About Us

Rewards Network^℠, headquartered in Chicago, IL, powers the leading dining rewards programs in North America. Thousands of restaurants and other clients benefit from the company’s restaurant marketing efforts, which include millions of email impressions, mobile access to restaurants via iPhone^™, BlackBerry^® and Android^™ smartphones and dining Web sites. Rewards Network also provides restaurant ratings and other restaurant business intelligence, as well as access to capital for restaurants In our program.

3.4 Million Members — And Growing

Rewards Network offers its dining programs in partnership with major airline frequent flyer programs, several of the nation’s largest bankcard issuers, numerous key players in the loyalty marketing industry and dozens of national corporations. Our 3.4 million active members include frequent flyers, corporate cardholders and diners who spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually at participating clients.

Founding

Founded in September 1984 as Transmedia Network Inc by Mel Chasen based in New York City. Mr. Chasen – an entrepreneur and former president of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas ’ identified an untapped opportunity to introduce diners to restaurants through a unique media barter platform that offered ’advertising–for–services’ exchanges between radio stations and magazines, and restaurant owners.

• Started with:
  • 41 participating New York City restaurants
  • 225 members
  • Grew to have reported gross sales of $1 million by 1987
• Grew our numbers to:
  • 500 total restaurants
  • 25 thousand members
  • $33 million sales
• Entered the international market and continued growth with:
  • Franchise licenses sold in England and France
  • The offering expands to include Turkey and the former states of the Soviet Union
  • In 1994, Transmedia Asia–Pacific expands to Australia, New Zealand and Japan
  • Ranked #14 on Business Week’s annual "Hot Growth Company" list
  • Sales exceed $36 million
• Expanded dining loyalty rewards by partnering with different retail brands including:
  • The New York Times
  • The Sharper Image
  • Jos. A. Bank Clothiers
    •  
  Sustained growth expanding to:
  • 200,000 members
  • 2,300 participating restaurants
• Our successful business model drew the attention of Chicago real estate billionaire, Sam Zell, whose investment group acquired a 20% holding worth $10.6 million.
• Acquired our chief rival, Dining a La Card (DALC), from a Montgomery Ward subsidiary. With the DALC acquisition, Transmedia became the country’s largest dining rewards program with:
  • Over 2 million members
  • 8,000 participating restaurants
• Adopted the DALC registered card platform. Members no longer needed to use a separate Transmedia discount card at restaurants. This was a big milestone that transformed Rewards Network from a card enabled loyalty program to an electronic "transparent" loyalty program pioneer. We soon began managing airline dining loyalty programs, including:
  • American Airlines ^® AAdvantage Dining^SM
  • America West Airlines^®
  • Delta Air Lines^®
  • Continental Airlines^®
  • United Air Lines^®
  • Northwest Airlines^®
  • US Airways^®
  Other milestones that ushered in the 21st century at Rewards Network included:

  • The launch of iDine.com in Chicago
  • Special dining opportunities to upscale restaurants
  • The exit from our international franchises
  • A shift in focus to our large market opportunities in North America
• The launch of dining program websites to showcase participating restaurants
• Changed name to iDine Rewards Network with:
  • Sales increased from $196 million in 2001 to $285 million in 2002
  • 2.3 million active members
  • 9,500 participating restaurants
• We expand our offerings by adding loyalty rewards for guest stays at independent/boutique hotels. To follow this new strategy, we shortened our name to Rewards Network Inc.
• Expanded into Canada as well as:
  • Developed a retail loyalty offering with select partners/iconic retailers which later became a distraction and was dismantled in ’05
  • Stopped print marketing and went "all digital"
• Ron Blake is hired as President/CEO and recruits Chris Locke as our new CFO
• Expanded our partner relationships to include Southwest Airlines^®
• Continued innovations and the rollout of new and valuable partners by:
  • Adding Hilton HHonors^® (April) and Best Buy Reward Zone^® (September)
  • Broadening the interaction between restaurants and members through the introduction of a comment system that allows restaurant to respond to member comments via email
• Entered into the social media–marketing channel allowing members to share their experiences and provide additional brand exposure to restaurants on Facebook in addition to our dining partner websites.

   

  Partnered with American Express as part of our member acquisition strategy to get members who aren’t afraid to spend and enjoy a good dining experience — without the need of a discount.

iPhone^® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

BlackBerry^®, RIM^®, Research In Motion^®, SureType^®, SurePress^™ and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world.

Android^™ is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions.