Mobile Communications for Food Services
USAT Case Study | The Connected Food Truck
Popular restaurants and dining establishments have been looking for ways to expand their reach. With many states still imposing indoor restrictions, and with no anticipated end date in sight, restaurateurs are pushing the boundaries of their operations. While many turn to enlarging outdoor areas, the more creative and daring are taking their shows on the road with connected food trucks.
Case Overview
DEPLOYING FOOD TRUCKS
While many food service businesses closed their doors due to the unprecedented impacts the coronavirus had on revenues, many more refused to go down without a fight. After a sizable decrease in foot traffic, owners across the country found themselves unable to afford their rent. Some relocated to less expensive areas, and others looked to completely change the way they did business.
One such restaurateur sought to drastically reduce overhead, without abandoning the brand and client base he worked so hard to build. He found a quality food truck for sale, a corner of a parking lot for rent, and a way to modify the menu to work under these reduced conditions.
Challenges Faced
RELIABLE MOBILE INTERNET ACCESS
The owner wanted to decrease the need for people to stand around waiting to order. He figured he could make a mobile menu that would allow people to scan the side of the truck to securely place and pay for their order online and then come grab their food once their number was called. He figured this would help promote social distancing initiatives, while also providing a better service experience to his patrons. In order to accomplish this, he would need the truck to have a secure and reliable connection to the internet, capable of guest WiFi, even in areas of spotty or otherwise poor coverage.
USAT can provide your mobile and pop-up restaurants the end-to-end communications solutions they needs to succeed.
Solution Presented
VEHICLE ROUTERS AND ANTENNAS
While the owner planned on parking the food truck in a single location most of the time, they did want to be able to take the truck to events and other approved spots to sell their amazing food. They needed solid reception at the main location, as well as several other spots both in and out of town.
To meet their mobile connectivity needs, the team at USAT delivered a solution including an AirLink® RV55 router from Sierra Wireless activated on the highly reliable Verizon carrier network. To maximize signal reception, and boost WiFi coverage we also installed a rugged LTM502 antenna from Mobile Mark.
AirLink RV55 Mobile Routers
The AirLink® RV55 is the industry’s most rugged, compact, LTE-Advanced Pro router from Sierra Wireless. Simple to install, and easy to manage, the RV55 router is designed to connect critical infrastructure, remote assets, and vehicles. The WiFi capable variant of the RV55 is especially well suited for mobile food service and public safety applications.
Mobile Mark LTM502 Vehicle Routers
The LTM502 is an easy to mount, ruggedized, multi-band diversity antenna that contains five separate elements within a single compact housing. This Mobile Mark antenna features two broadband cellular antennas, two dual-band WiFi antennas, and one GPS antenna, making it a perfect pairing for the WiFi-enabled RV55.
Results Observed
SMOOTH RIDE AND SMOOTH CONNECTIVITY
After up-fitting their ride with our installation services, they were ready for business. They sent an email out to their client newsletter list, posted updates to social media, and had a decent turnout their first weekend in operation. Their customers connected seamlessly to their ordering portal and their internal systems received every order without a hiccup. And with active GPS and ALMS management software, they always knows the trucks location.
Case Study Download
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Why Choose USAT?
For the last 25 years USAT has provided expert IoT connectivity solutions to fixed and mobile food service organizations. Our team supports each and every aspect of your mission-critical connectivity projects. We engineer and provide solutions utilizing only top-tier cellular equipment from the most trusted manufacturers worldwide.
Our DevProv+ services team configures, provisions, kits and ships your devices hot and ready for immediate use. And our installation teams ensure your devices are functioning securely, reliably, and at peak performance.
Reach out to USAT today to rapidly deploy solutions that meet your cellular communications needs:
- Give Us a Call: (919) 942-4214
- Send Us an Email: info@usatcorp.com
- Request a Consultant: Click Here
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