Franchise
Craveable Brands Case Study
How Craveable Brands Achieved Compliance and Standardised Processes with iWS by Deel
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.
Inconsistent and Risk-Prone payroll and Financial Reporting Processes
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
A Compliance-First Approach with iWS
In their search for a solution to mitigate these risks, in 2016 Craveable Brands turned to iWS by Deel(then iWS). Through the centralisation of payroll processing with iWS, they were able to establishconsistency in key legislative requirements like superannuation processing, reducing their risk andregulatory exposure. “With iWS, we have a partner who helps us stay ahead of compliancerequirements. They provide early visibility when franchise partners are at risk of missing certain reporting deadlines, allowing us to intervene before they turn into potentially bigger problems,” Carl explains.
Another key business function that needed standardising was bookkeeping, a service that iWS by Deelalso provides to Craveable Brands. With a structured and consistent approach to Profit & Lossreporting, over time they were able to eliminate reporting discrepancies and provide peace of mind toCarl and his team that there was an ensured level of financial accuracy. “With iWS, we now have aconsistent chart of accounts, which allows us to benchmark performance across stores andmaintain our financial accreditation with major banks.“
Quick stats:
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
The Results: Compliance, Consistency, and Time Savings
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 level, 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 atrue partner. They listen to ourchallenges and work with us todevelop customized solutions.Their ability to adapt andcollaborate has been a game-changer for our franchisenetwork.”
Carl Tjandra,
Head of Franchise Profitability andInternal Sales,Craveable Brands
A Partnership Built on Trust
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.“
Hunky Dory Case Study
How Hunky Dory Took the Stress Out of Payroll and Gained a Compliance Edge with iWS
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
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
Results at a glance:
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 Case Study
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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