El Pollo Loco Selects MegaPath’s
Managed IP Services to Securely Connect Locations Throughout
North America
End-to-End Solution Links 200 Restaurants
to Centralized Corporate Resources
COSTA MESA, CA.
January 8, 2007
MegaPath, the leading provider of Virtual Private
Network (VPN) solutions and other managed IP services to businesses
nationwide, today announced that El Pollo Loco, the nation’s
leading quick-service restaurant chain specializing in flame-grilled
chicken, is deploying MegaPath’s Store Connect VPN service
to cost effectively support data communications between its restaurants
and centralized corporate resources.
“As El Pollo Loco continues to expand across the nation,
we look for technology providers that can help us increase restaurant
productivity and deliver exceptional guest service,” said
Tom Giannetti, Vice President of Information Technology at El Pollo
Loco. “MegaPath’s fully managed secure connectivity
services provide our restaurants access to the corporate resources
they require, while allowing our headquarters staff to focus on
providing tools that our crewmembers can use to build revenues and
exceed our guests’ expectations.”
MegaPath is providing
El Pollo Loco with the VPN support and data network connectivity
required for several critical processes within
its restaurants. In addition to delivering the performance and
security for sub-second credit and gift card authorization processing,
MegaPath
provides near real time uploading of store-level transaction data
to the central corporate data warehouse. By providing each location
with the highest performance network access in its geographic
region, MegaPath is allowing headquarters to better support in-store
marketing
efforts with point-of-sale system downloads for new marketing
promotions and price changes.
As a fully managed network solution,
MegaPath handles all router hardware installation and configurations.
Outsourcing this activity
reduces the internal staffing required to support a 200+ location
network that is continuing to expand nationally. It also enables
internal El Pollo Loco Information Technology staff to increase
levels of IT support and security for its restaurants by making
it possible for headquarters to remotely access and control store
computer and video surveillance systems. The MegaPath network
also allows El Pollo Loco to perform real-time network monitoring
of
servers, terminals and other critical “in store” network
components.
“MegaPath’s managed IP and security services enable
many leading retail and restaurant chains to gain competitive advantages
by efficiently increasing productivity and customer satisfaction,” said
Jim Cragg, President and Chief Operating Officer of MegaPath. “By
connecting its headquarters and restaurants using MegaPath’s
secure high-performance network services, El Pollo Loco is ensuring
that its locations receive the best support available for mission
critical applications, including point-of-sale and credit card processing.
This is key to supporting the company’s long term growth and
success.”
About El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco currently operates 351 restaurants (202 franchised
locations and 149 company-owned restaurants), located principally
in California, with additional restaurants in Arizona, Nevada,
Texas, Colorado, Illinois and Connecticut. Headquartered in
Irvine, California, El Pollo Loco, Inc. is a privately held
company owned
by Trimaran Capital Partners and company management. For more
information about El Pollo Loco, visit the company’s website
at www.elpolloloco.com.
About MegaPath
MegaPath is the leading provider of managed IP communications
services in North America. MegaPath leverages its wide selection
of broadband
connectivity, Virtual Private Networks, Voice over IP and security
technologies to enable businesses to lower costs, increase security
and enhance productivity. Businesses of all sizes can easily
and securely communicate between their headquarters, branch
offices,
retail locations, mobile workers, and business partners.
To learn
more about why over 18,000 companies have chosen MegaPath’s
managed IP data, voice and security services to improve their business
communications, visit www.megapath.com or call 1-877-MegaPath (638-4342).
|