Building Trust with Automated Tip Payouts
How Aspen Creek Grill Transformed Tip Disbursements
Aspen Creek Grill, a multi-unit restaurant operator under the Ultra Steak Inc umbrella in the Indianapolis area, transformed its tip distribution process by partnering with Instant Financial and Gratuity Solutions. What began as a COVID-era necessity to replace cash evolved into a full automation of tip calculations and payouts—streamlining operations, eliminating manual processes, creating transparency, and strengthening trust between managers and staff.
Manual Systems That Strained
Time, Accuracy, and Trust
Before tip calculation and payout automation, Aspen Creek Grill's tip distribution relied on manual spreadsheets unique to each location and on-site cash management. This created:
"An employee would say, ‘Why didn’t I get $50 in tip share Friday night?’ I wouldn’t even know where to start... I don’t want to take $50 out of 10 different paychecks and get them to sign off on it.""
Time Drain
Managers spent 30–40 minutes nightly calculating tips after long shifts.
Transparency Issues
No audit trail; staff often had questions about tip amounts and corporate had no quick way to verify. Dealing with disputes was time consuming and difficult.
Lack of Standardization
Inconsistent methods made enforcing policy nearly impossible.
Security Risks
Employees left late-night shifts with $100+ in cash, creating safety concerns.
Error-Prone Calculations
Frequent mistakes led to disputes, payroll corrections, and employee frustration.
Costly Overpayments
Rounding payouts cost about $2,000/year across locations.
Phased Digital Transformation
Implemented Instant Tips in 2020
- • Replaced cash tip payouts with secure digital payments on Instant Cards.
- • Enabled real-time access to earnings via the Instant mobile app.
- • Created a full audit trail for compliance and accuracy.
- • Eliminated safety risks tied to late-night cash handling.
- • Instant has now processed 575,000+ successful transactions since inception
Gratuity Solutions rolled out in 2024
- • Automated tip pool calculations directly from the POS system.
- • Allowed custom configurations per location while ensuring corporate oversight.
- • Provided check-level detail for total transparency.
- • Delivered instant, end-of-shift payouts without manager intervention.
- • Piloted at its most complex location first to iron out any kinks before full rollout
Tangible ROI and Stronger Relationships
Financial Impact
- • $2,000/year savings from eliminating rounding overpayments.
- • Reduced payroll corrections and cash overshort variances.
Operational Efficiency
- • 20-40 min. saved nightly per location
- • 300+ hours annually across locations
- • Freed managers to focus on guest service and operations instead
- • More secure way of paying staff on time
- • No more customized calculations
Employee Experience
- • Instant, same-shift access to tips.
- • Full transparency on how tips are calculated.
- • Dramatic reduction in disputes and payroll adjustments.
- • Increased trust between management and staff.
Trust-First Approach
Aspen Creek Grill recognized that in hospitality, relationships are everything. By showing employees exactly how tips are calculated and removing ambiguity, they strengthened workplace trust.
Strategic Rollout
Starting with the toughest challenge created strong proof-points and reduced resistance to change.
Balanced Flexibility
Each store's unique tip formula was preserved while still creating corporate standardization and oversight.
“Having transparency so everyone knows we’re being fair and equitable is really important.”
For restaurants considering automation, Aspen Creek Grill's journey shows that starting with the hardest challenge, managing change carefully, and prioritizing trust can deliver both operational and cultural wins.
To learn how you can instill trust and streamline your locations, please get in touch.