Intown neighborhoods are usually pretty tight groups. They’re a lot like the suburbs I grew up in where neighbors know each other and when someone is sick the social network springs into action to supply meals and support.

Case in point: Dakota Blue in Grant Park. They work with a local church so that, when the church is scheduling meal drop offs to a family that has recently had a death, a birth, or a traumatic experience, they call him first.

He volunteers for the first night. He cares about them, they care about him. (Another restaurant I work with does this same thing and has received at least 3 catering orders specifically because he does this for the church.)

Six Feet Under rose to the occasion when the Grant Park Conservancy was restoring a fountain. Donate $2 and get a cut-out fountain to write your name on and post to the wall (like Shamrocks for MD). Cheesy, a little. But the local press picked it up and the local residents already knew he was doing it.

Lastly, Applebee’s franchisees report increased customer loyalty due to community involvement and events, of which the company did more than 15,000 last year. A company spokesman said that franchisees are “involved for all the right social reasons” but “we also think there’s a very strong strategic reason to be involved.”

If you’re not involved with your community, or you don’t have a local store marketing plan for your restaurant…why not?

Rubio’s Mexicana Grill offers spirit nights and fundraisers for local schools and organizations. The key to their increased customer counts during such events – give away a higher percentage. 10%-15% is standard, but Rubio’s goes up to 20%.

“It brings more people in,” says Larry Rusinko, senior vice president of marketing and product development.

I think the trick here, and something that Mr. Rusinko has clearly grasped, is that the effort is the same whether you offer 10% back to a charity or organization, but the return is so much different. Goodwill, customer support, and charity/organization satisfaction (along with that of your own), are much, much higher when you don’t skimp on the donation.

Think like a customer, not like an owner. Give away what you would want to receive, not what you’re hoping to get away with.

Case in point, Shane Thompson, Shane’s Rib Shack, used to donate a night’s tips to a local charity, cause, or person in need. He would match the “employee contribution” from the tip jar out of the till every night. Customers on subsequent weeks would ask when he was going to do it again, and would thank him for caring about the community.

That’s customer loyalty. Don’t let anyone tell you different.