GlobeNewswire Inc | May 17, 2021 08:00AM EDT

May 17, 2021

PHOENIX, May 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mobivity Holdings Corp. (OTCQB: MFON) a global provider of personalized guest engagement solutions that drive customer frequency and spend, announces a two-year partnership with BBQ Holdings (NASDAQ: BBQ) across all Famous Daves and Granite City Food & Brewery locations to power the restaurants mobile engagement programs.

BBQ Holdings partnership with Mobivity is due to its success with Famous Daves prior to and during the pandemic. For the last two years, Famous Daves successfully utilized Mobivitys Unified Messaging platform, purpose-built to solve the unique challenges of restaurants. For Famous Daves, Mobivitys personalized text message marketing showed an attributable lift of 26% in customer frequency with messaging (compared to non-messaging guests) and nearly a 50X Return on Marketing Spend (ROMS).

COVID-19 requirements across the country created spikes in restaurant delivery and takeout business. For Famous Daves, success in both areas of business coupled with dining room re-openings in 2021, increased the restaurants messaging subscriber base by 17.5% in Q1 a solid indicator of the effectiveness of text messaging.

Mobivity used its unique experience in building successful text marketing programs for restaurants to help make text messaging our top digital engagement channel that continues to drive meaningful increases in guest frequency and spend, said Al Hank, Chief Operating Officer at BBQ Holdings. Text messaging is a critical channel which we own and control, thanks to Mobivity. It not only enabled us to improve guest engagement, but was instrumental in helping us navigate various business interruptions and challenges during the pandemic. Messaging has also elevated our guest experience and strengthened customer loyalty, enabling us to grow our customer base across the board. We had an advantage out of the gate with Mobivity and I am glad we embraced their restaurant technology early.

BBQ Holdings evaluated other text message marketing providers and chose Mobivity due to its patented technology platform, purpose-built for the foodservice industry. It effectively engaged guests through its personalized campaigns driving customer frequency and spend for Famous Daves. Additionally, Mobivitys platform segments, targets and seamlessly integrates into the restaurant portfolios entire customer experience positioning BBQ Holdings as a leader in restaurant marketing technology.

We are proud to continue our work with Famous Daves and add Granite City to our portfolio of forward-thinking restaurants, said Dennis Becker, Mobivity Chairman and CEO. This partnership is a testament to BBQ Holdings belief in our ability to help drive guest frequency and spend that is measurable and data-driven. Leading restaurant brands are turning to more targeted, one-to-one engagement that text messaging makes uniquely possible and provides an unfair advantage over restaurants that have yet to embrace the channel.

BBQ Holdings is among the more than 30,000 other restaurant locations that utilize Mobivitys platform. This roster of forward-thinking brands understand the importance of building owned media channels they control and that leverage first-party data to personalize the guest experience driving guest frequency. Cementing value and staying top-of-mind is becoming increasingly important for restaurants as consumers have embraced digital ordering and engagement, and favor personalized digital marketing experiences over less-personalized, traditional marketing approaches.

To learn more about how Mobivity can put the power of messaging to work for multi-unit franchise brands, visit mobivity.com/messaging or call (877) 282-7660.

About BBQ Holdings: BBQ Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBQ) BBQ Holdings is a national restaurant company engaged in the ownership and operation of casual and fast dining restaurants. As of January 3, 2021, BBQ Holdings had four brands with 145 brick and mortar locations in 31 states and three countries, including 47 company-owned and 98 franchise-operated restaurants. In addition to these locations, the Company opened five Company-owned Famous Daves ghost kitchens operating out of its Granite City locations, and six Famous Daves franchisee ghost kitchens operating out of the kitchen of another restaurant location or a shared kitchen space. While BBQ Holdings continues to diversify its ownership in the restaurant community, it was founded with the principle of combining the art and science of barbecue to serve up the very best of the best to barbecue lovers everywhere. BBQ Holdings, through partnerships, has extended Travis Clarks award-winning line of barbecue sauces, rubs and seasonings into the retail market. Along with a wide variety of BBQ favorites served at their BBQ restaurants, BBQ Holdings newest addition, Granite City Food and Brewery, offers award winning craft beer and a made-from-scratch, chef driven menu featuring contemporary American cuisine.

About MobivityBrick and mortar stores struggle to manage customer connections in a digital world. Mobivity provides a platform to connect national restaurants, retailers, personal care brands, and their partners with customers to increase retention, visits, and spend. Mobivitys Recurrency platform increases customer engagement and frequency by capturing detailed POS transaction data, analyzing customer habits, and motivating customers and employees through data-driven messaging applications and rewards. For more information about Mobivity, visitmobivity.comor call (877) 282-7660.

Media Contacts:Jennifer Qotb Young & Associates for Mobivityjennifermq@yapr.com (513) 281-2772

Julie Green No Limit Agency (on behalf of Famous Daves)jgreen@nolimitagency.com (312) 526-3996

Investor Relations Contacts:Lisa Brennan Chief Financial Officer, Mobivity(877) 282-7660

Brett Maas Managing Partner, Hayden IRbrett@haydenir.com (646) 536-7331