The latest articles on DEV Community by Nicholas Chadwick (@photonicman). https://dev.to/photonicman https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F2189263%2F71bc5dc7-98bd-4c8a-8769-a4f551748fc4.jpg https://dev.to/photonicman en Nicholas Chadwick Tue, 27 Oct 2026 20:13:09 +0000 https://dev.to/photonicman/i-built-a-walk-in-waitlist-app-for-barbershops-and-salons-4dpd https://dev.to/photonicman/i-built-a-walk-in-waitlist-app-for-barbershops-and-salons-4dpd <p>Walk-in shops have a quiet problem: someone walks in, sees a full waiting room, and leaves. I built <a href="https://nextupwalkin.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">NextUp Walk-in</a> so people can hold their place in line from their own phone instead.</p> <h2> How it works </h2> <ul> <li>A customer scans a QR code (or opens a link) and joins the line. No app to install.</li> <li>They see a live wait time while staff call people from one screen.</li> <li>A waiting-room TV shows who is next.</li> <li>The same line runs on a door tablet, the staff screen and an owner dashboard, all kept in sync.</li> </ul> <p>It is made for barbershops, hair and nail salons, tattoo studios, pet groomers and similar walk-in businesses.</p> <h2> Under the hood </h2> <ul> <li>.NET 10 minimal APIs with raw Npgsql on PostgreSQL (no ORM)</li> <li>An Angular app using signals</li> <li>Native TV apps for Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV, plus an Android app</li> </ul> <h2> Pricing </h2> <p>There is a free plan (one location, 50 check-ins a month). Paid plans start at $29 a month per location, and there is a 14-day trial. You can try the live demo line without signing up: <a href="https://nextupwalkin.com/demo" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://nextupwalkin.com/demo</a></p> <p>I would love feedback from anyone who runs or works in a walk-in shop.</p> showdev saas webdev productivity