Growth is the goal. New brands. Expanded markets. Better guest experiences powered by digital innovation.
But here’s what rarely makes it into the expansion plan: the technology sprawl that keeps it all running.
76% of operators say technology gives them a competitive edge, according to the National Restaurant Association. The same connectivity and systems that drive performance can quickly spiral in cost and complexity. New locations bring new circuits. Invoices scatter across regions. Network issues go undetected until they impact revenue.
The challenge isn’t what restaurant groups invest in. It’s how quickly those investments compound without oversight. Technology should fuel smarter growth, not drain profitability.
When growth outpaces visibility
Expansion creates opportunities, but it also creates blind spots. In our work with restaurant groups managing thousands of locations, four patterns emerge consistently:
1. Inventory becomes invisible
As brands and regions multiply, so do vendors, carriers, and service contracts. Without a centralized system, it’s nearly impossible to know what’s active, what’s redundant, or what’s up for renewal. Decisions get made without complete information, and costs climb quietly in the background.
2. Acquisitions bring chaos
Mergers accelerate growth but introduce disconnected systems and duplicate services. Newly acquired brands operate on inherited contracts with inconsistent pricing and terms. Integration slows. Spend inflates. What should be a streamlined transition becomes a prolonged drain on resources.
See how we helped one QSR ownership group with 1,300+ locations recover $4.3M in savings after rapid acquisitions left their telecom disorganized: Read the case study
3. Teams stay in reactive mode
Finance and IT often only learn about problems after they happen. A site goes down. A bill spikes unexpectedly. Hours meant for strategy get consumed by troubleshooting connectivity issues and disputing charges for services that should have never been billed in the first place.
4. Downtime goes undetected
A circuit fails overnight. Morning shift arrives to discover the POS system won’t connect. Mobile orders aren’t coming through. Payments can’t be processed. By the time someone realizes there’s a network issue and contacts the carrier, peak breakfast or lunch hours are lost.
These issues don’t announce themselves. They grow alongside success, quietly eroding margins, and consuming time that leaders need for strategic priorities.
How One Source changes the game
In the fast-paced restaurant industry, there’s no time to waste on connectivity issues and erroneous fees. Partnering with One Source gives restaurant groups full visibility into their telecom services, infrastructure, usage, and inventory, so they pay for only what they need and use.
This isn’t about adding another software platform. It’s about partnering with a hands-on team of experts that handles the complexity for you. Through specialized procurement processes and a fully managed approach, leading restaurant groups recognize 30-40% cost savings on average. Here’s what we deliver:
Consolidated billing and vendor management
Instead of chasing invoices across regional offices and dealing with multiple carrier bills, we consolidate billing into one streamlined payment with a single point of contact. Active invoice monitoring catches errors before they hit budgets, and billing disputes get handled on behalf of the organization.
Proactive network monitoring
24/7/365 monitoring detects circuit issues before they impact operations. Connection fails overnight? Alerts trigger immediate engagement to resolve problems, often before morning shifts arrive. This proactive approach can reduce mean time to repair by 75%, protecting revenue during critical service hours.
Right-sized infrastructure with flexible deployment
We procure optimal service plans and rates, then deploy and manage network infrastructure (firewalls, switches, wireless access points) through subscription models. This eliminates upfront costs, and equipment purchases while ensuring modern infrastructure matches actual business needs.
Seamless implementation and ongoing optimization
Whether opening new locations or modernizing existing ones, One Source implements changes without disrupting day-to-day operations. Standardized processes ensure consistent connectivity from day one, while continuous optimization keeps networks performing as businesses evolve.
Restaurant groups working with us have recovered millions in hard cost savings while reallocating team resources away from invoice reconciliation and network troubleshooting. Those hours now go toward strategic initiatives that drive growth.
The bottom line
Growth brings opportunity. Sustaining it requires clarity.
Restaurant groups that treat telecom and connectivity as strategic assets (not just operational expenses) are positioned to scale efficiently while protecting profitability.
For more than 25 years, One Source has helped leading restaurant groups turn complexity into measurable performance and long-term stability. If your technology ecosystem has outgrown your line of sight, it’s time to regain control.
Take control of your technology costs
Request your free audit to uncover savings opportunities and build a scalable strategy for what’s next.
Ready to start your next project?
Send a request to speak with a One Source technology advisor.
