“Having the ability to (remotely) see the site and see what devices are online allows me to narrow the troubleshooting field of questions, which then gets our stores back up and running much faster.”
David Mole, IT director, DiPasqua Enterprises
DiPasqua Enterprises, one of Subway’s original and largest franchisees,has grown to over 100 locations, with plans to continue diversifying its franchise portfolio. This rapid expansion required a network refresh to accommodate widespread locations without overextending the company’s lean IT team or increasing total operational costs.
DiPasqua implemented Ericsson Cradlepoint cellular-enabled hybrid WAN routers in each of its restaurants. For locations implementing cellular as their only WAN link, dual modems ensure cellular connectivity based on the best available network connection. Other locations are supported by a multiWAN mix of 5G, LTE, and wired links.
This Subway franchisee saved 20% in operational expenses by consolidating devices and subscriptions, and future-proofing their network solutions. The two-person IT team can now troubleshoot proactively and remotely, saving time and money that can then be allocated to other resources and innovations to help DiPasqua’s continued growth.
Since 1977, family-owned DiPasqua Enterprises has served as the original franchisee of Subway, a fast-food restaurant specializing in foot-long sandwiches, salads, drinks, wraps, and more. With close to 100 restaurants in their portfolio and plans to expand franchise operations into urgent care clinics and spas, reliable network connectivity was vital.
When landline prices increased and their agreement cycle with a previous network solution provider began winding down, DiPasqua found themselves at a technology crossroads. To keep their dough rising, the sandwich shop franchisee needed to address outstanding network and operational challenges and drive down costs to promote profitability.
In the restaurant business, dozens of systems and technologies are in place to create a consistent experience that keeps customers coming back — and DiPasqua’s locations are no exception. Shops require a network solution that supports point-of-sale systems, guest Wi-Fi, VoIP, inventory management, surveillance cameras, HVAC systems, automated refrigeration, and more. Operations become unwieldy when these connections and their data are managed through different systems or hardware. On top of that, if connectivity to any application is compromised, stores risk losing sales.
“Our existing solution was antiquated, especially based on the current availability of 5G and the ability to have an all-in-one solution,” said David Mole, IT director at DiPasqua Enterprises.
DiPasqua Enterprises operates with a lean IT staff made up of only two employees plus a managed service provider (MSP) that assists with aggregated billing. With more than 100 locations, there are minimal resources available to focus on urgent tasks when they arise, making it difficult to meet the needs of on-site issues or allocate time to other business functions.
Working with their existing infrastructure, DiPasqua deployed enterprise-ready Ericsson Cradlepoint routers optimized for 5G and hybrid WAN in fixed sites.
More than 15% of DiPasqua’s franchises use cellular as their only WAN connection. In those locations, router support for dual modems enables seamless switching between carriers based on the best available network. Other locations are supported by 5G, LTE, and wired solutions, depending on their needs.
DiPasqua is working toward a goal of equipping at least half of their locations with cellular. All locations using 5G or LTE are managed and monitored through Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Manager for single-pane-of-glass visibility from anywhere.
“I truly feel that you get what you pay for, and this solution has proven its worth since the proof-of-concept. Now that we’ve launched in our Subway locations, I see the benefits every day.”
David Mole, IT director, DiPasqua Enterprises
After implementing Ericsson's enterprise wireless solutions, DiPasqua Enterprises saved 20% in operational expenses. By consolidating their routers, firewalls, failover solutions, and Wi-Fi into a single device, the company could operate on fewer service subscriptions with less equipment.
These savings allowed DiPasqua to redirect funds to other parts of the business and, because of their investment in 5G solutions, they are prepared for future network enhancements without the continual and costly rip and replacement of equipment.
With NetCloud Manager in place, the small DiPasqua IT team now has ubiquitous network visibility through dashboards, alerts, WAN link health insights, and more. The team can also use in-band and out-of-band management to troubleshoot remotely — sometimes before the stores even know there’s an issue. This rapid time to resolution has saved 50% of staff time and nearly $125 per hour for onsite truck rolls.
With 5G serving as a primary or failover link, DiPasqua locations rest assured that their in-store networks can accommodate the myriad applications and bandwidth needed to keep sales, service, and safety running without a hitch. Additionally, with zero-touch deployment, stores can open as soon as they receive the router, giving them a faster path to revenue.
“The happier we can keep our teams in the field, the better operations we have in the field which equates to happier employees, happier customers, and increased revenue,” Mole said.
“Having the ability to (remotely) see the site and see what devices are online allows me to narrow the troubleshooting field of questions, which then gets our stores back up and running much faster.”
David Mole, IT director, DiPasqua Enterprises
