Qdoba is the latest "quick service" restaurant to push into mobile. Competitor Chipotle offers online and mobile ordering. Qdoba is using Tetherball for its mobile marketing and loyalty program. According to the press release out this morning:

Tetherball’s fully customizable permission-based text messaging mobile marketing platform allows brands to intimately interact with customers through their mobile phones and allows loyal customers to benefit instantly from offers. The Qdoba Mobile Rewards program kicked off at an Indianapolis market festival during which nearly 20 percent of festival attendees engaged the mobile program – indicating strong acceptance of offers made via mobile.

Unlike other mobile marketing programs, no downloading of special software or an expensive mobile data plan is necessary. The solution is simple and it works on any phone. Tetherball clients’ mobile loyalty programs have seen up to 24 percent redemption rates on initial opt-in offers followed by 10 percent redemption rates on proceeding offers — substantially better results than the less than two percent redemption rates offered by traditional paper and online coupons.

In the restaurants at the point of sale, consumers are prompted to text the word “BURRITO” to a short code to opt-in to the program. They then receive promotions via SMS that also direct them to nearby restaurant locations.

Fast food restaurants, because of their focus on younger audiences, are among the early adopters of mobile marketing, promotions and mobile loyalty programs. And, indeed, as the PR materials above suggest, these programs do work. 

Here's our prior write-up of Tetherball and its novel RFID couponing program.