As a small business and franchisor, Sticky Fingers Cooking® can understand the complicated needs of their franchisees (aka franchise owners) when it comes to payroll and other HR-related tasks. 

“As we expanded into franchising, it was clear that we needed a robust payroll solution,” explains Erin Fletter, founder and CEO of Sticky Fingers Cooking. “Sticky Fingers Cooking and Gusto are aligned with their missions of hospitality and excellence, as well as having fun while building a beneficial business! I have to admit that I was immediately enchanted by the playfulness of their mascot Penny The Pig!"” 

Gusto, a sponsor of the Sticky Fingers Cooking 2026 Summit, sets itself apart from its competitors with top-notch customer service and several service lines to be a one-stop shop for many HR needs.

“The Gusto platform is designed for small business so it’s a natural fit for franchisees,” says Kevin Northrup, Partner Manager Franchise Development at Gusto. “You do not need a HR background to understand the functionality and features that come with the Gusto platform.”

He adds that Gusto is transparent with its pricing, and for franchise brands with a formal partnership agreement in place, Gusto offers a free onboarding period and a lifetime payroll discount. The company currently partners with numerous franchise brands across the U.S. and serves over 500,000 customers. 

One perk of Gusto's franchise partnership structure is one-on-one customer service, which gives every franchisee continuity rather than calling an 800 number and starting over with someone new each time a question comes up — an added benefit that ensures a consistent customer experience.

Not only is Sticky Fingers Cooking using Gusto as a franchisor, they have now offered it to their franchise owners to use as small business owners in their own territories. 

“Our franchise owners are so happy with Gusto,” says Lelania Howard, Chief Financial Officer for Sticky Fingers Cooking. “The customer service is the best I’ve ever worked with!  Payroll can be intimidating and a little overwhelming for new business owners. The Gusto platform is very intuitive with the “to do” lists, reminder emails and a clear (and playful) platform.  I’m grateful for the partnership we’ve developed with Kevin and Gusto!”

In addition to payroll, Gusto offers:

• Benefits (including health insurance and 401Ks)
• Financial reporting and visual graphs to understand and forsee cash requirements
• Integration with other platforms, such as QuickBooks
• Different types of insurance (worker’s comp, general liability)

“We invoice monthly so people are often surprised when they can run payroll twice a month or more and it’s still just one invoice,” Kevin says, explaining that some competitors will charge for each payroll run. “There aren’t any gotcha fees.”

Ultimately, Kevin describes the Gusto platform “one ecosystem” that assists a small business–franchise or otherwise–with employee retention, payroll, and many other HR solutions.