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I've created a monster

You bring up something I hadn't thought about - parameter mismatch. The app monetizes your transactions and provides value to the establishments. What does it provide for you? As Insom points out, it texts them to remind them you deserve a VIP table, which turns a typical human nuance (as you mention) into a gamified prize. What you give is decidedly not what you get.

I used to spend my time on a survey site (the source of my Garden and Gun subscription) that gave me prizes in exchange for my time. I was trading market input for market output. It was pure tit for tat. It worked just fine. This is the opposite of that.