4 Tips to Keep Your Restaurant Safe
Restaurants are some of the busiest businesses on a daily basis and their setup presents unique security issues. They are vulnerable to customer and employee accidents, theft, and safety emergencies. To protect your customers, employees, and business assets, a combination of useful tech, common sense, and procedural solutions go a long way.
Surveillance Cameras
Installing surveillance cameras is a no-brainer but did you know that you should install them out in the open as well as hidden? The openly placed cameras are a deterrent to both criminals and dishonest employees, while the obscured ones will catch any crime that does occur when the criminal believes they are away from the cameras.
Employees Work Together
Never leave it up to one employee to open up or lock up at the end of the night, even if they are your most trusted manager. This is for the safety of the employee and the financial security of your business. These are the most common time for robberies in a restaurant, so having a team of a few employees will reduce the risk.
Screen Your New Hires
Restaurants are often to the go-to job for teenagers and other transient employees, so screening is vital to security. Background checks might seem costly or time-consuming but they should always be conducted, as they go a long way in long term financial stability. If you aren’t sure about how trustworthy your employees are to open or close, install an access control system or keypad locks. This also helps a lot when someone leaves or is terminated and you need to change the code.
Safety Plans and Procedures
Make sure every employee is aware of what to do in case of fire, acts of violence, or other emergencies and review training periodically. Fires are particularly threatening in restaurants so know and practice evacuations and set a meet-up location so fire or police will know if anyone is left behind.
