Franchise

Meet the Company

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.

The Problem: Admin Overload and Compliance Risks

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.”

The Solution: Centralised, Compliant, and Simple

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:

• Built-in award interpretation
• Costed rosters
• Finger-scan time tracking
• A central portal for all locations
• Ongoing support and training

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.”

Results:

For Head Office:

• Debra checks rosters, contact info, and key details daily
• Payroll is completely off her plate: “Don’t do your own payroll. It’s life-changing.”
• No more second-guessing awards or compliance

For Store Managers:

• Costed rosters help manage labour budgets
• Staff can see their hours and entitlements clearly
• Trust and transparency have improved

“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, the quick service Mexican restaurant franchise with a humanitarian focus, has grown at a rapid rate in recent years. Zambrero debuted on BRW’s fastest growing franchises list in 2011 and has maintained its place on the list each year since. Zambrero now has more than 180 stores in its network and is recognised as one of Australia’s most successful franchise chains.

With a strong focus on supporting its franchisees with an easy to operate business, Zambrero recognised early on that it was critical to ensure complete systemisation across their brand to allow their franchisee partners to focus on the important things – such as driving sales, delivering great service and maximizing operational efficiency.

To that end Zambrero engaged IWS to help! Since 2010 (when Zambrero had only 5 stores), IWS has been a highly valued business support partner with Zambrero and we now support each and every one of their franchisees with our full service offering –  Rostering, Time & Attendance, Payroll Processing and end to end Bookkeeping.

We provide their new franchisees with a turnkey solution, empowering them to take control of their business from the outset and provide Zambrero with peace of mind that their franchisees’ core back office functions are being managed by a team of dedicated professionals.

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