Free apps may sound like a happy hour promotional offer at your local Applebee's, but they're now coming to a Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) near you.

The premium java chain is teaming up with Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) to offer walk-in customers access to free iOS applications, just as the two have paired up to offer free iTunes music tracks in the past.

The first giveaway -- as originally reported by CNET yesterday -- is Shazam Encore, a premium version of the popular Shazam ad-supported freebie that identifies music with surprising accuracy. Shazam Encore sells for $5.99, so these "Pick of the Week" cards available to Starbucks customers are more valuable than the single-track downloads that are typically made available.

It remains to be seen whether this will be a permanent offering or if Starbucks and Shazam Entertainment are simply working together for a one-off promotion.

Ideally, Starbucks will keep these weekly picks coming. It would be a win-win as app developers would receive some welcome publicity, and Starbucks should benefit from an increase in foot traffic now that latte sippers will be getting more value out of their steaming slurps than $1.29 song downloads.

Digital delivery is a cost-effective platform. Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) has excelled in tying in-store freebies with its Nook e-reader, encouraging both more Nook sales and the incentives for more e-reader-toting visitors.

Brick-and-mortar chains better embrace the concept. Why Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) isn't offering free Napster-branded downloads to physical shoppers is a mystery.

As smartphone owners grow in number, real-world chains have every right to worry. Barcode-scanning apps and easy access to comparison shopping sites make it easy for in-store patrons to make sure that they're getting the lowest prices possible. Since retailers can't get smartphone owners to turn off their devices the way air carriers do, they may as well engage them.

Starbucks has had the right idea for years. Now it's simply raising the stakes.  

Would you go to a physical retailer just for a virtual freebie? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.