Chains like McDonald's and Taco Bell are offering cash bonuses and other perks to fill thousands of open roles. Here are some of the companies hiring right now.

Most McDonald's locations are run by individual franchisees, who hire — and offer perks —separately from the corporation. In Tennessee, owner-operators are hiring for 8,000 positions ahead of the summer, while franchisees in Texas are hoping to fill another 25,000.

Perks vary by operator and location. In Florida, one location was giving candidates $50 just to interview, while also offering signing bonuses and referral programs. 

Another location in Fayetteville, North Carolina is reportedly offering a $500 signing bonus.

Whataburger is hiring for 50,000 positions to double its size. The Texas-based burger chain is hosting free leadership conferences and adding perks like emergency pay and increased 401(k) matching to become more appealing to potential new hires. 

IHOP is looking to hire 10,000 employees in the next few months at 1,600 locations across the US.

"With the country reopening and states lifting mandates, we see a restaurant renaissance on the horizon, and ensuring our restaurants are staffed and equipped is one of our top priorities," IHOP President Jay Johns said in April.

On May 19, IHOP will host "National Recruiting Day" to fill these rolls.

Taco Bell held a hiring event in April with a goal of filling 5,000 positions, and there are still more than 49,000 openings on its website. 

The chain is making interviews easier for applicants by offering "drive-up interviews" from cars at certain locations.

Starbucks has thousands of openings listed online across the US.

While CEO Kevin Johnson says employee retention numbers are good, some employees say that they're dealing with staffing issues and can't keep positions filled. 

Starbucks offers benefits that are relatively rare in the world of hourly fast food jobs, including mental health benefits, childcare help, catastrophe pay, and tuition coverage at Arizona State University. 

Denny's estimates it needs to hire at least 20,000 new employees to reopen overnight services, though it can't even find people to interview, Restaurant Business Online reported.

7-Eleven convenience stores have more than 15,000 open positions listed online as franchisees say a "dire labor shortage" makes reopening overnight untenable.

Sonic has over 10,000 drive-in jobs listed online. At about a third of the chain's 3,500 US restaurants, customers can now tip carhops through Sonic's app, which may be an extra incentive for applicants.

Subway franchises are hiring as owner-operators say they cannot find enough workers to fill positions. One franchise owner said that he added a $2 per hour bonus while increased unemployment benefits last, along with a $300 signing bonus.

Chipotle is hiring 20,000 new employees to staff busy locations and open another 200 restaurants this year.

The chain announced Monday that it will raise average wages to $15 an hour by June, $2 higher than the current $13 average. Along with higher wages,  Chipotle is offering referral bonuses to employees  –  $200 for crew members and $750 for apprentices or general managers.  

The sports bar chain has more than 6,000 openings as wings continue to be one of the most popular foods of the pandemic. 

Applebees is hosting a national hiring day on May 17 to hire 10,000 new employees. Interviewing candidates will receive a coupon for a free appetizer through the "Apps for Apps" program.

Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.