Craveable Brands is a leading Australian brand, overseeing some of the most well-known fast food franchise chains in the country. Their portfolio includes brands like Red Rooster, Oporto, Chicken Treat, and Chargrill Charlies – with over 600 restaurants across Australia and South East Asia.
Managing payroll and bookkeeping across 600 franchise locations comes with a unique set of challenges, and for Craveable Brands, significant risks arose due to inconsistencies across payroll processing and bookkeeping. With individual franchise partners handling payroll and their books independently, errors in things like processing statutory superannuation and other compliance missteps could expose the entire Craveables brand to financial and reputational damage. “If one franchise partner pays incorrectly, we are the ones on the front page of the newspaper, ” says Carl Tjandra, Head of Franchise Profitability and Internal Sales at Craveable Brands.
Fragmented bookkeeping practices across franchise stores made it almost impossible to achieve consistent financial reporting or any meaningful benchmarking. At the franchisor level, Craveable Brands needed a solution that ensured compliance and provided standardised financial processes, with timely, consistent, and accurate reporting across all its locations
Significant reduction in
payroll errors and
compliance
risks across 600+
franchise locations.
Countless hours
saved each month by
centralising payroll and
bookkeeping
communications.
Standardised
financial reporting,
allowing for accurate
benchmarking and financial
transparency.
By partnering with iWS by Deel, Craveable Brands achieved:
Regulatory Compliance: Proactive monitoring of regulatory payments reduced the risk at both the franchisor and franchisee levels, and ensured compliance with Australian labour laws.
Financial Consistency: Standardised P&L reporting improved financial transparency and enabled accurate benchmarking, giving Craveable Brands better strategic visibility.
Operational Efficiency: Now, instead of having to manage queries across 600 individual franchise partners, Craveable Brands has a single point of contact with iWS by Deel. This saves them significant administrative time each month and provides them with streamlined communications.
“iWS isn’t just a supplier; they’re a true partner. They listen to our challenges and work with us to develop customised solutions.Their ability to adapt and collaborate has been a game-changer for our franchise network.“
Carl Tjandra,
Head of Franchise Profitability and Internal Sales at Craveable Brands.
After spending the better part of the last decade collaborating, Craveable Brands and iWS by Deel have evolved together, refining processes and driving continuous improvement, which ultimately enhances the experience and support for franchise partners. “The implementation team has been a game-changer. Our franchisees aren’t payroll experts – they know how to run their stores, but they need help with compliance. iWS now provides dedicated onboarding support, ensuring a smooth transition for new franchise partners,” says Carl.
For other franchisors looking to implement improvements in managing their workforce across multiple locations, Carl’s advice is clear: “Australian labour laws are some of the most complex in the world. Find a partner like iWS who understands compliance and can work with you, not just as a provider, but as a collaborator in your success.“
Industry: Quick Service Restaurants
Customer: Hunky Dory
Locations: 16+ across Victoria, Australia
Use Case: Franchise-wide workforce management, payroll, rostering, and compliance.
“With 16+ stores and growing, Hunky Dory needed a system that could scale. iWS delivered, eliminating admin overload, tightening compliance, and supporting national expansion.”
Debra Slaughter,
Co-founder, Hunky Dory
Founded in 2004, Hunky Dory Fish and Chips offers a healthier take on traditional fish and chips. Now, with 16+ locations across Victoria and plans to expand, the team has turned to iWS to simplify workforce management as the business scales.
Before iWS, Hunky Dory relied on handwritten timesheets. Every week, the head office had to collect, decode, and input data manually, often correcting errors and chasing missing info.
“We were constantly collecting and correcting timesheets. It came around so fast; every seven days, we were drowning in admin,” said Debra.
The manual system was also risky. The complexity of the Hospitality Award made compliance difficult to maintain, increasing the risk of underpayments and penalties.
“We don’t cut corners. We want to get it right, but the old process left too much room for human error. It was stressful.”
In 2018, Hunky Dory joined iWS, and everything changed.
“We moved to iWS just before COVID, and it was the best decision we could have made. We were more prepared than we realised.”
With iWS, the team gained:
The platform immediately cut admin and errors. Costed rosters helped managers budget shifts effectively, and the head office gained real-time visibility across all stores.
“We now trust our payroll. It saves us time, lowers stress, and lets us focus on what we do best: serving customers.”
But for Debra, it wasn’t just the software that stood out; it was the support.
“Our onboarding manager walked us through every step. They literally held our hand. That kind of support is rare, and it never stopped. Even with new account managers, we’ve always felt looked after.”
That responsiveness made a big difference.
“You’re not waiting on hold or chasing someone. You get answers quickly, especially important when you’re mid-service or trying to close payroll.”
Eliminated
manual
payroll
across
all stores
Consistent
compliance
with hospitality
award
standards
Improved
cost control
through
costed
rosters
Significant
reduction in
payroll
errors &
admin hours
Seamless
expansion
support
across new
locations
“In 2022, we had a random Fair Work audit. The auditor said it was the best payroll he’d ever seen. That was my unicorn moment.”
Setting up new locations is now easier than ever. The internal team handles onboarding, and store managers find the system simple, with a finger scan to clock in and a single click to send at the end of the week.
“All new stores must use iWS. It’s non-negotiable. We won’t risk getting it wrong.”
“We feel well supported, and that makes us better at our jobs.”
As the brand expands, iWS remains a trusted partner, ensuring smooth operations, supporting teams, and maintaining compliance control.
Zambrero, Australia’s leading quick-service Mexican restaurant franchise with a humanitarian heart, has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. Since debuting on the Fastest-Growing Franchises list in 2011, Zambrero has maintained its position year after year — now boasting more than 180 stores nationwide and standing as one of Australia’s most successful franchise networks.
From the outset, Zambrero understood that scalable growth depends on strong systems. By prioritising complete systemisation across its operations, the brand has empowered franchise partners to focus on what truly matters — driving sales, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and maximising operational efficiency.
To achieve this, Zambrero partnered with iWS back in 2010, when the franchise had just five stores. Over the years, iWS has become an integral business support partner, now servicing every Zambrero franchisee with a comprehensive suite of solutions, including Rostering, Time & Attendance, Payroll Processing, and end-to-end Bookkeeping.
Through this partnership, new franchisees receive a true turnkey solution — enabling them to manage their business confidently from day one — while giving Zambrero the peace of mind that their franchise network’s back-office functions are handled by a team of dedicated professionals.
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