For Trek Coffee owner Mike Higgins, the idea started with something simple: finding a better cup of coffee.
After moving back to Oklahoma from Colorado, Higgins missed having easy access to freshly roasted coffee. He began roasting his own beans, then selling them as more people discovered the difference freshness could make.
What started as a roastery eventually grew into a coffee shop and drive-thru serving its local community and drawing customers from across Oklahoma.
Today, reliable internet is an important part of keeping that growing retail operation moving.
Before switching to OEC Fiber, internet connectivity could create a significant problem for Trek Coffee: its point-of-sale system would go down.
“Before we had OEC Fiber, our POS system would go down due to lack of connectivity a lot,” Higgins said. “Now, since we’ve got OEC Fiber, we’re able to stay up a lot more of the time.”
That reliability is particularly important in Trek’s drive-thru, where employees use handheld tablets to take orders outside.
With a fast connection supporting those devices, Higgins said the team can typically move a vehicle through the drive-thru in three to four minutes.
“Without quick internet and reliable internet, our system would be completely shut down,” he said.
For a retail business, that makes connectivity about more than convenience. It helps Trek continue accepting payments, processing orders and serving the next customer.
OEC Fiber has also changed how customers use the coffee shop.
Higgins began noticing people coming to Trek specifically because they knew they could get a strong internet connection while they worked.
“People [were] showing up to the shop just to use our great internet service,” he said. “Business people, college students, people want a place to office. And it’s made our place a place to office.”
That gives reliable Wi-Fi two roles at Trek Coffee. Behind the counter, it keeps critical systems connected. On the other side, it helps create an environment where customers can settle in, get some work done and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee.
For Higgins, the impact on the business is difficult to overstate.
“Using internet service through OEC has made things possible for us to stay in business.”
From online sales and point-of-sale transactions to handheld ordering and customer Wi-Fi, reliable fiber helps Trek Coffee keep serving customers wherever they choose to enjoy their cup.
