When David Alvarado took a job as a busboy at Outback Steakhouse in high school, he was simply trying to earn $75 for prom tickets. What he didn’t know then was that this entry-level job would launch a three-decade journey through nearly every corner of the restaurant industry—from family-run kitchens to global boardrooms.

Today, David is the VP of Business Development at Instant Financial, a fintech company reshaping the way employees in the service industry get paid. His story isn’t just about career growth—it’s a reflection of how the restaurant industry has evolved, and why tools like Instant are essential for its future.

From the Family Kitchen to Corporate Leadership

David grew up in Michigan, where his family owned a Mexican restaurant. “People didn’t show up? We still had to go to work,” he says. That meant cooking, cleaning, and everything in between—giving him a crash course in restaurant grit and responsibility.

After moving to Florida, David joined Outback Steakhouse as a senior in high school. He stayed with the brand for 22 years, eventually rising to the role of Global Vice President at Bloomin’ Brands. Along the way, he experienced firsthand the challenges of running restaurants—from managing staffing shortages to dealing with the complexities of payment systems. “It was the perfect 360-degree view,” he says. “From mom-and-pop shop to corporate chain to enterprise headquarters—I saw it all.”

Why Instant

After his long tenure in traditional hospitality, David became an early employee at Instant Financial. He believed in the company’s mission to give restaurant workers faster, easier access to their earnings—and to help employers modernize how they pay their teams with Instant’s tipping software and earned wage access.

“Earned wage access is really just giving people their money when they need it,” David explains. “If you work an eight-hour shift and make $80, we’ll offer you access to $40 right after your shift. It’s your money, no games, no fees.”

For decades, hourly employees had to wait for traditional pay cycles to get paid—while their bills showed up every day. The lag often forced them to borrow from friends, their employers, or even predatory payday lenders. With Instant, workers can access funds immediately and use them through a free Visa card, a bank transfer, or even Venmo and PayPal.

“It’s about small amounts of liquidity,” David says. “A tank of gas, groceries, or fixing a flat tire—whatever they need to get through the day and get back to work.”

The Competitive Edge in Hiring and Retention

In a post-pandemic world, many workers left the restaurant industry for jobs with gig platforms like Uber and DoorDash—where daily pay was already the norm. Instant’s tools give restaurant operators a way to stay competitive in this new labor market.

And it’s working: “When we implemented earned wage access, call-outs dropped. People would actually call the restaurant to ask if they could pick up shifts, because they knew they’d get paid right away,” David says. “It changed the dynamic entirely.”

A recent survey by Instant revealed that 86% of hourly workers would prefer to work for an employer that offers same-day pay.

Solving the Tip Disbursement Nightmare

While Instant’s earned wage access made headlines, it was the tipping software that truly shook up the restaurant world.

Traditionally, distributing tips has been a logistical mess: managers converting credit card tips to cash, counting bills, stuffing envelopes, keeping paper logs, and dealing with bank runs. All while trying to run a busy shift.

Instant digitizes the entire process. “Now, when someone finishes a shift, their tips are sent directly to their app,” says David. “No more safes. No more logs. No more interruptions.”

For restaurants where tipping is a major part of take-home pay—think steakhouses and high-volume casual spots—the benefits are massive. “Some restaurants move $30,000 a week in tips. It’s inefficient and expensive to handle that in cash. Now we can move it digitally, instantly, and securely with our tipping distribution software.”

Addressing the Needs of the Underbanked

One of Instant’s most powerful features is its accessibility. Many hourly workers are underbanked or unbanked entirely—unable to open a traditional bank account or access credit. Instant offers them a free, fully functional digital banking experience through their mobile app, complete with a Visa debit card, ATM access, and mobile transfers.

“It’s expensive to be poor,” David says. “We wanted to remove the obstacles, eliminate the fees, and give workers the freedom to manage their money their way.”

What’s Next: Supporting Financial Wellness

David and the team at Instant aren’t stopping at faster pay. They’re already investing in building a robust financial wellness platform that promotes long-term employee financial health—budgeting tools, savings goals, and more—all designed to help workers build stability.

“Taking care of the employee means they take care of the business,” David says. “And when that happens, the business takes care of itself. I’m proud to work for a company that truly understands and appreciates frontline restaurant workers.”

Get in touch if you want to learn more about Instant Pay and Instant Tips.