gary Vee’s attention tactics with Brunson’s funnel mindset.

1. TikTok Trend Video

  • Gary Vee move: Use a trending sound. Show your staff making cocktails. Add humour.
  • Brunson move: Caption → “Want 2-for-1 cocktails this Friday? Book your table here.” Link to Groove landing page.

2. Local SEO Boost

  • Update your Google Business Profile with “Quiz Night Every Tuesday.”
  • Add photos of winners, food, and atmosphere.
  • Link → “Reserve your quiz team table now.” Groove captures names and emails.

3. Flyer Campaign

  • Flyer at local shops: “Family Feast Night — Kids Eat Free.”
  • QR code → Groove sign-up page.
  • Collects emails in exchange for a free dessert voucher.

These are awareness campaigns, but structured to fill the funnel.

Paid Ads for Awareness

Brunson often uses paid ads at the funnel top. For pubs, the good news is that local ads are cheap.

  • Facebook/Instagram Ads: Target people within 5 miles. Promote Bottomless Brunch or Quiz Night.
  • Google Ads: Bid on “pub near me” and “pub quiz near me.”
  • TikTok Ads: Promote fun, themed nights.

💡 The trick? Don’t just run ads for “brand awareness.” Always push to a lead magnet or booking page.

Common Awareness Mistakes

Most pubs get stuck at this stage. They:

  • Post generic content with no CTA.
  • Run ads that say “We’re open!” instead of promoting an offer.
  • Spend money on awareness but never capture emails/numbers.

This is what Brunson means by “a funnel problem.” Attention without capture is wasted.

Awareness → Interest Bridge

To keep things practical, let’s map the bridge:

  • Awareness (Gary Vee): TikTok reel → “Steak Night this Wednesday.”
  • Interest (Brunson): Link → Groove.cm page → “Book now and get a free dessert platter.”
  • Decision: They confirm table.
  • Loyalty: Groove automation sends a thank-you + next week’s menu.

That’s a working funnel. Awareness fills it. Interest captures it.

SmartPubTools + Groove.cm = Funnel Power

Here’s the neat part. SmartPubTools handles awareness content (memes, posts, TikToks). Groove.cm (via your affiliate link) handles the funnel.

  • SmartPubTools keeps your pub visible.
  • Groove.cm captures the traffic and nurtures it.

Together, they give pubs a plug-and-play version of what Brunson has been teaching entrepreneurs for a decade.

Takeaway from Part 3

Awareness is the fuel. Funnels are the engine. One without the other is useless. Gary Vee shows how to get attention. Russell Brunson shows how to direct it into systems that keep customers coming back.

For pubs and restaurants, awareness means being present on social, search, and in the community. But the key is turning that awareness into funnel traffic with CTAs, lead magnets, and bookings.

The pubs that get this right don’t just have busy Saturdays. They have predictable, full calendars — powered by funnels.

Part 4: Capturing Interest – Lead Magnets for Pubs

Russell Brunson has a mantra: “You’re one funnel away.” But here’s the catch — a funnel only works if you actually capture people at the top. Most businesses let attention slip away because they never ask for details.

For pubs and restaurants, this is the biggest leak in the system. You post on social media, you run events, you get busy nights — but the next day you’re back to zero. Why? Because you didn’t capture interest.

This is where lead magnets come in. They’re the bridge between awareness and decision. They give customers a reason to hand over their email, phone number, or booking info so you can follow up. Without them, you’re always chasing. With them, you’re building an asset: your customer list.

What Is a Lead Magnet?

In Brunson’s world, a lead magnet is a small, high-value incentive given in exchange for contact info. It’s not about making a sale right away — it’s about capturing the right people into your funnel.

For pubs, that doesn’t mean eBooks or PDF guides. It means instant, tangible rewards tied to food, drink, or experiences.

Think:

  • Free drink.
  • Discount voucher.
  • Priority booking.
  • Event entry.

Something quick, easy, and valuable enough to make people act.

Why Lead Magnets Work in Hospitality

Hospitality customers already want what you’re selling. They’re hungry, thirsty, and social. The friction is small. But people are cautious with their details — you need to make it worth their while.

Example:

  • Weak CTA: “Follow us on Facebook for updates.”
  • Strong CTA: “Sign up today and get a free pint on your next visit.”

