Long lines at the drive-through window are enough to make some “fast food” customers question the claim.

But not so for customers of the Strategic Restaurant Acquisition Corp. (SRAC), the second-largest Burger King franchisee. SRAC is now using Hughes managed broadband services to speed up processing of credit and debit cards and support other functions at 220 of their 225 restaurants throughout the U.S.

This high-speed capability is critical for Burger King restaurants to meet growing consumer demand for cashless options and to maintain a competitive market position. Credit and debit transactions over broadband are faster, easier, and more accurate than cash and enable more customers to be served. “Having online credit capability is essential for our restaurants to compete in the highly competitive quick-service restaurant industry,” said Steve Grossman, chief financial officer and acting chief information officer at SRAC.

“As consumers move away from cash and checks and embrace the ease of credit and debit transactions, having an always-on network becomes increasingly important,” said Mike Cook, senior vice president of sales and marketing for North America at Hughes. “With Hughes managed broadband services, SRAC is decreasing transaction times and improving customer service, key factors in maintaining an edge in the quick-service restaurant market. We understand the demands placed on QSR operators today and we've designed our services to work the way they do—quickly, consistently and effectively—regardless of geography.”

Grossman added that the managed broadband service is enabling restaurants in California and six other states to quickly handle a new system of reloadable, electronic gift cards.

SRAC director of information technology, David Knutson, said that the service will also be used for full back-office support. He said it reduces the time it takes restaurant managers to complete daily uploads.

Hughes completed the rollout to 220 restaurants in less than 30 days. “We looked at this as an improvement to our communications system. We had a tight timeframe in which to roll out the solution, and only Hughes could meet our deadline while delivering the level of service we demanded at every site,” said Grossman.