More dough to get pizza drivers on the road

Gourmet pizza franchise Pizza Capers has raised the wages of its casual delivery drivers by 20 per cent because the high price of petrol has affected recruitment. Pizza Capers human resources manager Kathy Patterson said the company had introduced a wage increase in order to retain its current drivers and attract new ones.

"The increase in fuel prices has really affected our ability to recruit delivery drivers so we have raised the rates of our casual delivery drivers from $5 to $6.50 in addition to our usual $10 shift allowance," she said.

"We want to look after our staff and to retain our drivers we had to ensure they didn't have to shoulder the burden of increased fuel costs."

Patterson said Pizza Capers fast food franchise delivery drivers were among the best paid in the industry with hourly rates for in-store drivers starting at $17.10 per hour (introductory rate) plus an extra $2 per delivery.

"We believe we offer the highest rates in the pizza industry and hope the great payment terms plus the natural perks of the job attract new drivers as we gear up for the busy Christmas period. We want to have at least three drivers per store so there are many vacancies we want to fill.

"The tip side of the job is incredible and our drivers can often make up to $80 in tips from a three hour shift. Our drivers also get a 40 per cent discount on Pizza Capers meals and casual drivers are paid a minimum of five deliveries per shift.

"Because our shifts usually only last three hours it's an excellent second job for full-time workers wanting to earn an extra income or for university students looking for well paid casual work."

Pizza Capers was established in 1996 by partners Scott Geiszler and Anthony Russo and operates 33 stores across Brisbane, selling over one million pizzas per year.

This article appears courtesy of Franchising Magazine