Kitchen staffing agency — W-2 back-of-house staff
We supply dishwashers, cooks and kitchen support staff to restaurants, hotels and venues — as our employees, not contractors, so payroll, taxes and workers' compensation sit with us. Requests are confirmed in under 90 minutes.
The kitchen roles we staff
- Dishwasher
- Line Cook
- Prep Cook
- Food Assembler
- Porter
- General Cleaning
- General Labor
- Banquet Server
- Concession Worker
- Event Help
- Bartender
How it works
Request
Tell us the role, the number of workers, the date and shift times, and the address. Use the form below or call us.
Match
We match the request to available workers in your city who have done that role, and confirm the booking with you.
Shift
The worker arrives and works under your kitchen's direction. We handle their pay, payroll taxes and workers' compensation, and invoice you for the hours worked.
W-2 employment: who carries the employer obligations
Every worker we place is our employee — W-2 in the United States and T4 in Canada. That means the employer obligations sit with DishwasherHero+, not with your business.
In the United States, we carry
- State workers' compensation coverage for every worker we place.
- The employer share of FICA (Social Security and Medicare).
- Federal and state unemployment insurance.
- I-9 employment eligibility verification.
In Canada, we carry
- T4 payroll and source deductions.
- CPP and EI employer contributions (QPP and QPIP in Quebec).
- Provincial workers' compensation coverage.
The exposure under a contractor model
When a business engages kitchen workers as independent contractors (1099 in the US), no one may be carrying those employer obligations. If a regulator, court or injured worker later treats the worker as an employee, the business can face back payroll taxes, penalties and an uninsured injury claim. Separately, when a staffing provider's workers take direction on your premises, the provider and the business can be treated as joint employers for some purposes; who is the employer of record, and who carries the insurance, decides how that exposure is shared.
What kitchen staffing costs
We don't publish a single rate, because the right number depends on your shifts. Here is how any agency's hourly bill rate is built, and what changes it.
How a bill rate is built
- Base wage — what the worker is paid per hour, set by the role and the local labour market, and never below the local minimum wage.
- Employer burden — the costs an employer pays on top of the wage: payroll taxes, the workers' compensation premium, unemployment insurance and general liability insurance. You would carry these yourself if you hired the person directly.
- Agency margin — covers recruiting, screening, scheduling, arranging replacements, payroll administration and the agency's own overhead.
How big is employer burden?
For private industry workers in leisure and hospitality in June 2026, employer compensation costs averaged $21.33 per hour worked: $17.25 in wages and salaries (80.9 percent) and $4.08 in benefits (19.1 percent). Legally required benefits — Social Security, Medicare, federal and state unemployment insurance and workers' compensation — are one part of those benefit costs. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC), private industry, leisure and hospitality, June 2026.
What moves the number
- Role — a line cook costs more than a dishwasher.
- Shift length — short shifts spread fixed costs over fewer hours.
- Time of day — late-night, early-morning and holiday shifts can cost more.
- Lead time — last-minute requests can cost more than planned ones.
- Local market — wages and insurance rates differ by city, state and province.
Compare like for like
An hourly rate for a contractor can look lower because it leaves out employer burden. Compare the fully loaded cost of a W-2 placement against the contractor rate plus what your business may end up carrying: payroll taxes and penalties if the worker is reclassified as an employee, and an injury claim with no workers' compensation behind it.
Get a quote for your shiftsWhere we operate
We staff kitchens in these 32 cities across the US and Canada.
- New York, NY
- Miami, FL
- Chicago, IL
- Los Angeles, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Orlando, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- San Francisco, CA
- Montreal, QC
- Toronto, ON
- Vancouver, BC
- Quebec City, QC
- Boston, MA
- Denver, CO
- Seattle, WA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Philadelphia, PA
- San Diego, CA
- Austin, TX
- Washington DC, DC
- Nashville, TN
- San Antonio, TX
- Portland, OR
- Calgary, AB
- Ottawa, ON
- Edmonton, AB
- Winnipeg, MB
- Charlotte, NC
- Scottsdale, AZ
- New Orleans, LA
Kitchen staffing questions
Do restaurants use staffing agencies?
Yes. Restaurants, hotels and caterers use staffing agencies to cover call-outs, busy seasons, events and open positions while they hire. The agency employs the worker and the restaurant directs the work on the shift.
How much do staffing agencies charge per hour?
An agency's hourly bill rate is the worker's wage plus employer costs (payroll taxes, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and liability insurance) plus the agency's margin. The rate depends on the role, shift length, time of day, how much notice you give and the local market, so a real figure needs your details. Request a quote and we will price your shifts.
What's the difference between a staffing agency and a gig app?
A staffing agency like DishwasherHero+ employs the workers it places, so it runs payroll, pays employer taxes and carries workers' compensation. Some apps instead connect businesses with independent contractors, where those employer obligations may not be covered by anyone. Ask any provider who the employer of record is and who carries workers' compensation.
What happens if a worker doesn't show up?
Contact us as soon as you know. Our team works to find a replacement from available workers in your city and keeps you updated. Whether a replacement can be found depends on the role, the time and the location.
Request kitchen staff
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a quote.