Meet restaurant-grade payroll.

Restaurant payroll is different from regular payroll because it must handle tipped wages, tip pooling, employees working multiple roles at different pay rates, multiple EINs across locations, and high turnover rates that average 75% annually. Generic payroll platforms like ADP and Paychex were built for corporate offices, not the reality of frontline hourly teams (tip credits, blended overtime rates, or the multi-EIN structure common in franchise operations.) Workstream is built specifically for hourly, multi-location operators, so those features are native instead of retrofitted.

Full-service payroll software like Workstream calculates, withholds, files, and pays federal, state, and local payroll taxes on your behalf — including W-2 and 1099 generation at year-end. Workstream does all of this and auto-registers new hires with the relevant state tax agencies during onboarding, so you're never manually applying for a new state tax account when you open a new location. Federal tax filings include FICA, FUTA, and federal income tax withholding; state filings cover withholding, unemployment, and applicable local taxes in every jurisdiction your employees work.

Restaurant payroll software typically runs $40–$150 per month base plus $4–$12 per employee per month, depending on the platform and modules bundled. Workstream customers save an average of 20% after switching — primarily by eliminating the reconciliation labor between separate time, scheduling, and payroll tools that consumes hours of manager time every pay period. For a quote based on your location count and headcount, [book a demo at workstream.us/demo].

Yes. Payroll can run across multiple locations and EINs through multi-EIN payroll support, which allows operators to manage multiple legal entities under one login with consolidated reporting and separate tax filings for each entity. Workstream supports this natively without a per-EIN add-on fee. Platforms like ADP also support multi-EIN payroll, but they often charge separately for each entity and require more manual coordination. That difference becomes significant for operators managing 10, 50, or 200 locations.

Tips and tip credits work in payroll software like Workstream through automated tip declaration, tip pooling, tip distribution, and tip credit calculations tied directly to payroll. Restaurant payroll software must support tip declaration at clock-out, automated tip pooling and distribution, FLSA tip credit calculations, and the 8% gross receipts allocation required under IRC §6053 for large-employer IRS reporting. Under federal tip credit rules, employers can pay tipped employees as little as $2.13 per hour as long as tips bring total earnings to at least $7.25 per hour. Workstream handles all of these processes inside the same system, and tip data flows directly from the time clock into payroll without manual reconciliation, which is where many tip-related payroll errors happen in disconnected systems.

A new hire can get their first paycheck as soon as the next payroll run when hiring and payroll are integrated in the same system like Workstream. New hires can complete mobile onboarding, including I-9 forms, W-4 forms, and direct deposit setup, from their phone in under 15 minutes. They can clock in during the same shift and automatically appear in payroll without a separate setup step when using Workstream. Workstream also pulls hours directly from the time clock, so managers do not need to manually add employees into payroll after onboarding.

Workstream is a payroll software that integrates with restaurant POS systems like Toast, Square, PAR, and Clover to pull tips, sales, and labor data automatically. This removes the need for manual POS exports that often cause reconciliation errors during payroll. Workstream integrates with major restaurant POS systems and also offers a public REST API for custom integrations. Generic payroll platforms like Paychex often depend on manual exports or third-party middleware, which adds unnecessary operational steps.

Payroll can be processed as fast as 24 minutes on average when using Workstream. That speed is possible because time clock data, scheduling, tip declarations, and payroll all exist inside the same platform, so there is no data transfer or reconciliation step before payroll starts. Operators who previously used manual payroll processes or disconnected systems often report reducing payroll processing time by 60–70% after switching to Workstream.

There is usually no minimum number of employees required to use restaurant payroll software. Workstream is optimized for multi-location hourly businesses, and the platform delivers the most value for operators managing multiple locations or high employee turnover. Single-location operators with smaller and more stable teams may do fine with simpler payroll tools. Once an operator manages two or more locations, Workstream’s multi-EIN management and consolidated reporting often cover the platform cost within the first payroll cycle.