Brief:

• The Dos Toros Taqueria chain released an app called Burrito Time that gives customers a chance to win one of 10 free burritos every day in New York and Chicago, where the chain is located. The app randomly picks a time each day to send a push notification to fans that a free burrito is available, and the first 10 people to respond will receive a gift card for one burrito, Adweek reported.
• The Burrito Time app doesn't have any ordering features, loyalty discounts or restaurant menus. Instead, the first 10 respondents only see a "You Won!" message and an on-screen button that users can press to claim their tortilla-wrapped winnings.
• Leo and Oliver Kremer, brothers who founded Dos Toros in 2009, said they didn't like "super complicated apps" and reasoned that a simple one might be more popular. They also cited the influence of how HQ Trivia, the game show app that sees an audience of over 1 million monthly users, was able to somewhat reprogram people's schedules to focus on a mobile app each day.

Insight:

Dos Toros's uncomplicated Burrito Time app may keep its regular customers engaged with the brand while getting enough attention to cut through the clutter of the millions of available apps to reach new audiences in the restaurant chain's key markets. The randomness of the burrito giveaway is a bit like winning a small lottery prize in a gamified format that could help lure a mobile following as the burrito chain takes on bigger rivals like Chipotle.

Though Dos Toros gives away just 10 burritos a day across 18 locations in two cities, the strategy could be enough to compel repeat or first-time customers to visit the chain or at least give the daily lottery a try. At a minimum, the simplicity of the app has already driven some chatter around the company, which could boost foot traffic and brand awareness.

As more restaurant chains embrace mobile ordering and delivery, they're forced to outdo each other to get noticed on smartphone screens. Einstein Bros. Bagels has been working on a loyalty program that lets people choose the rewards they want. The bagel chain developed a first-of-its-kind offer that lets customers get a free bagel and shmear with purchase on Aug. 15 by showing that they have a competitor's mobile app on a smartphone, according to QSR magazine. Einstein Bros. will then urge people to download its own app and sign up for its Shmear Society Rewards program.