The second builds a database you can market to forever. The first leaves you at the mercy of Facebook’s algorithm.

Types of Lead Magnets for Pubs

Here are proven lead magnet styles tailored for hospitality:

  1. Free Drink Voucher
    • Classic and effective. “Join our mailing list and get your first pint free.”
    • Low cost, high perceived value.
  2. Birthday Club
    • “Sign up for our Birthday Club and get a free bottle of Prosecco.”
    • Triggers loyalty every year.
  3. Quiz Night Sign-Up
    • Capture entire teams’ details.
    • “Book your quiz team now and get free nachos on arrival.”
  4. Event Priority Access
    • For music nights, brunches, or limited events.
    • “Only 50 tickets available — sign up now to reserve yours.”
  5. Loyalty Perks
    • “Join our VIP Club for weekly offers and free dessert after 5 visits.”
    • Turns sign-ups into habits.
  6. Competition Entries
    • “Enter to win a £50 bar tab.”
    • Data capture disguised as fun.

Where to Place Lead Magnets

Brunson would say: put them everywhere traffic touches you. For pubs, that means:

  • Landing Pages: Event pages built in Groove.cm with opt-in forms.
  • Website Pop-Ups: “Get 10% off your first meal — join our email list now.”
  • Social Media Links: TikTok/Instagram bios linking to sign-up pages.
  • Google Business Profile: Add booking links tied to free perks.
  • In-Venue QR Codes: Menus or posters leading to “Join our Club” sign-ups.

The goal? Make giving details the natural next step.

Example Funnel: Quiz Night

Let’s run a real example:

  1. Awareness: Facebook post — “Quiz Night Tuesday, cash prizes + fun vibes.”
  2. Lead Magnet (Interest): Link to Groove.cm landing page → “Sign up your team and get free nachos.”
  3. Decision: They book their table through the form.
  4. Loyalty: Groove automation → “Thanks for joining! Next week’s quiz theme is Music Night — book again.”

Instead of one busy Tuesday, you’ve now got a self-sustaining funnel.

Groove.cm for Lead Magnets

Brunson built ClickFunnels for this purpose. But for pubs and restaurants, Groove.cm is simpler, cheaper, and perfect.

With Groove you can:

  • Build opt-in pages in minutes.
  • Create automated thank-you emails with vouchers.
  • Add SMS reminders for bookings.
  • Segment customers (families, students, professionals).

That means one quiz sign-up today becomes ten repeat visits over the year.

The Psychology of Hospitality Lead Magnets

Why do they work so well? Two big reasons:

  1. Reciprocity: When you give customers something free, they feel compelled to give back — by visiting, booking, or buying.
  2. Commitment: By handing over details, customers make a micro-commitment. That makes them more likely to follow through with a visit.

Brunson has proven this online. Hospitality amplifies it because the rewards are instant.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Asking for too much. Don’t demand full addresses or long forms. Name, email, phone is enough.
  2. Overcomplicating redemption. If people can’t use the voucher easily, they won’t trust you again.
  3. Failing to follow up. Capturing data is step one. Using it is step two.

Remember: the magnet isn’t the end. It’s the door into your funnel.

Takeaway from Part 4

Russell Brunson says, “You don’t have a business until you have a list.” Pubs and restaurants are no different.

Lead magnets turn one-off promotions into long-term relationships. Whether it’s a free pint, a birthday Prosecco, or quiz-night nachos, the key is capturing customer details in exchange for value.

With Groove.cm, it’s easier than ever to build these funnels — and to automate the follow-up that turns interest into loyalty.

Part 5: Decision – Making the First Visit Irresistible

Russell Brunson teaches that once you’ve captured someone’s interest, you need a clear and irresistible next step. This is the decision stage of the funnel — the moment a customer chooses to walk through your doors (or doesn’t).

For pubs and restaurants, this is where many funnels break down. You’ve caught attention on social, maybe even got an email address — but the offer that pushes people to book isn’t strong enough. The customer scrolls past, says “maybe next week,” and your funnel stalls.

Brunson’s secret? Clarity.
 Hormozi’s secret? Value stacking.
 Together, they make first visits feel like a no-brainer.

Why Clarity Matters

At the decision stage, ambiguity kills conversions. Customers need to know exactly what they’re getting, at what price, and why it’s worth it.

