Barbecue chain adapts to the unexpected with scalable technology infrastructure

“The reliability of the [Spectrum Enterprise] network is a critical piece to us succeeding during COVID.”—Skip Kimpel, CIO, 4 Rivers Smokehouse

When Skip Kimpel joined 4 Rivers Smokehouse as CIO in 2019, he knew from his 20+ years of experience that assessing the company’s technology infrastructure would be his top priority. It would reveal if he had the right solutions — and technology partners — to support business plans and unexpected priorities.

Kimpel’s assessment revealed Spectrum Enterprise supplied coax internet service to four restaurants, and dedicated Fiber Internet Access (FIA) service to three others. For voice service, 4 Rivers used the Spectrum Enterprise cloud-based Unified Communications (UC) solution at all its restaurants, and the company’s Hosted Call Center solution for two small call centers.

The evaluation confirmed these solutions had been consistently reliable and fit the chain’s needs. Kimpel also found that his Spectrum Enterprise account manager provided responsive support.

Confident he had the right solutions and partner by his side, Kimpel made Spectrum Enterprise part of his future plans.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, 4 Rivers pivoted exclusively to takeout and delivery orders. Because Spectrum Enterprise internet services had more than enough bandwidth, connectivity continued to be highly reliable, even as the number of incoming online and phone orders grew exponentially. The connectivity also gave them the ability to respond quickly to shifting consumer demands by setting up pop-up drive throughs.

“Employees took tablets out in the restaurant parking lot that let them take orders and process payments right from the customer’s car,” says Kimpel. “The tablets were connected to WiFi supported by our Spectrum Enterprise internet service.”

Meanwhile, UC and Hosted Call Center provided reliable voice service so customers could easily place orders or ask questions, even when call volumes increased significantly.

For Kimpel, navigating COVID-19 made it clear that no matter what unexpected challenge comes his way next, he has the right technology partner in his corner.