Workstream, 521 7th Street, San Francisco, CA (2026)

09/02/2026

"It's not easy, but nothing is easy. If you really love serving people and love connecting with your community, it all comes down to who you bring on board with you and the family you create there."

Zack Sakak's father came to the United States at 15 and eventually built out the Applebee's franchise in North Dakota. Zack grew up working those restaurants and opened Sonic locations with his family. He's been in the brand 13 years, now running four locations in North Dakota and Badlands, a local steakhouse in Minot, ND.

"The best advice I've ever gotten is from my dad," Zack says. "You're really looking for people that share the same values and the same love for the industry. It just makes the biggest difference."

For payroll and onboarding, Zack and his team use Workstream, a partner he describes as refreshing, user-friendly, and backed by a help desk that's "always so responsive."

The defining factor, Zack says, is how much you love it and how much you love serving the community. Thirteen years in, the answer is still yes to both.

08/31/2026

"I had a lot of imposter syndrome. Why am I here? These people have had longer careers, more accomplishments. And so feeling like I've earned a lot of their respect, feeling comfortable that I belong here, that I'm here because people value my opinion. That is probably my biggest accomplishment."

Chris King is the president of King Enterprises, a third-generation family business running 18 Wendy's and 5 KFCs. His grandfather had a handshake deal with Colonel Sanders in the 1960s. His dad built on that foundation. When Chris stepped into leadership, he was consistently the youngest in every room, surrounded by people his dad's age.

"There's nothing I'm going to ask you that I haven't done myself. I understand it. I wouldn't ask you to do something that doesn't make sense."

King Franchises works with Workstream, and Chris says the bar for any vendor is simple: "I've got a lot of vendor partners and very few of them are as good as you guys."

Three generations in, still earning every room. Thank you, Chris.

08/27/2026

"At the end of the day, you close everything down, you clean it up, and you get a fresh start the next day."

That philosophy has carried Dustin Riddle through nearly 30 years inside Sonic Drive-Ins.

He started as a cook at 16, following his father into Sonic. Dustin always told himself he'd follow a different path. "Just kind of started in the business," he says, "and then next thing I know it's 30 years later." Today he's Director of Operations for Great American Hospitality, leading 21 locations across the Carolinas and Virginia.

When things don't go as planned, he turns to baseball. "I always equate it to a pitcher giving up a home run. If they sit there and dwell on it, they're going to give up more. Just focus on the next guest. Make the adjustment and move the team forward."

Workstream joined Great American Hospitality in April 2025. Time to hire dropped from 10 days to 6, and the team could finally afford to be more selective.

Dustin, thirty years of fresh starts. Thank you for showing what they can build.

08/24/2026

"Nothing ever happens in the office, and no money's ever made there. Get out in the restaurant."

Adam Golomb is Managing Partner and CEO of The Markham Team, which grew to 12 Smoothie King locations this year across Pittsburgh, central Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. He got that advice decades ago, back when he was working nearly every job in a restaurant himself: cook, dishwasher, server, bartender.

"If you have an idea, you can try it this afternoon and know in an hour if it works. You don't have to wait weeks to figure out if something works."

Four weeks into using Workstream for payroll, Adam says it has cut processing time in half and already caught issues, like an incorrect bank account, before they became a bigger problem for his back-office team.

Twelve stores in, Adam still follows the same advice: get out of the office and see for yourself.

08/19/2026

"I am over here waking up at 6 a.m. to clock in and make coffee. But it's important to know. It's important to do."

Krupa Desai had a VP title waiting for her at her family's Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins franchise, but she took a crew member schedule instead.

Before that, she'd built a career in healthcare administration in Chicago. When her dad and uncles asked her to take over the Illinois stores, she started as crew, then shift lead, then assistant manager, learning the job the way her team had.

"You wouldn't have the business without the family, but you would have the family without the business" is the advice she carries from her dad and uncles, and it shows in how she leads: relationships first, title second.

Workstream now handles hiring and scheduling across the portfolio. As Krupa put it, "It has been twofold much better... it actually takes things off of our plate versus putting things on our plate."

The same person who once clocked in at 6 a.m. is now the one making sure the schedule works for everyone else.

Krupa, thank you for earning that seat one shift at a time.

08/17/2026

"Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today."

Nina Lemos still hears it in her grandmother's voice. It's advice that shapes how she runs seven Dunkin' locations across Central Florida.

Her grandfather was the first in the family to work at Dunkin', after a business partner offered him the opportunity in Connecticut. Her parents eventually became franchisees and built the business into a Florida franchise. Nina rejoined full-time two years ago and now oversees hiring, onboarding, training, and operations across all seven stores.

"I scheduled like eight interviews. Maybe four people showed up. And it'll have to be like that every month forever." In QSR, you either keep moving or you fall behind.

When Nina and her mother had ideas for Workstream, they didn't leave them for later. They emailed and asked, and the team listened and built several of those suggestions in.

Nina, thank you for carrying that voice forward.

08/13/2026

"The whole reason I'm in business now is to mold young people and train young people."

Macy Bloomer owns six Little Caesars in rural Kentucky. The title he's most proud of giving out isn't general manager, it's Director of Sink Organization.

He gave it to a 15-year-old dishwasher: here's the three-compartment sink, here's how I want it kept, now it's yours. That kid became a shift lead, an assistant manager, then ran three stores. Macy's current district manager started the same way, as a dishwasher.

"We might be the only influence they have. We might be the only one that has two ears that's going to listen to them. We might be the only people that's ever given them a shot, so we got to look out for them."

Workstream handles the operational side at all six locations, so Macy can stay focused on the part that drives everything else: the 94 people in the stores.

Not every dishwasher stays a dishwasher. Macy, thank you for seeing the potential.

08/11/2026

"Listen to understand, not to respond."

That’s the leadership philosophy Kareem Thompson brings to OM Group, where he leads Training & Operations Services across 132 Wingstop restaurants.

Kareem’s career didn’t start in restaurants. While studying criminal justice, he worked at Main Event and was inspired by leaders who led by example and invested in his growth. That experience sparked a passion for developing people and ultimately changed the direction of his career.

Today, Kareem is focused on building a culture where people don’t just get jobs they build careers. With Workstream helping create a seamless hiring and onboarding experience, OM Group is developing future leaders from day one.

"Be coachable and adaptable. There's never a person I wouldn't take advice from."

Kareem, thank you for showing what it looks like to lead with both ears open.

Workstream

09/02/2026

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08/27/2026

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