Mako Networks

10 Most Innovative Restaurant Tech Companies To Watch In 2022

The Restaurant Tech business is booming, making it important for business leaders to identify which of the many emerging technologies and providers in this space will be most beneficial to their operations, resolving their unique issues and overcoming current market challenges. A good place to start is with providers who can upgrade your network to ensure it will scale easily and will support the other new technologies available. Mako Networks is a leading provider in this category, offering proven networking expertise, products, services and full solutions to restaurants as a solid foundation for unrestricted growth and additional tech investments.

Designed for Distributed Retailers


“A large or fast-scaling QSR brand faces numerous challenges in managing its network. Mako Networks’ technology directly addresses these challenges, allowing for easy scaling, role-based remote management, seamless uptime and maximum security,” says Simon Gamble, President of Mako Networks.


Mako Networks’ custom solutions are built on a platform known as the Mako System that directly addresses the networking challenges faced by a large or fast-scaling QSR.


  1. Scalability
    The Mako System is designed specifically for large, distributed retail enterprises like major QSR brands. As these businesses grow, their solutions can be adapted and scaled rapidly in response to changing business conditions. Whether that means growing from dozens of regional sites to hundreds of global sites or from a few thousand sites to 10,000 sites, Mako technology makes it easy to deploy and maintain remote sites in bulk using cloud management, templated configurations and zero-touch cloud-configured equipment. Mako Networks’ extensive range of centrally-managed networking devices, with carrier-agnostic broadband connectivity, allow for flexible solutions to any situation.


  1. Role-Based Cloud Management
    Large QSRs are composed of multiple entities such as brand, franchise groups, store managers and support personnel, and each of these entities may require a different level of access and control. As QSRs scale, brands may wish to add value to their franchisees by standardizing aspects of their network configurations and supporting new features. Brand users may decide to lock critical settings, such as POS network security, while allowing franchise group users freedom to manage the BOS environment or other settings.

    The Mako System’s role-based access and templated configurations allow users with different roles to coexist in a fully cloud-based management and reporting application. Cloud management also benefits QSRs by allowing a small, centralized IT team to manage very large numbers of remote sites.


  1. Reliability
    In the current climate, reliable Internet connectivity is critical for payments, online order fulfillment and other connected restaurant features to function, making a robust network with redundant, resilient broadband connections key to restaurant businesses’ operating smoothly. Owners, employees, vendors and customers all have increasing digital demands, straining older network designs. Brands must keep their networks up to date to maintain business continuity.

    The Mako System allows for user-defined SD-WAN connectivity and failover configurations that range from frugal data-saving to seamless High Availability performance. These settings may be applied in bulk, then customized for any site at any time.


  1. Security
    With so much business functionality moving online, restaurants need to be mindful of maintaining compliance with PCI DSS and privacy regulations. QSR brands must satisfy growing demand for digital services without sacrificing security for any involved parties. Achieving this level of security compliance can be a difficult, resource-intensive burden for a business and, as the business grows larger, the process can become painfully complex.

Mako Networks designs and produces hardware and software designed to make merchant PCI compliance simpler and easier to achieve.  Mako Networks’ technology is PCI-certified, a key differentiator to bear in mind when considering a network upgrade.  Mako’s PCI certification can be leveraged and used by retailers and brands to streamline their own PCI compliance obligations. This unique end-to-end PCI DSS certification also pairs with simple, cloud-based PCI-compliance tools to assist businesses in securing sensitive data and maintaining continuous and assured compliance.


Ready for Restaurant Tech Trends


The latest technological progress and the effects of the ongoing pandemic will drive the following four key trends in Restaurant Tech. Mako Networks is prepared to help businesses adapt to these trends.


  1. More Online Services
    As more online services target restaurant businesses, existing QSR networks will be pushed to the limit. Quality QSR brands will tightly control which services their branded locations can use. They will also establish WAN security, reliability and performance benchmarks to ensure a homogenous customer experience.

    Mako Networks’ Enterprise Template functionality enables brands to swiftly enact standards at scale for security and connectivity. Layering templates allows for the creation of variant solutions that can be applied to sites with unique requirements.

    The Mako System is an SD-WAN connectivity solution that meets the highest benchmarks for security, PCI DSS compliance and reliability (High Availability) without sacrificing performance. Mako VPN Cloud technology can establish secure connections directly to select vendor networks to allow access to private services and/or keep data off the internet.

