1-888-353-5012
For 20 years, Royalty Rewards® has existed for one reason: to help Independent Business Owners compete, grow, and win, without guessing.
Along the way, we’ve had the privilege of working with some truly exceptional Operators. Real Business Owners who’ve taken risks, learned the hard way, adapted through tough economic times, and stayed in the game.
As part of our 20-year anniversary celebration, we sat down with Bruce Goode, Owner of Adventures Restaurant & Pub in Rice Lake, WI, a long-time Royalty Rewards® Merchant and Platinum Elite member, to talk about his journey.
Bruce’s story isn’t about shortcuts or silver bullets. It’s about making smart decisions when things aren’t easy, doubling down on marketing when others pull back, and building systems that create staying power year after year. From a “practice pitch” that turned into a real opportunity, to navigating economic downturns, ownership changes, and changes in customer behavior, Bruce has seen it all.
Whether you’re newer to Royalty Rewards® or have been with us for years, this interview offers something rare: real-world insight from someone who’s lived it, tested it, and stayed independent for more than two decades.
Royalty Rewards® was created to give Owners like you a proven, comprehensive, and professional marketing solution in a cost-effective way, and to make sure you have the support and tools to put proven strategies into action.
As a Royalty Rewards® Merchant, you have access to your Royalty Rewards® Coach and real-world examples from peers who are already succeeding.
Check out the highlights from our sit down with Bruce. And if you’re interested in meeting more Independent Business Owners like him and learning what really happens inside a Platinum Elite Meeting, reach out to your Royalty Rewards® Coach at 1-888-353-5012 to learn more about our upcoming meeting on March 3–4 in San Francisco, CA.
What It Takes To Last As An Independent
A 24-year journey shaped by smart risks, tough lessons, and marketing that actually works.
Tell us how your journey as an Independent Business Owner began?
It all started about 24 years ago. After 15+ years working for chain restaurant operations, my partner and I thought, “Gosh, why can’t we do this for ourselves?” We were both very successful in the corporate world, so we decided to go our own way and try and do it on our own.
It took us about two years to go from putting together a concept to opening our very first restaurant. Our initial intent was to raise funds with investors and open in the Minneapolis, Saint Paul area. But my partner, who had a cabin in Northwest Wisconsin, learned of a nearby hotel looking to open a restaurant and suggested we go up there and “practice” our pitch on them. So we did. We made our presentation and pretty much blew the competition away! We were up against smaller bar owners from that northern area, but we had come prepared with all kinds of impressive corporate stuff: spreadsheets, five-year plans, customer counts, etc.
As we left the meeting, I knew they were going to say yes, so we looked at each other and thought, “Now what are we gonna do!?” … because we were just going to “practice” on them before we did the real thing!
We ended up buying each other out about 5 years down the road. Today there are 3 locations: one in Siren, WI (that’s where we “practiced”), one in Rice Lake, WI which I own, and another one in Virginia, MN.
What CRITICAL turning point shaped your journey?
That would have been in 2007, when I purchased 100% of the business and made the decision to join the Platinum Elite Program.
In 2006, I was already a Royalty Rewards® client (and I knew the importance of marketing my business) and in 2007, I bought out both our landlord and my former partner.
I was under financial duress, but I finally had complete control of the business to do what needed to be done to build success, without everybody else’s approval, and I joined the Platinum Elite Program.
What are the TOP lessons you learned along the way?
First, a quote from both my father and from Timothy Paulson (one of Platinum Elite’s Program Success Facilitators), “Ask the right question and then ask a few more after that…”. And the second, it only matters what you sign, not what you were told. I’ve learned that a few hard ways. The conversations you have and the things you are told aren’t always as detailed as in the contract. I’ve found myself in a few situations where I’ve had to bite the bullet through the end of the contract, despite what I was promised in the process beforehand.
What were some of the TOP challenges you faced?
Right after I bought the business, the 2008 financial crisis hit. We are tourist driven in the summertime and with everything happening – especially the high gas prices – sales dropped 20% that summer. But we did two things that really changed the game for us. First, we picked up a TON of catering to make up for lost sales; second, instead of slashing my marketing and advertising budget (like most businesses were doing) I DOUBLED it. My goal was to break even financially, but also to increase our customer base using marketing, and that’s exactly what we did!
What are your TOP Royalty Rewards® Marketing Campaigns?
That’s an easy answer: the Income Tax Campaign and the ‘No Peeking’ Red Envelope. Our Marketing Calendar is built to get the response from these campaigns in January and April – two of the toughest months on our calendar.
A lot of Royalty Rewards® Clients run the Income Tax Campaign in March but for us, March is already a decent month, so we run it in April when taxes are already filed. In addition to the direct mail component, our Royalty Rewards® Coach helps us incorporate email follow ups and push notification reminders (in the Member App). I also tie it all into social media so that we get the best response possible.
What do you do to stay involved or stay top of mind in your community?
We participate in a lot of fundraising events with local organizations.
A few of my favorites: The university does an EATS program where participants – anyone from professors with a favorite recipe to full-service restaurants giving demos – can showcase their favorite food for a good cause. We also participate in the Boys and Girls Club Fundraiser, and every summer we’re part of a Golf Outing Fundraiser that usually raises about $250,000!
What are the biggest benefits you’ve experienced being part of Royalty Rewards® and Platinum Elite?
Most significantly, sales increases over a number of consecutive years. This year, as it has been for many Independents, has been tough in terms of sales, but we’ve actually been able to improve the bottom line. I’ve worked harder on marketing, and we’ve REALLY worked on improving and optimizing our internal efficiencies, our menu and other ways we can improve profitability.
What's next for you and your business, and how will Royalty Rewards® help you achieve these goals?
We’re going to get even more targeted and continue to fine tune our campaign and marketing calendar. That means either doing more of what’s already producing good results or making small adjustments to see how we can improve the math on what’s already working.
For example, the Income Tax Campaign has always been strong for us, but now we’re looking to see whether adjusting the offer could drive an even BETTER response. We’ve seen that a $10 Off Offer consistently delivers our highest redemption, so we’ll compare past results and test variations to find the right balance between response and profitability. The focus is on using the data to refine our targeting, improve results, and strengthen both the top line and the bottom line. All with the help of our Royalty Rewards® Coach!
Royalty Rewards’® evolution was not a straight line! Our business began in the mid-1990s with founder Rory Fatt, struggling to grow his own food delivery business.
Rory learned the same tough lesson that many small Business Owners do; that traditional marketing (and copying what the big guys do) just doesn’t work for Independent Operators. So he shifted his focus to direct response strategies, database marketing, and proven marketing that actually WORKS!
Rory knew other small Business Owners needed the same help he had needed, and he started teaching small businesses how to market themselves profitably using everything he learned.
Today you know us as Royalty Rewards®, (where we do all the hard marketing work for you!) and the Platinum Elite program, a group of our most successful clients focused on growing their businesses.