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Pizza Ranch Inc., a Midwestern buffet restaurant chain specializing in pizza and chicken, has added digital wage access through payments-platform provider Branch LLC.
Pizza Ranch workers will be able to digitally receive their hourly wages, tips, and mileage reimbursement after each shift. Employees also receive a fee-free bank account into which earnings can be deposited and a reloadable debit card, also at no fee, according to Minneapolis-based Branch. Branch will also provide Pizza Ranch employees with access to a rewards program and financial-wellness tools, such as its CashFlow Spending Insights feature, to help them manage their money between pay cycles
Offering digital access to wages will provide Pizza Ranch with a point of differentiation when it comes to employee management, the restaurant says. Some 87% of hospitality workers want their pay faster than bi-weekly, according to a Branch study. In addition, four of every five respondents said they experience fluctuations in their weekly pay, further underscoring the need for flexible payment options, the study says.
“Being able to digitally access wages and track cash flow is an advantage for restaurant workers, because their wages tend to fluctuate” because of tips, says Cliff Gray, principle at Gray Consulting.
In addition to faster access to wages and tips, the integration of Branch’s platform will help Pizza Ranch streamline payroll by creating a digital audit trail for automated payments and reduces the risk of theft or error stemming from holding cash onsite for the restaurant chain, according to Branch. Launched in 1981, Orange City, Iowa-based Pizza Ranch operates more than 210 locations across 14 states.
“This is a feature that many restaurants are leveraging as part of their existing technology stack and represents another revenue stream for vendors,” says Gray.
