Inside Look: How Smart Cash Handling Keeps Luby’s Connected to Customers

Luby’s, a well-known restaurant chain, first partnered with Loomis in 2006 to streamline their cash handling processes and enhance security. By outsourcing this critical task to a trusted provider, Luby’s could continue to focus on what they do best: serving delicious food. Fifteen years later, their partnership with Loomis continues to allow them to focus on the customer.

Before teaming up with Loomis, Luby’s employees had to manually transport cash to the bank, a time-consuming and risky process. Mariana Downs, Director of Finance & Accounting at Luby’s Restaurant Corporation, understood that risk:

 “Before Loomis, we had employees take cash on a daily basis to a bank—definitely a safety concern,” she said. “As small as it is, with $20 to $200 to $2,000, there’s definitely the risk of safety and the time it takes for a staff member to make those cash deliveries, in addition to the risk for their safety, potentially being robbed, etc.”

By entrusting their cash handling to Loomis, Luby’s significantly reduced risk and improved efficiency.

“Since partnering with Loomis, our managers have gained the time back to be at their restaurants,” she said. “They’re no longer at risk of being robbed, and they get that time back during their day so they can run a successful restaurant.”

While the time savings and risk reduction with employees is evident, there’s an even greater piece to this picture: the customer. Even as digital payments become more prevalent, cash remains a significant part of Luby’s business. 

“The use of cash for our customers is extremely important. We will always have that cash dependency. Our demographic is of the older generation, and they lean towards cash use,” Downs explained. Loomis’s reliable cash pickup services ensure that Luby’s can continue to accommodate its customers’ preferences.

The numbers don’t lie: The latest statistics from 2024 show that 22% of all payments made by adults aged 55+ are made in cash. As the restaurant industry continues to evolve, partnerships with trusted providers like Loomis will be crucial for businesses to thrive. Franchises like Luby’s are one step ahead thanks to their customer-first approach to business.