Everything you get,
in plain English.
MESA is a free membership program for independent restaurants and bars. Your guests join by scanning a code on the bar, and from then on you can name them, count their visits, and message them directly. No POS integration, no hardware, no discounting, and no cut of your check.
Below is every tool, what it actually does on a Tuesday night, and what it means for your room. No jargon and no spec sheet.
Free forever tier · live in an afternoon · works in your browser right now
The whole idea in one line.
A guest scans a code in your venue. They become a member you can name and message. You give them something they can't get anywhere else. They come back more often.
They scan
A code on the bar, the table, the check. Camera, tap, done — no app store.
They join
They see the perk first, then join in about ten seconds. Now they have a name, and you can reach them without paying anyone.
They come back
Members get things the walk-in doesn't. Every visit is counted, so you can see frequency rising — or spot someone slipping away.
The tools, one at a time.
Everything below is live today. If something is coming later, we say so.
Claiming your venue
Your venue is probably already listed on MESA. Claiming it proves you're the owner and unlocks everything else. Four ways to do it, so one of them will fit.
- Google — one tap if you already manage your Google Business Profile. Fastest by far.
- Business email — a code to an address at your own website domain.
- Phone — an automated call to the number on your listing.
- Documents — upload a licence, EIN letter or LLC filing.
Your Regulars program
A membership list for your venue, named whatever you like. Guests join by scanning your code. You set one welcome perk, and optionally rewards at visit milestones.
- Name it yourself — “The Founders”, “Locals”, “The Back Booth Club”
- A welcome perk every new member gets
- Tiers at, say, 5 / 10 / 20 visits, each with its own reward
- One-time codes members show your staff to claim a reward
- A roster of who's in and how often they come
Posts, offers & events
Post an update, an offer or an event from your dashboard. Choose whether the whole world sees it or only your members — that's what makes membership worth having.
- Three kinds of post: update, offer, event
- Members-only, or public to everyone on MESA
- Schedule ahead so Tuesday's post is written on Monday
- Automatic reminders before an offer expires
Verified visits
When a member checks in at your venue, that visit is recorded. Visits count once per day, so nobody can farm rewards by tapping five times at the same table.
- Counted per day, not per tap
- Drives progress toward your reward tiers automatically
- Gives you real frequency instead of guesswork
Reports that say something
Not a wall of charts. How many joined, how often they return, which of your posts brought people in, and — most usefully — who has stopped coming.
- Sign-ups over time, and which QR spot they came from
- How often members return, and whether that's improving
- Members who've gone quiet, so you can invite them back
- Which posts and offers actually moved people
Venue profile & menu
Control how your venue appears: description, hours, photos, and your menu. Your edits sit on top of the public data, so correcting something here doesn't get overwritten later.
- Fix your own description, hours and details
- Remove photos you don't want representing you
- Add your menu by link or upload
- Reply publicly to reviews and tips, badged as the owner
Perks that work without discounting.
The best perks cost you nothing and can't be bought elsewhere. Money off is the laziest option and the one that damages you.
- ✓An off-menu drink members can order by name and nobody else knows about.
- ✓Seats held for members in a named window on your slowest nights.
- ✓First refusal on a rare bottle or a limited pour, a day before anyone else.
- ✓Early invites to tastings and one-off nights before they go public.
- ✓Bartender's choice on quiet nights — theatre, and your staff enjoy it.
- ✓Late-night access to something after the kitchen closes.
What it costs: nothing.
Every single thing described on this page is free today. No setup fee, no contract, no per-cover charge, no commission, no card.
The catch, stated plainly
There isn't one yet. MESA only becomes useful to a guest once enough venues nearby are on it, so early venues are doing us the bigger favour — charging them for that would be backwards. Paid plans will come later, once we've earned them. Venues that claim now keep all of this free.
For comparison: POS loyalty add-ons typically run $69–165/month and need their hardware. Listing-site ad packages commonly start around $300/month.
What MESA isn't.
Being straight about this up front saves everyone a wasted meeting.
Not a POS or a payment system
We never touch your tills, your card processing or your tips. Nothing to integrate, nothing that can go down mid-service.
Not a discount marketplace
We don't sell vouchers against your room or take a slice of the cover. There is no commission anywhere in this.
Not a reservations replacement
Keep whatever booking system you already use. MESA is about who your regulars are, not about seating the 7:30.
Not an ad platform charging for your own guests
Once someone is your member, messaging them is included. We don't put a paywall between you and people who already opted in.
Start with one perk.
Claim your venue, name your program, print the code. Free forever.