LongHorn Steakhouse has shown the casual dining category something rare: you can win by doubling down on food quality and operational excellence — without racing to the bottom on price. That discipline has delivered industry-leading guest satisfaction. 

But with traffic growth proving harder to unlock, LongHorn’s next opportunity is clear: grow guest counts without eroding the value reputation it has fought to build.

That’s exactly what Upside enables. Our model delivers measurable, incremental traffic and revenue — and LongHorn only pays when that incrementality is proven. 

Protecting LongHorn’s price integrity

LongHorn has purposely moved away from mass discounting, opting instead to deliver value through quality. That approach works — and Upside knows that blanket discounts would undermine it.

Upside aligns to LongHorn’s strategy by delivering value only where it’s needed, and keeping every incentive margin-bound. In fact, LongHorn sets the guardrails on maximum cash back and minimum required ROI.

This is a smarter way to deliver value that protects everyday pricing and value perception while still unlocking new visits.

The tipping point: Personalized cash back

The survey revealed that 59% of diners would “definitely” or “probably” switch steakhouses for a cash-back offer — and only 6% said they wouldn’t. The ideal threshold? Just 5-10% cash back was enough to meaningfully change behavior.

That insight underscores how small, targeted rewards can serve as a competitive tie-breaker. These aren’t discounts that devalue the brand; they’re rewards that reinforce fairness and appreciation. Guests pay full price, experience LongHorn’s quality firsthand, and feel rewarded afterward, strengthening satisfaction and repeat intent.

That distinction matters. Personalized cash back doesn’t require the mass discounting LongHorn avoids, keeping customers focused instead on its consistent, everyday value.

Driving traffic where LongHorn needs it most

Recent same-store sales gains have come largely from higher check averages — not guest count growth. Upside directly targets that gap. 

Our marketplace reaches millions of diners at the exact moment they’re choosing where to eat. When they’re on the fence, a personalized, cash back reward is often the nudge that can tip the occasion to LongHorn. 

And once they arrive, LongHorn’s strengths — steak expertise, upgraded ingredients, “brilliant with the basics” execution — do the work to secure return visits. We measure those repeats, too. 

So, what is incrementality, exactly?

“Incrementality” is a simple concept that’s too often wrapped in analytics jargon. At Upside, it means this: 

We only claim credit — and only bill LongHorn — when we drive a visit that would not have happened otherwise.

This eliminates guesswork and removes the attribution inflation that plagues coupon programs, media buys, or loyalty initiatives. Instead, every dollar is tied to real, measurable behavior change.

Want to learn more? Reach out, and we'll walk you through our methodology and explain exactly how Upside can impact your business.