Compare:

  • Vague: “Special night coming soon — book your table!”
  • Clear: “This Wednesday only: 2 Steaks + Fries + Bottle of Wine for £25 (normally £40). Book now — only 20 tables.”

The second wins every time because it removes doubt. Customers can picture the outcome, see the value, and feel urgency.

The Hormozi Layer: Irresistible Offers

Clarity is step one. Step two is stacking value so the price feels tiny. Hormozi calls this “making people feel stupid saying no.”

For pubs, this means bundling food, drink, and experience into packages that look like insane deals but still protect your margin.

Examples:

  • “Quiz Night Feast: Entry + Pizza + Pint (worth £25+) for just £15.”
  • “Bottomless Brunch: 2 Hours of Unlimited Prosecco + 1 Brunch Dish + DJ Set for £30.”
  • “Family Feast Night: 2 Adult Mains + 2 Kids’ Meals + Jug of Soft Drinks for £30.”

Customers don’t just see food and drink. They see an experience that feels worth much more than the price tag.

Decision Funnels in Practice

Brunson often uses “One Time Offers” (OTOs) — deals positioned as immediate, can’t-miss decisions. In hospitality, this translates perfectly into booking funnels.

Example Funnel:

  1. Lead Magnet: “Sign up your quiz team and get free nachos.”
  2. Decision Offer: “Upgrade your booking now — Quiz Night Feast (Pizza + Pint + Entry) for £15pp. Only valid if you book by Tuesday midnight.”
  3. Upsell: “Want to add a bottle of Prosecco for £15? Tick here.”

The lead magnet brings them in. The decision offer seals the booking. The upsell boosts spend per head.

The Role of FOMO

Brunson always pairs decision offers with FOMO triggers — scarcity, urgency, exclusivity. We covered these in detail earlier, but here they come into play again:

  • Scarcity: “Only 20 tables available.”
  • Urgency: “Book by Thursday midnight.”
  • Exclusivity: “VIP members get free dessert.”

Without these, customers hesitate. With them, they act.

Groove.cm for Decision Offers

Here’s where Groove.cm makes life easy. Instead of just running ads or posts that hope people show up, Groove lets you:

  • Build booking pages with clear, stacked offers.
  • Add countdown timers (urgency).
  • Limit spots (scarcity).
  • Add upsells at checkout (extra drinks, desserts, VIP packages).

This transforms a static promotion into a funnel that actively pushes customers to commit.

Common Mistakes at the Decision Stage

  1. Too Vague: “Live Music Friday!” without saying what’s included or why to book.
  2. Too Generic: “10% Off” doesn’t excite anyone. Value stacking beats percentage discounts.
  3. No Urgency: “Available all month” encourages procrastination.
  4. Clunky Booking Process: If customers can’t book in two clicks, you’ll lose them.

Brunson’s rule: if the next step isn’t crystal clear and ridiculously easy, you’ll bleed conversions.

Case Study: Bottomless Brunch

Let’s apply this:

Weak Offer:
 “Bottomless Brunch Saturdays. DM us to book.”

Strong Funnel Offer:
 “Bottomless Brunch: 2 Hours Unlimited Prosecco + 1 Brunch Dish + DJ Set for £30. Normally worth £50+. Only 20 tables available per Saturday. Book now with one click.”

The difference? Clarity, value stacking, and urgency. One gets ignored. The other sells out weekly.

The Psychology of First Visits

First-time customers are the hardest to win. They don’t know your pub yet. They’re weighing options. The decision offer must feel like the safest, smartest choice.

Brunson teaches to remove all doubt:

  • “Here’s exactly what you get.”
  • “Here’s why it’s worth more than the price.”
  • “Here’s why you need to act now.”

When you nail this, first visits skyrocket. From there, loyalty funnels take over.

Takeaway from Part 5

At the decision stage, clarity + irresistible offers = conversions. Brunson provides the clarity. Hormozi adds the value stacking. Together, they make first visits feel inevitable.

For pubs and restaurants, this means:

  • Spell out exactly what the customer gets.
  • Bundle food, drink, and experience for irresistible value.
  • Add FOMO so people book now, not later.
  • Use Groove.cm to automate the process and upsells.

The pubs that master decision offers don’t just run busy nights — they create predictable booking pipelines.

