In the restaurant industry, keeping a full team is always a challenge. Between high turnover, tight margins, and tough competition for staff, employers need benefits that help them stand out. For Grill Concepts, offering earned wage access (EWA) through Tapcheck has proven to be a recipe for stronger recruitment, improved retention, and happier employees.
The Challenge: Supporting Employees Beyond Daily Tips
With their Daily Grill and Public School restaurants spanning Texas, Nevada, and California, Grill Concepts employs staff across the front and back of house. While servers and bartenders leave each shift with tips in hand, back-of-house employees often wait two weeks between paychecks.
“We are on a bi-weekly payroll and many times people don't want to wait two weeks,” explained Jessica Pike, HR Director at Grill Concepts. “[Earned wage access is] really beneficial, especially to our employees that don't receive tips daily. Although our servers and bartenders go home with something every day, our kitchen staff doesn't.”
Recognizing this gap, Grill Concepts turned to Tapcheck as a way to offer more financial flexibility to all employees.
The Solution: Seamless Setup and Everyday Flexibility
Grill Concepts implemented Tapcheck after reviewing its integration with Paycom. “It was actually really easy,” Pike said of the integration. “The process every payroll is easy. It's already done. We just upload the dataset and it takes care of itself.”
Once in place, Tapcheck quickly became part of employees’ financial routines. “I have noticed people using it consistently,” Pike observed. “Even our managers have benefited from Tapcheck.”
Employees also found creative ways to use the benefit, such as setting aside funds on their Tapcheck card for savings. “Some tell me, ‘I use it to put money to the side [from my check],’” Pike explained. “So, [they’re] taking that money and putting it on the Tapcheck card as a savings for when things happen.”
For Pike herself, the benefit proved unexpectedly useful. When she ran into issues with her own debit card, she was able to use her Tapcheck card in the meantime. “It came in handy,” she said.
The Results: Recruiting and Retaining Talent
The impact of Tapcheck has been clear across Grill Concepts’ restaurants:
- 51% of employees registered for Tapcheck
- 31% use it every pay cycle
- $27,000 accessed per pay period on average, fully funded by Tapcheck so R2’s cash flow is unaffected
Employees now have more financial stability, and the benefits show up on the job:
- More attractive job postings – “It is in our job postings so they see that when they're applying for the job, they know they can work today and get paid tomorrow.”
- Improved retention – “It seems like the people that use it, they've stayed with us. When I run the payroll reports, I can see who is using it and I recognize folks. I think they see that as a benefit.”
- Greater equity across roles – Back-of-house staff now have the same opportunity to access pay early as tipped front-of-house employees.
- Flexible use cases – Employees use Tapcheck for unexpected expenses, day-to-day needs, and even savings through the Tapcheck card.
At a Glance: Grill Concepts + Tapcheck
Why It Matters
Earned wage access has helped Grill Concepts address one of the biggest challenges in restaurants: making pay fair and flexible for every role. By offering Tapcheck, they’ve been able to recruit more effectively, reduce turnover, and create a stronger sense of equity between tipped and non-tipped staff.
“It's who we’re targeting [with this benefit]: the people who don't walk home with tips every day. They still have that same opportunity to get paid earlier [like front-of-house staff]. It gives them that same experience of working and getting paid right away.”
— Jessica Pike, HR Director at Grill Concepts
FAQ
How does Tapcheck help restaurant employees who don’t earn tips daily?
EWA gives kitchen staff and other back-of-house employees the same ability as servers and bartenders to access pay right away, leveling the playing field across the team.
How easy is Tapcheck to implement?
Tapcheck integrates seamlessly with systems like Paycom. For Grill Concepts, the setup was quick, and ongoing payroll processes run automatically without extra work.
Does Tapcheck improve recruiting?
Yes. Grill Concepts includes Tapcheck in their job postings, showing applicants they can “work today and get paid tomorrow.” This helps attract candidates in a competitive hiring environment.
What about retention?
While exact numbers vary, Grill Concepts has noticed that employees who use Tapcheck tend to stay longer. For many, the ability to access pay early is a reason to remain with their employer.
Is Tapcheck only useful in emergencies?
Not at all. Some employees use Tapcheck to set aside savings on their Tapcheck card, while others find it helpful in unexpected moments, like when a debit card isn’t working.
Ready to see how Tapcheck can help your business recruit and retain top talent while giving employees more financial flexibility? Schedule a free demo.
