Zen and Subway: putting better broadband on the menu

As more and more connected technology has been (and continues to be) added to stores, stable and reliable internet access has become vital for Subway Franchisees to remain profitable. This became particularly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic where the importance of third-party delivery providers like Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, as well as the Subway®️ Rewards app that allows convenient pick-up, were paramount to sales.
Driven by a desire to ensure this burgeoning side of the business was better served, and an overall need to offer better connectivity to Subway® Franchisees in the UK and Ireland, IPC Europe’s requirement was a future-proofed broadband solution, able to support all store equipment, that would also ensure PCI compliance for all payment channels.
And Zen was chosen to provide the support and expertise needed to complete the task.

As part of its broadband offering to Subway®’s 935 Franchisees across 2,337 stores in the UK and Ireland, Zen would offer a Cisco router and TP-Link backup solution to help better meet the Subway® store requirements. Dedicated web portals - one for the UK and one for the Republic of Ireland - were built for onboarding Subway® Franchisees. These portals, separate from Zen’s ordinary site, were uniquely designed for the Subway® system and its needs, helping to make the onboarding process smooth and effective. And to ensure that rollout was efficient and trouble-free, the whole onboarding process was put through rigorous testing, first by the IPC Europe team – with all store equipment – followed by a thorough testing stage with selected UK stores to guarantee the best possible solution for Franchisees. Throughout the testing process, IPC Europe and Zen collaborated to create bespoke marketing collateral, again helping to ensure the very best experience for Franchisees. This material included installation guides and videos, process charts and comparison charts, along with helpful FAQs and a detailed breakdown of the service. “The collaboration with Zen was made significantly easier with their open communication approach and their technical expertise working hand-in-hand to provide a robust, future-proofed and scalable solution that will benefit Subway® Franchisees in the UK and Ireland today and in the future”, says IPC Europe’s Retail Technology Manager Pritpal Sohanpal. “Zen was able to provide in-depth installation guides that include specific instructions for Franchisees’ in-store equipment, which included drastic improvements to the previous connection stability and setup process. It also ensures the store is ready for future development as we see more and more ‘smart equipment’ being developed.”

The most notable immediate benefit for Subway® Franchisees has been faster and more reliable internet connectivity. “We’re seeing faster speeds across the board now that we’ve moved our three locations to Zen”, says Subway® Franchisee Adam Heyes, who adds: “The sign-up process was really easy, and the router supplied is of great quality. We’re seeing strong and stable connections for both the store and customer WiFi networks. I’m happy to recommend Zen and the package they’ve put together for Subway® in the UK.” For IPC Europe, apart from the satisfaction of the Franchisees, one of the most pleasing aspects of the relationship is Zen’s proactive approach, open communications and regular updates. “Being conscious of our technology requirements in-store, we wanted to provide Subway® Franchisees with a bespoke internet solution that would cover all their current and future needs. Zen’s high-quality service, fast broadband connections, and willingness to adapt to Subway®’s requirements made them our ideal partner”, says IPC Europe’s Commercial Director Simon Aldred. “Zen was not only willing to adapt to challenges that became clear during the testing and piloting stage but offered proactive solutions and invaluable industry insights.” Simon Aldred, Commercial Director, IPC Europe