Part 6: Loyalty – Turning One Visit into Ten

Russell Brunson is famous for reminding entrepreneurs that most sales don’t happen on the first contact. The same is true in hospitality. Customers might visit once, but unless you follow up, most never return.

That’s why Brunson insists: the fortune is in the follow-up. In pubs and restaurants, this means building systems that take a first-time guest and turn them into a loyal regular. Without loyalty, you’re constantly chasing new customers. With it, you’re building a predictable revenue base.

Why Loyalty Is Gold in Hospitality

Hospitality data is clear:

  • A repeat customer spends 67% more per visit than a first-timer (Morning Advertiser).
  • Increasing retention by just 5% can increase profits by 25–95% (Harvard Business Review).
  • Loyal customers bring friends, leave reviews, and fill slow nights.

Brunson’s funnel doesn’t stop at the decision to visit. The real money is in designing a path for guests to come back again and again.

The Follow-Up Funnel

Here’s how Brunson would map a loyalty funnel for a pub:

  1. Thank You Message
    • After their visit, send a quick email/SMS: “Thanks for joining us tonight! We’d love to see you again soon.”
    • Builds goodwill and sets up the next step.
  2. Next Visit Incentive
    • “Come back within 14 days and get 20% off mains.”
    • Creates urgency and habit formation.
  3. Themed Campaigns
    • “You came to Steak Night — next week is Curry Night. Book your table now.”
    • Cross-pollinates events.
  4. VIP or Loyalty Club
    • “Join our VIP Pub Club — members get exclusive deals and first access to tickets.”
    • Makes customers feel part of an inside circle.
  5. Special Occasions
    • Birthday/anniversary emails: “Celebrate with us — free bottle of Prosecco.”
    • Highly personal and emotional.

Example: Quiz Night Loyalty Funnel

  1. Visit: A team comes for Quiz Night.
  2. Follow-Up: Groove.cm email — “Thanks for playing! Book next Tuesday for our Music Quiz.”
  3. Incentive: “Book within 48 hours and get free nachos for your team.”
  4. VIP Layer: “Join our Quiz Master Club — priority booking and jackpot alerts.”

Suddenly, a casual one-off quiz team becomes a weekly customer base.

How Groove.cm Powers Loyalty

This is where Groove.cm shines. Instead of relying on staff to remember follow-ups, Groove automates the whole loyalty funnel:

  • Automated Emails & SMS: Thank-you notes, next-visit offers, birthday campaigns.
  • Segmentation: Families, students, professionals — send each group tailored offers.
  • Membership Areas: Create VIP clubs with exclusive perks.
  • Upsell Triggers: After brunch, offer discounted tickets for next month’s event.

It’s ClickFunnels thinking, but built into a hospitality-friendly tool.

The Psychology of Loyalty

Brunson often teaches that people stay with brands that make them feel:

  1. Recognised: “They remembered my name/birthday.”
  2. Rewarded: “I get perks for being loyal.”
  3. Part of a Tribe: “This is my pub.”

Hospitality is uniquely suited to deliver this. It’s social, emotional, and personal. The trick is using systems to scale it beyond memory and chance.

Loyalty Tactics That Work

Here are loyalty tactics proven to work in pubs, mapped to Brunson’s funnel principles:

  • Punch-Card Loyalty (Old School, New Twist): Replace with digital check-ins via Groove. Every 5th visit = free dessert.
  • Email Sequences: After their first booking, send a 3-part sequence: thank-you, next event invite, VIP club offer.
  • Seasonal Funnels: Customers from Christmas parties get re-engaged in summer for beer garden events.
  • Referrals: “Bring a friend to Steak Night and you both get free drinks.” Brunson calls this funnel stacking.

Case Study: Starbucks Rewards

Starbucks built one of the strongest loyalty funnels in the world. Customers aren’t just buying coffee — they’re collecting stars, earning perks, and staying inside a funnel.

The lesson for pubs: loyalty isn’t about discounts. It’s about making customers feel like they’re progressing toward rewards and belonging to a club.

Common Loyalty Mistakes

  1. One-and-Done Mentality: Assuming one busy night equals long-term loyalty.
  2. No Follow-Up: Customers leave, never hear from you again.
  3. Generic Offers: “10% off” blasts that don’t feel personal.
  4. No Data: Relying on memory instead of building a real list.

