Foodies rejoice! Get paid to dine out with MOGL

I’m beginning to think that this foodie phenomenon is not just a passing trend, but a movement that has established such deep roots that it’s here to stay. I have friends and family, who, until recently, were strictly meat and potatoes, chain restaurant types, that are now asking servers if their tomatoes are locally sourced. What the heck is going on here? It’s all good though, as all these educated eaters force restaurants of all shapes and sizes to up their game, resulting in better quality and flavor along with healthier and more sustainable growing practices.
And now, thanks to a Solana Beach company called MOGL, foodies are being rewarded for their culinary prowess. Basically, it’s a very simple, yet brilliant concept. Diners get 10 percent cash back every time they eat out at participating restaurants, of which there are more than 200 in San Diego County alone. Then, and this is where it gets very intriguing, if you are a MOGL restaurants No. 1 customer for the month, you win their monthly jackpot which equals 10 percent of what all members at that restaurant spend for that month. Those jackpots can reach up to $1,000.
So if you entertain for business on a regular basis, I’d suggest becoming a MOGL member and finding a participating restaurant, which is easy.
If all that is not enough, MOGL will donate one meal to Feeding America every time you spend $20 at a member restaurant. As a result, Mogul has donated thousands of meals to Feeding America already.
Let’s recap this in a nutshell: eat out, get paid. Frequent a participating restaurant, possibly get paid a lot, all while providing a meal to the less fortunate in the process. They really covered all their bases here. I mean really, there is no downside to this whole deal. And another upside, in my opinion at least, is that there are no coupons involved like Groupon or any of their hundreds of competitors. When you sign up at mogl.com, all the transactions are done automatically, through your credit card. This can alleviate somewhat awkward coupon presenting moments slipping the server your coupon on a date or while entertaining.
MOGL launched April 1, 2011 and already has more than 12,000 members and as I mentioned, hundreds of participating restaurants in San Diego alone. Some participating restaurants that may be of interest to The Coast News readers include Flavor Del Mar/Sip Wine Bar, The Poseidon, Bull Taco, Lumberyard Tavern, Bentley’s Steak & Chophouse, El Callejon, Jamroc, Station Sushi and Savory. I’ve written about most of those places and they are all quality establishments. That list is growing daily and can be found on their website and I should note that there are smaller, coffee shop-type establishments participating also.
MOGL is a win-win for both foodies and restaurants. For restaurant owners, MOGL is the ultimate customer loyalty program, with no punch cards, member IDs or coupons. It’s a long-term marketing strategy rather than a shot-in-the-arm approach so common with the daily deals we are all inundated with.
Co-founded by local entrepreneur Jon Carder, MOGL has also enlisted the support of an advisory board of restaurant industry veterans including Chris Sullivan, founder of Outback Steakhouse; Craig Miller, chairman of the National Restaurant Association; and George Katakalidas, founder of Daphne’s California Greek and owner of Taverna Blu. That’s some serious leadership. That expertise helps shape MOGL’s innovative approach to keeping customers happy, while increasing revenues and profitability for restaurants.
MOGL is not an acronym for anything but rather, as their stellar public relations outfit Scout PR likes to put it, MOGL is “A party in your wallet, a four letter word you can say in front of your grandma, a piece of cake you can have and eat too, a misspelled word, but everyone is doing it, and finally they most grown up idea we’ve ever seen to completion. But really, MOGL is just a fun and easy way to earn money while eating out.”
I’ll also add that MOGL has one of the coolest promotional videos I’ve seen. Their mascot/spokesdog Mojo is a true character. Besides being a very good thing for people who like to eat out, MOGL has a sense of humor. Check them out at mogl.com.