    Many of these new online services will be critically important, allowing businesses and consumers to continue transacting safely under pandemic conditions. An upgraded network from Mako is the foundation that supports these services.

  2. Contactless Payment
    As more customers return to onsite purchasing, demand for contactless payment technology will increase. Newer POS equipment that can accommodate contactless payments is often designed for wireless networks.

    The Mako System’s PCI-compliant Wi-Fi connectivity makes deploying wireless POS technology much easier and more secure.


  1. Automation and Self-Service
    Safety concerns and staffing issues related to the ongoing pandemic will increase demand for operational automation and in-store self-service kiosks. A QSR’s local networks must be capable of supporting a growing number of connected IoT devices.


Just as it does for WANs, the Mako System makes it easy to scale LANs while maintaining fine control over the security, reliability and performance of each subnet. Mako Managed Switches allow for advanced segmentation of new IoT subnets.


  1. Efficiency
    Businesses are always trying to do more with less. Currently, bottom lines are being affected by recruiting challenges, supply chain delays and inflated prices for goods, leading businesses to seek relief elsewhere in their budgets.

    Mako Technology can reduce overall and per-site operating costs through a variety of efficiencies. These include creating private connections over the public Internet, increasing uptime and consolidating services. The ability to have distributed and centralized IT management and eliminate outmoded equipment means that fewer network devices and personnel are required with Mako Networks than with other providers. Mako Voice VoIP offers significant savings over conventional phone systems.


Meeting Restaurant Tech Challenges


Working with the decision-makers at fast-scaling QSRs, Mako Networks has identified several key challenges currently facing the Restaurant Tech space and has optimized the Mako System to overcome them.


  • Control and visibility of a growing estate is difficult.
    All Mako Networks technology is built specifically to work in the complex environment that is the distributed retail enterprise, making the Mako System the easiest way to deploy and maintain a scalable network. Features like role-based cloud management and reporting, remote diagnostics, real-time alerts and more allow for centralized control and visibility.


  • Store owners and franchise groups are eager for the latest technology.
    The Mako System enables a brand to choose how much control or freedom to give franchise groups and store owners when deploying new technology at branded sites. When brands choose to control the roll out of new tech, Mako’s templated settings make it simple for them to set up a small test group or to reconfigure thousands of sites to take advantage of new functionality.


  • As stores adopt more technology, technical support becomes more distributed.
    Many Restaurant Tech vendors are likely to request or even require remote network access to provide direct technical support for their products or services. Brands can use role-based cloud management to give any number of parties secure, restricted access to networks secured by the Mako System.


Network Management Made Easy


“Mako Networks solutions make network management of branded restaurants easy. Our technology is designed specifically for large, distributed retail enterprises and smaller organizations that are focused on growth. For these businesses, network management is particularly complex due to the number of people and different entities involved,” says Simon Gamble, President of Mako Networks.


All Mako networking devices, including security gateways, managed switches and Wi-Fi access points, are exclusively managed in the Mako cloud management system (CMS). Having no local management or local reset capability gives Mako devices increased physical security, while the closed-loop management process gives authorized users the right amount of access devices and specific subnets behind them. This gives the brand true control over the distributed management of their onsite networks.


Mako devices feature zero-touch deployment capability. Each Mako device’s digital serial number ties it to a configuration profile in the Mako CMS. When an end user receives a Mako device, it is truly plug and play.


Mako features Enterprise Template functionality that enables sites to be configured via one or more templates that control access and configuration. Changes can be made across all or part of the deployed estate by layering templates. Templates are owned by an entity – e.g. a brand-owned template cannot be overridden or modified by a franchisee.  All sites subscribed to a template automatically receive any changes made to the template. This makes allowing or blocking specific applications, features or functions at scale quick and easy. Brands can also use Enterprise Templates to test functionality at a small number of trial sites and then easily migrate to the wider estate.


“LAN/WAN networking is the foundation for all other restaurant IT functionality.  Mako Networks technology makes it easy to ensure at scale that each site’s network is compliant, secure and on-brand,” says Simon Gamble, President of Mako Networks.


Case Studies


The following case studies illustrate Mako Networks’ ability to work with customers to assess requirements, overcome obstacles and attain desired outcomes using an innovative array of solutions.

Global Oil Brand

Mako Networks was selected by a global oil brand that wanted to deploy an Internet-connected network solution to their more than 7,000 locations. They wanted a solution that enabled them to control the point-of-sale network environments at their branded locations and ensure those networks could only communicate to cloud application services over robust SD-WAN connections and have no direct Internet access.  