Brunson would say: “If you’re not following up, you don’t have a funnel — you have a leaky bucket.”

Why Competitors Fail

Chains often run points-based loyalty apps — but they’re impersonal. Independents often run nothing at all. That’s the gap. Independent pubs that use Brunson’s funnel logic with Groove can feel personal while still running systematic.

This creates an unbeatable edge: the charm of an independent with the systems of a chain.

Takeaway from Part 6

The decision to visit is just the beginning. The fortune is in the follow-up. For pubs and restaurants, that means:

  • Sending thank-yous and next-visit offers.
  • Using birthdays and events to trigger return visits.
  • Building VIP clubs that make customers feel special.
  • Automating it all with Groove.cm.

Brunson’s loyalty funnels turn one-off guests into regulars. And regulars are what make pubs thrive in tough times.

Part 7: Case Studies – Funnels in Action for Hospitality

Russell Brunson’s funnel strategies aren’t theory. They’ve been proven across industries for decades — including hospitality. Pubs, restaurants, and chains have been running “funnels” long before the term was popular. They might not have called it that, but the structure was the same: attract attention, capture interest, guide decisions, and build loyalty.

The good news? Independent pubs can copy these moves — often more creatively and faster than big chains.

Case Study 1: Wetherspoons Curry Club

The Funnel:

  1. Awareness: Weekly promotion across menus, posters, and the Wetherspoons app.
  2. Interest: Customers see the stacked value — curry, rice, naan, poppadoms, and a drink for ~£8–10.
  3. Decision: Clear, irresistible package. One-click order in the app or at the bar.
  4. Loyalty: Runs every week. Customers plan around it, turning “Curry Club” into routine.

Why It Works:

  • Brunson-style clarity: exactly what’s included, at a price that feels like a steal.
  • Hormozi-style value stacking: multiple items bundled.
  • Scarcity/urgency: specific day only.

Takeaway: independents can create their own “club nights” to anchor loyalty funnels.

Case Study 2: Domino’s £5 Lunch Deal

The Funnel:

  1. Awareness: Ads and app notifications.
  2. Interest: Limited hours (11–4pm) create urgency.
  3. Decision: £5 meal bundle is a no-brainer compared to other fast-food options.
  4. Loyalty: App captures data, sending repeat offers.

Why It Works:

  • Funnel clarity: one price, one offer, clear value.
  • Urgency: lunch hours only.
  • Follow-up: Domino’s app keeps customers in the funnel.

Takeaway: pubs can copy this with “fixed-time deals” like £10 lunches or after-school specials.

Case Study 3: Revolution Bars Bottomless Brunch

The Funnel:

  1. Awareness: Instagram reels of groups clinking glasses, DJ clips.
  2. Interest: Customers see unlimited drinks + food for a flat £30.
  3. Decision: Scarcity (“only 20 tables per Saturday”) pushes bookings.
  4. Loyalty: Automated emails upsell premium drinks or themed brunches.

Why It Works:

  • Strong visual content at funnel top.
  • Hormozi-style stacking: drinks + food + entertainment.
  • Brunson-style decision clarity: 2 hours, one price.

Takeaway: independents can create their own “signature brunch” funnel using Groove.cm to capture bookings and upsell add-ons.

Case Study 4: Starbucks Rewards

The Funnel:

  1. Awareness: Customers download the app in exchange for perks.
  2. Interest: Points system makes every order feel rewarding.
  3. Decision: App sends push notifications with offers.
  4. Loyalty: Gamified stars keep people hooked for years.

Why It Works:

  • Lead magnet: free drink on sign-up.
  • Funnel follow-up: personalised offers.
  • Loyalty flywheel: the more you spend, the more value you unlock.

Takeaway: pubs don’t need fancy apps. They can build email/SMS clubs with the same psychology.

Case Study 5: BrewDog’s Equity for Punks

The Funnel:

  1. Awareness: Viral campaigns about owning a piece of BrewDog.
  2. Interest: Customers intrigued by perks and community angle.
  3. Decision: Shares bought for perks like discounts and invites.
  4. Loyalty: Shareholders become superfans, attending events and pushing friends to join.

Why It Works:

  • Exclusivity: not everyone can join.
  • Emotional connection: fans feel like owners.
  • Long-term funnel: customers tied into brand for years.

