The restaurant business is already a notoriously hard business to make a profit in. As a restaurant owner or manager, you’re familiar with the various threats to your establishment. Employee theft, burglary and intrusion, customer disputes and even false liability lawsuits stemming from the on-the-job hazards of hot kitchens and wet spills – there’s any number of things that can spell ruin for a busy restaurant. Lucky for you there are constant upgrades coming to restaurant security technology.
Video Surveillance
Comprehensive video surveillance systems are the first step to protecting any restaurant, as they:
Act As A Deterrent
The best defense against theft – from both thieves and employees – and other mischief is deterring it in the first place. Prominently placed cameras can scare away potential thieves, putting them on alert and preventing them from acting. Dine-and-Dash customers will think twice about skipping out without paying the tab. Cash might stop disappearing from the register. And, if the security cameras should fail to act as a deterrent, they can at least help you locate the potential problem. After hours, security cameras and video surveillance can also help protect against break-ins and intrusion, and greatly add to restaurant security.
Keep Staff Accountable
Other than bad reviews, nothing will sink a restaurant or food service faster than food handling violations. In addition to preventing theft from disgruntled employees, video surveillance can help ensure that proper food safety practices and restaurant rules are being followed always.
Protect Against Fraudulent Lawsuits And Customer Disputes
While fraudulent lawsuits are not particularly common, they do happen; whether it’s from an employee injured on the job or an accident involving a customer dining in the restaurant, having the situation recorded in clear video ensures you know exactly what happened. Likewise, if a dispute arises with an unhappy customer, having a record of the situation on video can help you get to the bottom of the problem and back up your side of the story.
Help Prevent Fights
If you run a bar or other late-night establishment that serves alcohol, you’re no stranger to restaurant security. Fights and unruly behavior from rowdy patrons can be a problem. As with theft and customer disputes, security cameras can help prevent fights from breaking out, as well as provide a record of what happened when trying to sort it out.
Live Surveillance and Remote Viewing
Often, it’s not enough to have video from your security cameras stored on a computer somewhere – you want to be able to access your camera feed on your smartphone or tablet and keep tabs on your restaurant from a distance. Today’s security camera systems make this easy, offering remote viewing on any of your devices from anywhere, giving you extra accessibility and peace of mind even when you’re not on the premises.
Where To Place Security Cameras
Security cameras need to be strategically placed throughout the property – prominently enough to act as a deterrent, but not so prominently as to distract from the restaurant’s decor or make your patrons uncomfortable.
Essential locations for security cameras include:
– Kitchen: You want to capture the entire room, keeping an eye on employees and ensuring proper safety and food preparation practices.
– Cash Registers: A camera covering cash registers can help ensure proper handling of cash and deter theft from both employees and burglars.
– Entryways: It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the comings and goings of your restaurant’s entryways – both the main entrance and rear employee entrances.
Alarm Systems
While video surveillance can help prevent theft and break-ins and gives you a recording of what happened, it’s also important to be alerted the moment something goes wrong – which is where alarm systems come in handy. Should a break-in occur after hours, an alarm system can immediately alert you and the proper authorities with the location of the break-in. Door and window sensors can detect break-ins and motion detectors can help detect intrusion, alerting a security company or the police, potentially stopping an intrusion in action.
Don’t Forget Fire Alarms
A fire alarm system is also an essential part of any restaurant’s security, as the kitchen environment – hot stoves, open flame and an abundance of greasy foods and appliances – creates a prime risk for fires.
In addition to a good fire-suppression system, restaurants need to be equipped with dependable fire alarm system that automatically alerts the fire department, potentially averting a disaster.
Looking For The Best Security System For Your Restaurant?
If you’re ready to outfit your restaurant with a reliable and custom security system, or have questions about finding the right security fit for your business, Safe and Sound Security can help. We’re California’s most trusted providers of business security, and we can help keep your restaurant safe and secure with the solutions you need.
