From 50% wage costs to 33% (and LOWER wait times)

The team started thinking differently, too

Wednesdays used to be a write-off. Between two rosters and payroll for 40 staff, Dane would burn an entire day just getting people paid and shifts filled.

“I’d get through maybe one and a half rosters and payroll. That was my whole day.”

Now, it takes just over an hour to run payroll. And the knock-on effects are bigger than just time.

“When you’ve just paid out thirty grand in wages, writing a roster can feel like an exercise in panic. Now I can sit down with a clear head and make better decisions.”

His managers feel the shift too. They’re not just entering names and hours—they’re thinking strategically. Seeing the roster as a lever. A tool. Something they can use to run a better shift, not just a longer one.

“That happened organically. I didn’t even have to drive it.”

It’s even reshaped training. Instead of scrambling when someone requests leave, Dane now sees it as an opportunity.

“We’ll drop our manager-in-training into that shift. They get time on the floor, and we keep the roster tight. That kind of thinking used to be impossible.”

When he announced they were going digital with time tracking, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“No one wants to be writing down their hours in pen in 2025. People want accuracy. They want transparency.”

‍

Now he actually feels like he’s leading

With Swann now running at 33–35% wage cost, Dane knows where his money’s going. Commons is still sitting higher, but that gap has been useful too. It’s surfaced operational blind spots. Team gaps. Leadership holes. Things that would’ve gone unseen before.

“I wouldn’t have caught any of that without knowing the numbers.”

Stock is next. Dane’s already preparing to roll out Loaded Pro, with a Lightspeed POS integration in progress and chef training underway.

He’s seen the power of stock data before, and he wants it in his hands.

“I used to work in the Cook Brothers group, who use Loaded extensively, and the stock reporting there was mind-blowing. Every week there’d be variances - fries, bacon, chicken, buns - stuff you’d never spot if you weren’t tracking. It’s been in the back of my mind ever since. I know I’m bleeding somewhere. I just don’t know where. That’s what I’m most excited about fixing.”

He’s also realistic about the change management that will come with it. He’s already enlisted help from his business coach, and has support lined up to bring the kitchen along slowly.

Because he’s not just trying to patch a system. He’s trying to build one that runs well without him.

“Consistency is king, right? But how do you actually get consistency? Through stock reporting. Through portion control. That’s what I’m aiming for.”

If you asked him what he’d say to another operator still stuck in spreadsheets, paper timesheets, and printed rosters, he wouldn’t hesitate.

“Every successful hospo business has an owner who can work on the business. But finding the time to do that? Nearly impossible. Especially now - with food prices through the roof, staff being harder to find, all that. The only way I know how to make working on the business easier is with the right tools.”

He sees Loaded as more than just a reporting system. It’s a second set of eyes on the numbers.

“The business starts talking to you. You see things. Patterns. Trade trends. Gaps in the team. Stuff you wouldn’t notice if you were just head-down working the floor.”

That awareness, he says, is what’s changed most.

“I feel more in control. Before, I was just trying to get through the week. Now I can actually lead.”

And what does he expect when they finally turn on stock and see everything?

“I’m probably going to find I’ve pissed fifty grand at the wall. But I’d rather know. I’d rather fix it. That’s why I’m doing this.”