Takeaway: independents can borrow this by creating VIP Clubs with exclusive invites, perks, and behind-the-scenes access.

Case Study 6: Independent Pub Quiz Night

The Funnel:

  1. Awareness: Posters, local Facebook events.
  2. Interest: Sign-up forms for teams.
  3. Decision: Food + drink bundles for quiz players.
  4. Loyalty: Weekly emails: “This week’s quiz theme: 80s Music.”

Why It Works:

  • Awareness via community presence.
  • Lead magnet disguised as team sign-up.
  • Brunson-style follow-up funnels keep teams coming back weekly.

Takeaway: even small independents can run funnels with nothing more than a Groove.cm page + automated emails.

Common Threads

Across these case studies, the same Brunson principles repeat:

  • Clarity: Offers are simple and unmistakable.
  • Value stacking: Bundles make prices feel tiny.
  • Scarcity/urgency: Limited times, tables, or dates force action.
  • Follow-up: Apps, clubs, or weekly events keep customers loyal.

These are classic funnel mechanics — just applied to food, drink, and events.

Why Independents Have the Edge

Chains execute funnels at scale, but they’re rigid. Offers are designed in boardrooms months in advance. Independents can move faster.

  • Try a Curry Club one week, a Tapas Night the next.
  • Launch a new brunch theme in days, not months.
  • Adjust pricing, perks, and funnels instantly.

Brunson calls this funnel hacking — study what works, then make it your own. Independent pubs can funnel-hack the chains, but with more personality and speed.

Groove.cm: Levelling the Playing Field

In the past, only chains could afford apps and marketing teams to run loyalty funnels. Now, independents can do the same with Groove.cm:

  • Landing pages for events.
  • Email/SMS follow-ups.
  • Loyalty funnels built around birthdays, quizzes, brunches.

It’s ClickFunnels thinking — but adapted for hospitality at a fraction of the cost.

Takeaway from Part 7

Brunson’s funnel ideas aren’t theory. They’re already behind the success of Curry Clubs, Bottomless Brunches, Rewards Apps, and quiz nights. The question isn’t whether funnels work in hospitality. It’s whether you’ll build them.

Chains have shown the model. Independents can execute faster, cheaper, and with more personality. And with Groove.cm, you don’t need a corporate marketing team — just the right system.

Part 8: Implementing Brunson’s Funnel Framework Step by Step

Funnels sound complex until you see them broken into clear steps. Russell Brunson built his career on simplifying funnels so anyone could implement them. For pubs and restaurants, the same applies. You don’t need to become a marketer — you just need a simple system you can repeat.

Here’s a nine-step playbook to take Brunson’s funnel thinking and put it into action for your venue.

Step 1: Define Your Dream Customer

Brunson always starts with the “who.” You can’t build a funnel without knowing exactly who you want in it. For pubs, that means identifying your core audience:

  • Students: Want fun, cheap, social nights.
  • Families: Value-friendly meals, stress-free visits.
  • Professionals: After-work drinks, premium food.
  • Retirees: Comfort, routine, community.

💡 Action: Pick one group first. Design your funnel around their needs.

Step 2: Choose a Funnel Goal

Every funnel has one main conversion goal. For pubs, this could be:

  • Fill Tuesday quiz nights.
  • Sell out Bottomless Brunch.
  • Boost weekday lunch trade.
  • Grow birthday bookings.

💡 Action: Pick one goal. Be specific. “Sell out 20 quiz tables every Tuesday” is better than “Get more people in.”

Step 3: Build Awareness Content

At the top of the funnel, you need consistent attention. Use Gary Vee’s model: short, frequent content that shows your food, drinks, and events.

  • TikTok reels with trending sounds.
  • Instagram carousels of menus or offers.
  • Facebook events for quizzes, music, brunches.
  • Local Google Business posts.

💡 Action: Create 7–10 content pieces promoting your funnel goal.

Step 4: Add a Lead Magnet

Don’t let awareness traffic slip away. Give people a reason to sign up or book early. Examples:

  • Free drink voucher.
  • Quiz team sign-up with free nachos.
  • Birthday Club with free Prosecco.

💡 Action: Build a simple opt-in page on Groove.cm. Keep it short: name, email, phone. Reward instantly.

