# The Empty Roll

> Community-driven discovery and rating of local food establishments. (iPhone/iPad app by Doug Hantke.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-empty-roll/id6761149933 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Doug Hantke](https://appshunter.io/developer/1811426781)
- Category: Social Networking, Food & Drink
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.1 · 65 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-04-24
- Data updated: 2026-08-11
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-empty-roll/id6761149933/reviews.md

## What is The Empty Roll?

Have a look around first. Browsing is open to everyone, no account needed.

Discover top-rated bakeries, restaurants, and food trucks — rated and celebrated by the people who love them. Check in, earn achievements, climb the leaderboard, and help build the definitive guide to local dining.

DISCOVER LOCAL FOOD
Browse bakeries, restaurants, food trucks, and more. Filter by type, location, and rating. Explore the interactive map to find vendors near you.

THE PEPPERONI ROLL TRAIL
Follow the Pepperoni Roll Trail on an interactive map. Discover the best pepperoni rolls from local bakeries and restaurants across West Virginia.

RATINGS & REVIEWS
Rate products, share your experiences, and see what your friends recommend. No complaints — just the spots worth knowing about.

EARN & COMPETE
Earn points for every check-in and review. Level up, unlock achievements, and climb the leaderboard. Become the local food authority in your area.

COMMUNITY
Connect with fellow food lovers. Follow friends, discover new spots through their reviews, and build the guide together.

## Key features

- Discover local bakeries, restaurants, and food trucks
- Interactive map for finding nearby vendors
- Rate products and share experiences
- Earn points and unlock achievements
- Climb leaderboards and become a food authority
- Connect with fellow food lovers

## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-empty-roll/id6761149933/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Eat like a local!

*2026-04-28*

I love that this app helps me find food that I can trust at local spots.  One of my favorite parts of traveling is trying new food at new places.  But, some of the best spots don’t always look like the best spots or have the best PR  and I end up hearing about them after I’m already gone when  someone comments, “did you try that BBQ place in the gas station?”

When I’m in that town, this app tells me about the BBQ place at the gas station!

## Frequently asked questions about The Empty Roll

### What is The Empty Roll?

The Empty Roll is a social networking app that allows users to discover, rate, and review local food establishments like bakeries, restaurants, and food trucks. It focuses on building a community-driven guide to local dining.

### How does The Empty Roll work?

Users can browse food spots, filter by type and rating, and use an interactive map to find places nearby. You can rate products, share reviews, and connect with friends to see their recommendations.

### Can I earn rewards in The Empty Roll?

Yes, you can earn points for every check-in and review you make. These points help you level up, unlock achievements, and climb the leaderboard to become a local food authority.

### What devices support The Empty Roll?

The Empty Roll is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is designed for iOS devices.

### Is The Empty Roll free to use?

Yes, The Empty Roll is completely free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned.

### What is the age rating for The Empty Roll?

The Empty Roll has an age rating of 12+, making it suitable for users aged 12 and older.

### How often is The Empty Roll updated?

The latest version of The Empty Roll is 1.3.2, which was last updated on June 12, 2026. This indicates a relatively active development cycle.

### What makes The Empty Roll unique?

The app emphasizes community contributions and gamification through leaderboards and achievements. It also features specific trails like the 'Pepperoni Roll Trail' for unique local discovery.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4.0 — 2026-08-06

Browse before you sign up.

You no longer need an account to look around. Open the app, and you can find local spots near you, read the menus real people have built, see their reviews and photos, and follow the current Food Fight standings.

When you are ready to join in, making an account lets you check in, leave reviews, add places and menu items, react to what other people found, and vote in the Food Fight.

### 1.3.3 — 2026-07-09

This update makes The Empty Roll faster and easier to use:

- Find food trucks near you on the new Food Trucks map, with a quick link from Discover.
- Search right from product and vendor pages.
- Your feed now opens on Nearby.
- Send us feedback anytime from the Discover screen.
- Rate items with a quick tap on the stars.
- Smoother sign up, reviews, and menu browsing.

Plus a batch of fixes and polish. Thanks for rolling with us!

### 1.3.2 — 2026-06-12

Food Fight monthly contests. Vote for the best local eats by rating them during the contest, climb the live rankings, and earn the Food Fighter achievement. Winning spots get a gold trophy on their profile.

Smarter search. Search is now distance first, so the closest spots show up right away. Faster, simpler, and tuned to find food near you.

Meet your Taste Buds. We sharpened how we match people by taste and gave the feature a fresh name. Find the folks who genuinely share your palate from the Discover tab.

A better events experience. Rate items during festival events, with support for early voting so you can join in the moment voting opens.

Cleaner notification settings. A redesigned screen with clear categories and new controls for reminders.

Shared links open the app. Tap a shared review, vendor, or event link and it opens right here instead of the browser.

Plus display names everywhere (no more @usernames), and a long list of polish and fixes.

### 1.3.0 — 2026-06-01

v1.3.0

• Multi-award festival events — sponsored events can now feature multiple winners (e.g., Best Traditional & Best with a Twist), each with their own Bayesian-ranked leaderboard
• Refreshed event experience — cleaner event detail screen and a new at-a-glance summary view for ended festivals
• Behind-the-scenes improvements — faster vendor edits, more reliable event browsing, and stability fixes throughout

Minor UI/UX tweaks and fixes.

### 1.2.0 — 2026-05-01

v1.2.0 — Bigger, friendlier, more polished

NEW
• Redesigned welcome experience — a guided 5-step walkthrough helps you set up your profile, find local restaurants and bakeries to follow, and start contributing reviews.
• Find Friends by name or username — a brand-new search screen with a dedicated "From your contacts" section so you can connect with friends already on The Empty Roll.
• Invite Friends, two ways — pick the right path for each friend: invite from your contacts list, or share an invite link via Messages, WhatsApp, AirDrop, or any app.
• First rating, right after sign-up — we'll help you pick your first item to rate so the leaderboards and feed light up faster.

IMPROVEMENTS
• Leaderboard filters reorganized — dropdowns replace tab strips for a cleaner look. The header now tells you exactly what list you're looking at ("Vendors — Most Popular," "Users — Most Points," etc.).
• Contacts list is now alphabetical, with a friendly banner if iOS Contacts permission is set to "Limited" so you can update access in Settings.
• Login screen refreshed with the original Empty Roll logo + brand mark.
• Smoother iPhone SE layout — three-up filter rows now shrink to fit instead of wrapping.

UNDER THE HOOD
• Account-friendly: limited-contacts users now get a non-blocking banner instead of an empty screen.
• Various reliability fixes — invite link sharing, modal dismissals, navigation across the Friends menu.

Thanks for rolling with us. Tell us what you think — every review helps us shape the next update.

## Related topics

[the empty roll](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-empty-roll)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-11.*