They required the solution to be PCI DSS compliant and wanted to be able to take advantage of new online services without making it difficult to add functionality in the future. Additionally, they needed built-in cellular backup that worked automatically to ensure ongoing hugh-speed connectivity.


The brand wanted the dealer groups to not be able to modify the POS environment, but to make use of the Wi-Fi, SD-WAN and Internet connection for their own purposes. Dealer groups needed to see benefits from this new networking solution to ensure a positive uptake and a quick roll-out.


Mako Networks deployed all their requirements successfully and empowered this major brand to continue to evolve the way they do business and to take advantage of the ever-changing technology landscape in a secure, controlled and flexible manner.


Fast-Scaling QSR

Mako Networks delivered a networking solution to a rapidly growing fast-casual restaurant chain that wanted to ensure their franchisees had consistent, secure and scalable networking technology. The brand wanted a solution that gave them the freedom to add customer-facing order convenience applications as well as business optimization tools. Another necessity was standardizing point-of-sale and back-office environments while giving the franchisees the freedom to use aspects of  the technology for their own purposes.


Some locations had large footprint stores while others were quite small. The range of Mako devices available enabled the brand to have a standardized network configuration regardless of store size or location.


The chain wanted to use technology to deliver real benefits to both customers and franchisees. It couldn’t get in the way of their main food service business and had to be supported efficiently remotely.


The Mako System delivered on all their requirements and has allowed the brand to quickly pivot to different technology and application requirements without having to redesign or redeploy their network solution.


Competitive Advantages

Purpose-Built

“The Restaurant Tech space is competitive, but Mako Networks works hard to connect with restaurant businesses and deliver the best solutions for their needs. The Mako System is purpose-built for distributed retail enterprises and fast-growing mid-size organizations. This is not a one-size-fits-all or repurposed solution. Mako is laser-focused on distributed retail. Our development, support, sales and engineering teams all have experience and expertise with major brands in distributed retail,” says Simon Gamble, President of Mako Networks.

Carrier-Agnostic

Other networking solutions tie a customer to a single broadband carrier, but the Mako System is carrier-agnostic, providing the flexibility distributed retail enterprises need to connect to the best broadband options available at each site. Mako devices can be deployed to any location in the world that has an Internet connection.  This is perfect for global companies needing a single networking platform worldwide. This flexibility also means a site with a legacy or interim connection can remain operational before its primary connection is finalized and then easily switch over when the primary connection is ready without interruption.

Field-Proven

“Mako Networks and its partners have hands-on experience in design, deployment and support that gives us an edge over our technology competitors. Our experience helps us to better understand customer requirements and to avoid common pitfalls. Related to this, the Mako System is proven in the field. It is not a mere theoretical success. It has been actively thriving for years and earning top marks from our customers,” says Simon Gamble, President of Mako Networks.

Service-Oriented

Mako technology is provided to customers as a service. Mako Networks and its partners interact closely with customers and adopt a consultative approach, solving unique problems with custom solutions built on the Mako System. Exceptional customer service, including 24/7 support, is an essential component of the system.


The cloud software application and device firmware update automatically. New features are added frequently to keep the system current with the latest networking advancements, ensuring a long service life. Data services can be paired with Mako Voice VoIP services to consolidate providers and further reduce costs.


Looking to the Future


“Over the past five years, Mako Networks has seen in excess of 40% year-over-year growth. Looking to the future, our focus remains on the North American, UK/European and Australasian markets, and we continue to expand our teams to stay ahead of our growth trajectory,” says Simon Gamble, President of Mako Networks.


The Mako Networks technology roadmap is shaped by a combination of forward-looking research and customer demand. Upcoming new developments include:

 

  • A new Mako device to separates the cellular radio from the edge device for locations where this is required


  • A scalable PCI assistant that helps merchants with their annual PCI obligations


  • Enhanced data reporting functionality


  • Enhanced Wi-Fi mesh support to make adding access points without cabling even easier


Mako Networks also remains committed to giving back to the network security industry and related industries. Mako is a platinum member of the Restaurant Technology Network (RTN), the association that sets security standards for the restaurant industry. Mako also contributes to the Petroleum/C-Store industry’s leading non-profit standards organization, Conexxus.


These relationships and leadership positions enable Mako to participate in establishing standards, educating members and working closely with suppliers, brands, vendors and dealers to guide these industries through challenging conditions toward continued prosperity.