Step 5: Create the Decision Offer

This is where Hormozi and Brunson overlap. Make the first visit irresistible:

  • Clear: “Here’s what you get.”
  • Stacked: “Worth £40+, yours for £25.”
  • Urgent: “Only this Wednesday, 20 tables max.”

💡 Action: Build a landing page in Groove with the offer. Add a countdown timer and limit spots.

Step 6: Simplify the Booking Process

Hospitality funnels die when bookings are clunky. If someone has to DM, call, or fill long forms, you’ll lose them.

Groove makes it simple:

  • One-click booking.
  • Card holds for commitment.
  • Upsells at checkout (“Add a bottle of Prosecco for £15”).

💡 Action: Test your booking funnel yourself. If it takes more than 30 seconds, it’s too long.

Step 7: Deliver the Experience

Funnels don’t end online. The in-pub experience must deliver the dream outcome:

  • Food served fast.
  • Staff trained to upsell politely.
  • Offer signage so guests know they’re in the right place.

💡 Action: Brief your team. Make sure every staff member knows the offer and how to upsell.

Step 8: Automate the Follow-Up

Here’s where Brunson says the fortune lies. After the first visit:

  • Send thank-you emails.
  • Invite them back with time-limited perks.
  • Cross-promote other events.

Groove can handle this automatically:

  • After brunch → “Next week is 90s themed, book now.”
  • After quiz night → “Book by Thursday for next week and get free nachos.”
  • Birthday month → “Free bottle of fizz when you book your table.”

💡 Action: Set up 3 follow-up emails/SMS in Groove before launch.

Step 9: Test, Refine, Repeat

Brunson calls this funnel hacking — testing small changes, tracking results, and improving.

For pubs:

  • Test different lead magnets (free drink vs free dessert).
  • Test bundles (burger + pint vs pizza + pint).
  • Test timing (Tuesday vs Wednesday quiz).

The best part? You’ll see results instantly — who booked, who didn’t, who came back.

💡 Action: Review your funnel weekly. Double down on what worked.

Example 30-Day Funnel Plan

  • Week 1: Pick audience (students). Funnel goal = sell out quiz night.
  • Week 2: Build awareness content (7 TikTok/FB posts). Add lead magnet (free nachos).
  • Week 3: Launch booking page with clear offer (pizza + pint + entry for £15). Add countdown.
  • Week 4: Deliver quiz night. Automate follow-up emails. Collect feedback/photos for proof.

By the end of 30 days, you’ll have a working funnel filling your Tuesday nights — and a repeatable system you can scale to brunch, steak nights, or live music.

Why This Works

Most pubs fail because they run one-off promos. They never capture data. They never follow up. Funnels flip the script:

  • Every promotion adds to your list.
  • Every first visit leads to follow-up.
  • Every funnel builds momentum instead of starting from zero.

Brunson’s genius is that funnels aren’t about one campaign. They’re about creating machines that run on repeat.

Takeaway from Part 8

Brunson’s funnel framework for pubs boils down to nine steps: define customer, choose goal, build awareness, add a lead magnet, create decision offer, simplify booking, deliver the experience, automate follow-up, and refine.

It’s not theory. It’s a repeatable system that can transform empty nights into packed events. And with Groove.cm, independents can run these funnels with the same firepower as chains — at a fraction of the cost.

The question isn’t whether funnels work for hospitality. The question is whether you’ll build yours.

Part 9: SmartPubTools – Funnels Without the Fuss

By now it’s clear: Russell Brunson’s funnel strategy works perfectly in hospitality. Awareness, interest, decision, loyalty — it’s the system behind Curry Clubs, Bottomless Brunches, and loyalty apps. Pubs that adopt funnels thrive. Pubs that don’t keep struggling with one-off promotions.

The challenge isn’t knowing funnels work. It’s execution.

Running a pub already means managing staff, stock, suppliers, compliance, events, and service. Who has time to design landing pages, set up email automation, or run split tests? This is the execution gap that kills most funnels in hospitality.

That’s why we built SmartPubTools — and why we recommend pairing it with Groove.cm. Together, they give independent pubs and restaurants the same funnel power as big chains, but without needing a marketing team.

The Execution Gap in Hospitality Funnels

Most pubs fall down at three points:

  1. Capturing Data: They run promotions but never collect emails or phone numbers.
  2. Follow-Up: They have no system to remind or re-engage guests.
  3. Consistency: Campaigns happen when someone has spare time, not as part of a machine.

