Custom Channels and Thanx Partner to Drive Guest Frequency and In-Store Engagement for Restaurant Brands

Custom Channels has partnered with Thanx to help restaurant brands turn in-store audio into a measurable customer engagement tool. The integration combines AI-powered audio messaging, music, and loyalty programs, allowing operators to promote offers, drive loyalty sign-ups, and engage guests directly through in-store experiences. Restaurant brands can now track how audio campaigns influence customer actions in real time, giving marketing teams better visibility into ROI across multiple locations.

One of the first brands to use the integration, Bubbakoo’s Burritos, reported a double-digit increase in loyalty sign-ups within the first month of launching targeted audio promotions across its 100+ stores. The partnership also introduces interactive engagement features such as song requests and personalized shout-outs tied to loyalty rewards, creating a more connected and personalized guest experience for QSR and fast-casual operators.

Custom Channels, a leading commercial music and in-store audio platform, today announced a strategic partnership with Thanx, the loyalty and guest engagement platform for restaurants. Together, the companies are enabling operators to use AI-powered audio messaging to drive loyalty sign-ups and engage customers with song requests or in-store shoutouts connected to the loyalty program. The goal of the partnership is to increase repeat visits and grow revenue across corporate and franchise locations.

A Partnership Driving the Future of Loyalty Activation

Custom Channels provides a music, audio messaging, and advertising platform to restaurant brands nationwide, enabling operators to deliver targeted promotions between songs and reach guests at the point of experience. Thanx is a leading loyalty and guest engagement platform, helping brands capture guest data and reward repeat behavior. By integrating the two platforms, operators can now directly correlate in-store audio plays with real-time loyalty sign-up data, giving measurable ROI to a channel that was previously impossible to track.

“Loyalty is a business outcome, not a program. The brands winning right now understand that every guest interaction is part of the loyalty experience, from the app to the website to the moment a guest walks through the door. That’s why we’ve built Thanx to power omni-channel engagement and status-based rewards that go beyond discounts. Custom Channels is one more way our customers can extend that experience into the in-store moment.” –Sarah Dirks, Director of Partnerships, Thanx

Bubbakoo’s Burritos Sees Double-Digit Lift in Loyalty Sign-Ups

Bubbakoo’s Burritos, the fast-casual Mexican concept known for its fiercely loyal fanbase and high-energy atmosphere, was among the first brands to activate the integration. Custom Channels has served as Bubbakoo’s audio partner across its 100+ locations, curating a music library tailored to the brand’s evolving demographic. Following a loyalty program relaunch in February that featured a new app and updated reward tiers, the Bubbakoo team activated a targeted in-store audio campaign offering $5 off for new loyalty members.

Within the first month, the results were clear.

“Custom Channels didn’t just help us run a promotion; it gave us a channel that actually moves the brand. Within one month, we had a double-digit lift in loyalty sign-ups, and now we can run a unified loyalty campaign across every location and

actually see it working. When your in-store audio is driving measurable growth across 100+ locations, that’s not ambiance anymore. That’s a brand asset. Our franchisees aren’t just on board, they’re asking what’s next.” — Chris Ives, CEO, Bubbakoo’s Burritos

“For years, in-store audio was the one marketing channel operators couldn’t measure. This partnership with Thanx changes that entirely. Now, a brand can run an audio campaign across every location and see exactly how many guests took action. That’s the future of in-store media, and Bubbakoo’s just proved it works.” —Joe Comer, CEO, Custom Channels

The Future of Connected In-Store Engagement

The Custom Channels and Thanx integration represents a new model for in-store customer engagement, one in which music, messaging, and loyalty work together as a single, connected experience. Custom Channels’ self-serve dashboard gives operators the flexibility to schedule campaigns across all locations or target specific regions and stores, with full reporting and time-of-day controls.

The partnership also unlocks new engagement activations beyond promotions. Guests can redeem rewards earned through Thanx to request a song played in-store or trigger a personalized shout-out, turning the in-store audio experience into a two-way interaction that rewards loyal customers and deepens their connection to the brand.

Custom Channels and Thanx are actively expanding the partnership to additional mutual customers across the QSR and fast-casual categories.