For most local restaurants, that advice creates more work than value. And you don't need an app to get all those things.

Apps make sense when customers visit several times a week and already expect one. Starbucks earns that spot. Domino’s does too. A neighbourhood restaurant usually doesn’t, and forcing the issue adds friction where you want ease.

A simpler option works better in practice: digital wallet cards.

Why restaurant apps struggle in the real world

The biggest problem with apps isn’t technology. It’s behaviour.

Customers don’t want to download another app for a place they visit once or twice a month. Even when they do, the app gets buried, forgotten, or deleted during the next storage cleanup. That’s normal phone hygiene, not a failure of your brand.

Apps also come with overhead that never really goes away. Updates break things. Operating systems change. App store rules shift. You end up maintaining a mini software company just to run a loyalty program or send a promo.

That tradeoff only works when usage is high and constant. Most local restaurants don’t operate at that frequency.

What a digital wallet card actually does

A digital wallet card lives inside Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Customers add it by scanning a QR code at your counter or on a receipt. It takes a few seconds and doesn’t require an account, a password, or an app store visit.

Once it’s saved, it sits next to the things people already rely on daily, like credit cards, transit passes, and boarding passes. That placement matters because it aligns with how people already use their phones instead of asking them to change habits.

Why wallet cards work better for local restaurants

People almost always have their phone on them, but more importantly, they already open their wallet to pay. When your card lives there, it stays visible without asking for attention. There’s no need for customers to remember an app name or hunt through folders on their home screen.

Adding a wallet card is also dramatically easier than installing an app. A quick scan and a tap is often all it takes, which removes the hesitation that kills signups during a busy rush. Mobile usability research from Baymard consistently shows how even small bits of friction cause people to drop off, especially on phones.

Wallet cards are dynamic, so they update automatically. Points, rewards, visit counts, and offers change in real time without the customer doing anything. The mechanism is the same one airlines use for boarding passes, and it’s something people already trust and understand.

They also support push notifications without requiring an app. You can notify customers when they earn a reward, when a new offer is available, or when they’re nearby. Apple documents this behaviour directly in their Wallet pass guidelines. Because these notifications come from the wallet itself, they tend to feel more contextual and less intrusive than app notifications.

There’s also a quieter benefit that shows up over time. Mobile wallet usage continues to grow, especially among millennials and gen-z. When people scroll through their wallet to pay, they repeatedly see the brands they’ve saved. That passive exposure keeps your restaurant top of mind without relying on constant reminders.

Common objections, answered plainly

Some owners worry that apps offer more control. In practice, most restaurants don’t need deep customization, feature-heavy interfaces, or complex navigation. They need something customers will actually use without thinking about it. Extra control often just means extra setup and more things to manage during an already busy week.

Others assume customers expect an app. What customers usually expect is convenience. If something works quickly and doesn’t waste time, they’re happy. If you already have an app with strong usage, there’s no reason to rip it out. But if you’re deciding what to build next, it’s worth matching the tool to how often people realistically interact with your business.

Where CHCKN fits in

CHCKN helps restaurants use digital wallet cards for loyalty and customer engagement without building or maintaining an app. Customers scan once and keep your card in their wallet. You can update rewards, send relevant notifications, and stay visible in the place they already use to pay.

It’s built for owners who are juggling staffing, inventory, and a lunch rush at the same time, not for teams that want another system to babysit.

The shift here isn’t about chasing new tech. It’s about reducing friction and meeting customers inside habits they already have. For most local restaurants, that approach outperforms an app every time.

TL;DR

No. Your restaurant doesn't need an app.