Brunson’s framework solves these problems — but only if you apply it week in, week out. That’s where automation takes over.

How SmartPubTools Fits the Funnel

SmartPubTools was built to handle the awareness and promotion side of funnels automatically:

  • Content Engine: Generates social posts, memes, event promos, and TikToks that fill the funnel with attention (Gary Vee model).
  • Event Templates: Pub quiz, steak night, curry night, brunches — pre-made campaigns ready to adapt.
  • Scheduling: Plan content weeks ahead so awareness is always ticking over.
  • Proof Tools: Automatically generate testimonial graphics and event recaps for social proof.

In short, SmartPubTools keeps your pub visible — the top of the funnel is always full.

How Groove.cm Completes the Funnel

Awareness is half the battle. To actually capture, convert, and retain customers, you need a funnel platform. That’s why we recommend Groove.cm.

Groove.cm is like ClickFunnels but built to be more affordable and flexible — perfect for pubs. It covers the other three funnel stages:

  • Interest: Lead magnet landing pages (free drink sign-ups, quiz team bookings).
  • Decision: Booking pages with clear offers, countdown timers, and upsells.
  • Loyalty: Automated follow-up emails/SMS (thank-yous, birthday campaigns, VIP invites).

Together, SmartPubTools + Groove.cm = the full funnel system.

Example: Funnel in Action

Let’s map a real pub funnel using both tools:

  1. Awareness (SmartPubTools):
    • TikTok reel of cocktails.
    • Facebook event for Quiz Night.
    • Instagram meme about Prosecco.
  2. Interest (Groove.cm):
    • Link clicks go to Groove landing page.
    • Free nachos when booking a quiz team.
    • Collects names, emails, phone numbers.
  3. Decision (Groove.cm):
    • Booking page shows “Quiz Night Feast — Pizza + Pint + Entry for £15 (Normally £25). Only 20 tables.”
    • Easy checkout, optional upsell: “Add a bottle of Prosecco for £15.”
  4. Loyalty (Groove.cm):
    • Automated thank-you email.
    • Follow-up: “Next week’s quiz is 80s Music — book again by Thursday for free garlic bread.”
    • Birthday trigger: “Celebrate with us this month — free bottle of fizz.”

The result? A funnel that fills Tuesday nights on repeat — without you chasing every week.

Why This Beats Generic Marketing

Most pubs either:

Funnels flip this:

  • Every campaign captures customer data.
  • Every first visit is followed up automatically.
  • Every funnel builds a bigger, more loyal list.

Instead of starting from zero every week, you’re building momentum.

Scaling Funnels Without Burning Out

Here’s the key insight: Brunson’s framework doesn’t mean more work. It means more structure. When you automate awareness (SmartPubTools) and funnel flow (Groove.cm), you remove the grind.

  • Staff don’t have to remember to post — SmartPubTools schedules it.
  • You don’t need to manually follow up — Groove automates it.
  • You don’t have to reinvent the wheel — proven funnel templates already exist.

That’s how independent pubs can suddenly operate like chains — with better personality and faster reaction times.

SmartPubTools + Groove.cm = Hospitality Funnel Power

Let’s connect the dots:

  • Gary Vee → teaches attention. SmartPubTools automates it.
  • Hormozi → teaches irresistible offers. You package them inside funnels.
  • Brunson → teaches funnels. Groove.cm delivers them affordably.

Together, they form the holy trinity of hospitality growth: Attention + Offers + Funnels.

Takeaway from Part 9

Russell Brunson proved that funnels can grow any business to $100M+. For pubs and restaurants, funnels turn unpredictable promotions into predictable pipelines. The challenge is execution. That’s why combining SmartPubTools + Groove.cm gives landlords the complete system:

  • SmartPubTools keeps awareness flowing.
  • Groove.cm captures interest, drives decisions, and locks in loyalty.
  • You get consistent bookings, higher spend per head, and repeat visits.

The future of hospitality marketing isn’t just about posting more. It’s about building funnels. With the right tools, you can do it without burning out.👉 Start your funnel journey today: use Groove.cm to capture and convert, and SmartPubTools to keep your pub at the top of customers’ minds. Together, they give you the funnel advantage chains can’t touch.

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