PR: Krystal Extends Free Wi-Fi Access to Restaurants in Seven States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Krystal Extends Free Wi-Fi Access to Restaurants in Seven States More Than 50 "Krystal HotSpots" Now Live, Making It Simple and Free to Go Online At Mealtime CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., June 30, 2004 -- Krystal restaurants in seven states are now the "hot spot" for summertime surfing, and customers can enjoy the big taste of the famous Krystal burger while they're at it. Starting today, Krystal customers with a Wi-Fi (802.11b) enabled laptop or device can surf the Internet for free at more than 50 "Krystal HotSpot" restaurants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. "The interest and demand for the convenience of high-speed wireless Internet access continues to grow," said Fred Exum, chief executive officer, The Krystal Company. "While other restaurant chains find ways to charge people for access, Krystal is committed to expanding the availability of free wireless Internet access in our communities. It's giving Krystal customers what they truly want, and they are returning the favor with their continued patronage and loyalty." All Krystal HotSpot restaurants are listed on http://www.krystal.com. Krystal customers can also identify participating restaurants by Krystal HotSpot window decals and in-store signage displaying ":-)(|]", which enhances the international warchalk symbol for wireless hot spots, )(, and enhances it with a bit of Krystal flavor and fun. For the growing legion of wireless Internet users and the many who are now purchasing laptops and devices already Wi-Fi equipped, the Krystal HotSpot is as simple as it gets: no special configurations necessary, no user name and password to enter, and best of all, no payments to deal with in order to go online. "With our free Krystal HotSpots, it's all about ease of use and encouraging -- rather than discouraging -- customers with Wi-Fi needs to visit Krystal," explained David Reid, chief information officer, The Krystal Company. "Whether you want to check your e-mail, surf the Internet or get some work done outside the office, you can be online at your table in a matter of seconds." Krystal HotSpots use a broadband Internet connection that allows up to 32 users at one time to access the hot spot. Users gain access by searching for "Krystal Hotspot" in the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Currently, the range of the 802.11b system is approximately 150 feet, even allowing customers to access the hot spot in the restaurant parking lot. In keeping with Krystal's long-standing tradition of being a "family-friendly" environment, steps have been taken to block certain types of potentially objectionable material. The expansion of Krystal's free Wi-Fi offering comes a year after the successful launch of the first Krystal HotSpot, which was installed at the company's University of Tennessee location in Knoxville, Tenn. "We had been studying the possibility of a Wi-Fi access point in our restaurants for more than two years," said Reid. "After learning that the entire UT campus would be going Wi-Fi, we decided our campus location would be the perfect place to launch our first hot spot -- offering the students, professors and other patrons an additional access point to connect to at no charge during their busy days." As University of Tennessee customers enthusiastically embraced the convenience of the free Krystal HotSpot, Krystal began implementing Wi-Fi access points at several of its restaurants in Tennessee and Georgia while also planning the current seven-state rollout. And while Krystal customers are showing their appreciation with the addition of each new Krystal HotSpot, they are not the only ones who have welcomed the chance to go online while enjoying a meal at Krystal. "Our own corporate employees are loving it," shared Reid. "They find the Krystal HotSpots to be extremely useful as they travel to our restaurants during the normal course of their activities." Founded in 1932, The Krystal Company is the oldest quick service restaurant chain in the Southeast and second oldest in the United States. Famous for fresh, hot, small, square burgers, Krystal has emerged as one of the most successful quick service restaurants in the industry. With 24-hour operations, the Chattanooga-based chain currently has more than 425 restaurants in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For more information, visit http://www.krystal.com. MEDIA CONTACT: For The Krystal Company, Wicked-West Public Relations Brian Cooley o: 404.589.9888 / m: 404.316.7482 e-mail: brian@wickedwestpr.com # # # Distributed by eReleases - http://www.ereleases.com 9403 Good Spring Dr. Suite P-3, Perry Hall, MD 21128 To be removed or revise your subscription, forward this entire email (including headers) to: newsbureau@ereleases.com You are registered under this email address: submit@theautochannel.com