Background

Twin Peaks is a full-service restaurant brand with 35 corporate locations across the United States, employing roughly 3,000 tipped workers across server, bartender, busser, and barback roles. We spoke with Dana Burress, Payroll Manager and Sabrina Martin, Accounting Coordinator, about why Twin Peaks switched to Branch for tip payouts—and how the change has benefitted their payroll team and tipped employees alike.  

Before: Risk, Manual Work, and Constant Oversight

Before Branch, Twin Peaks relied on a tip payout solution that involved unnecessary risk and operational complexity. The most significant challenge was the requirement to pre-fund a separate account to cover daily tip payouts—a process that became especially stressful during weekends and holidays, when tip volumes surged and additional oversight was required.

“We had to get funds into an account that had to be wired,” explains Burress. “During holidays and weekends we have massive amounts of tips coming. On a Friday, I’d have to fund that account with $350,000. At any point, someone could have created an account and taken that money in an instant.”

Adding to the stress of pre-funding a separate account, their previous provider lacked controls around credit card tipping limits, which put Twin Peaks at increased risk of theft or errors. 

“There was one location where people were taking stolen credit cards and tipping out high dollar amounts,” says Burress. “It all happened over the course of one weekend, and we realized that money was gone.”

On top of this, their previous provider charged fees for simple things like card replacements. Between the constant need to fund a separate account, limited security guardrails, and fees for basic necessities, the solution created friction across payroll operations. As the risk and administrative burden grew, Twin Peaks began searching for a more secure, scalable approach to tipping out their employees.

Implementation: Built-In Controls and White-Glove Support

When Twin Peaks found Branch, they were able to implement a solution that could reduce risk, simplify funding, and improve the experience for both corporate teams and tipped workers.

From the start, the team was struck by the level of control Branch offered. Built-in payout caps helped prevent both fraud and human error—something their previous provider lacked entirely.

“When paying the per diems for our traveling teams, $14,000 was accidentally entered instead of $1,400,” says Burress. “With our previous solution, that would have gone through. Branch stopped it immediately. That threshold alone is huge.”

Branch also eliminated the need to pre-fund a separate account. Instead, Branch fronts tip payouts and drafts funds the following business day—removing wire transfers, weekend planning, and the stress of constant monitoring.

“The stress of having to worry about approving a wire is gone,” Burress explains. “I can go on vacation or take a day off and not worry about funding an account. The process is so simple now; Branch has made it super fast and easy for us.”

The Pay Admin portal further streamlined payroll operations by providing a clear, centralized view of payouts, employee data, and disbursements.

“The ease of navigating everything through Pay Admin is great,” says Martin. “We can see all the tips and disbursements, all the employee information, and easily make changes when we need to.”

The benefits extend beyond payroll. Tipped employees can self-onboard in minutes and receive their tips directly to a Branch account and debit card. This self-onboarding process reduced administrative work for the Twin Peaks team while giving employees more flexibility and faster access to their earnings.

“Our servers tell us they love Branch more than our last solution,” says Burress. “They’re more self-sufficient because they can onboard themselves. It’s as simple as scanning a QR code.”

The cherry on top has been Branch’s responsive, proactive customer support. Compared to their previous solutions, questions are now resolved quickly, and the Branch team regularly checks in without being prompted.

“Anytime I reach out to admin support, they get back to me within a few minutes with solutions,” says Martin. “They even reach out just to check in. Everyone is friendly, helpful, and keeps us updated.”

Their account manager also played a key role in ensuring a smooth rollout, staying organized and proactive throughout implementation—even reminding Twin Peaks when it was time to onboard additional locations during a busy expansion.

Results: Less Risk, Faster Payroll, and Time Back

Since implementing Branch, Twin Peaks has seen meaningful improvements across payroll efficiency, risk reduction, and employee satisfaction. The company eliminated funding bottlenecks and wire transfers, reduced exposure to fraud through payout caps, and removed onboarding and support friction through self-service tools and responsive customer care.

On a day-to-day basis, Branch has made a difference not only for the tipped employees at Twin Peaks, but for the payroll team, too. 

“Switching to Branch saved us an incredible amount of time—what used to take 35–40 hours a week now takes about five minutes,” says Burress. “Before, it consumed my entire day. And you’re constantly evolving the product to keep things easy for us, and I really appreciate that.”

Martin adds that the customer service and responsiveness have created a true partnership, which feels like night and day compared to their previous solution. 

“Branch truly does have outstanding customer service,” Martin adds. “It’s been night and day. Anything that’s popped up has been quickly resolved.”

With Branch, Twin Peaks eliminated funding risk, strengthened controls around tip payouts, and delivered a better experience for both payroll teams and tipped employees. Providing simplified operations, hands-on support, and faster access to earnings, Branch has become a trusted pay management partner for this fast-growing restaurant brand.

‍