Grill’d Customers Given Option To Cover Wage Theft Of Staff Through Local Matters Initiative

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

Customers of Grill’d Burgers are now being given the option to support the livelihoods of the franchise employees – by donating their charity bottle caps to a seperate community fund.

This comes as the Australian upmarket-fast-food chain has been accused of using government-subsidised traineeships to keep its young workers on low wages, despite nearly all the employees saying it is a load of shit.

The company is worth about $370 million and has outlets around the country. However, there has been very little trickle from the company profits, to the overexcited teenagers working the stoves.

With the entire company’s business model now in the cross-hairs of the unions, Grill’d have today moved quickly to avoid the potential PR disaster faced by Woolies, Dunkin Donuts, 7-Eleven and a large number of celebrity hospitality groups.

Each franchise around the country is now offering customers the opportunity to donate to a seperate charity fund aimed at supplementing the company’s wage theft of their employees

According to the Grill’d website: “Local Matters began in 2011 as a way for us to give back, to help strengthen and support the communities that have always supported us.”

Local Matters jars are a fixture in all of Grill’d restaurants. Each month, in every restaurant the jars promote three community groups for their guests to support. With every burger ordered, a Local Matters token is handed over for customers to drop into the jar of their choice.

The founder Of Grill’d Simon Crowe told The Advocate that the new scheme will help their poorly paid employees get through Christmas.

“It’s a charitable cause that we really believe in,” explained Crowe.

“Instead of paying workers a decent wage for serving up burgers we charge too much for, we are giving customers the chance to kindly donate.”

“It’s something that people can feel good about leading into Christmas.”

“So get behind it everyone!”