South Florida is home to some of the most diverse cultures which usually means a hopping restaurant and bar scene. With tons of great food options, this comes big crowds. While owning a restaurant in South Florida is incredibly rewarding you also want to be ready for any possible negative occurrences. In Florida and particularly South Florida, break-ins and theft are unfortunately popular.
But why would they want to break into a restaurant? Well, stealing money from cash registers or even just crimes such as graffiti and damaged property. That’s why having security cameras and quality video surveillance is so important! Let’s talk about it.
Why are Security Cameras in Restaurants necessary?
Restaurants and businesses alike easily could shrug off having a security system because they don’t have products like a store would and worry about theft in that regard. However, there are other things to worry about like someone trying to hold up your restaurant to take money from the cash register.
When you have a security camera system installed in your restaurant you reap a number of benefits primarily revolving around safety. Surprisingly enough you aren’t the only one to reap these benefits. Here’s how a security camera system keeps you, your guests, and your staff safe!
Benefits of using Security Cameras in Restaurants
We mentioned that while you are the primary benefactor of having security cameras in your restaurant you actually create benefits for others too. Between emergency responders benefiting your customers and employees, there are plenty of reasons to have this type of system installed.
Let’s get to the specifics of each one.
Improve emergency preparedness & response
One of the important benefits is certainly helping out authorities and improving your emergency preparedness in these types of situations. A surveillance camera can be paired with alarms or other security measures that help authorities become alert of the situation immediately. This helps them get to the property faster in hopes of catching the criminal.
The other issue WITHOUT having surveillance and security cameras is that if the burglar or criminal were to get away, without surveillance cameras you cannot properly identify the person. Surveillance provides a better description of the individual and how the event occurred identifying possible weaknesses in the security system as a whole. This is true even if there is someone there to describe the events and individual.
Create a safer environment for customers and employees
Keeping everyone safe is the priority. Most people think that a surveillance camera doesn’t contribute to keeping employees, customers, or even neighbors safe but it certainly does. The first thing that any restaurant owner or manager should know is that even having security cameras placed outside in identifiable and easy-to-see spots can deter criminals. It can deter criminals up to 300% from even thinking about committing a crime.
This is a significant statistic and when a surveillance camera system is implemented into a security system most criminals will think twice about even robbing any stores in the area. This is just one way to create a safer environment. There are other ways that this system helps your team out!
- When employees in the store can see security camera footage from the outside they can alert authorities if they see someone trying to get in before it happens and get themselves to a safe area.
- If you own a bigger restaurant and you have multiple floors and a fire was to occur, security footage would be able to locate that fire and evacuate your guests quickly and safely away from the fire. This is just another example.
Monitor and control access
Something that is always a pleasant benefit to the owner is having remote access to their restaurant and building. When you have modern-day technology installed the security cameras and surveillance security system will allow you to see what’s going on at your restaurant even when you are not there. If you have a smartphone you will likely be able to see right from your phone all of the cameras angles you have at the restaurant.
Usually, you can also pair this with control access systems that allow you open entry and exit doors for employees or even someone who is making a late-night delivery. This is both a safety benefit and adds a layer of convenience.
Decrease vandalism, theft, and potential threats
We mentioned that having a visible security camera can deter a criminal by 300% which is a huge stat. This helps decrease any vandalism they may do on the outside of your property and trying to get inside for theft or even potential threat issues. In the event that the crime occurred anyways, you will have the footage to hand over to authorities to help catch the criminal.
Places to Consider Installing Security Cameras in Restaurants
Since not every restaurant has security cameras in their restaurants it can be somewhat difficult to figure out where the best places are. While there are some areas that definitely make the most sense there are also quite a few areas that get overlooked!
- Entry and Exit: The first thing that should be covered is the entry and exit of your building. The front entry is important because this is where the main entrance is that has probably the most foot traffic. You want to know who is coming in and when.
The exit is a little less common but is incredibly important to have a security and surveillance camera here. Criminals may try to use the back entrance to surprise whoever is working or think that there aren’t many people that would notice them coming in that way. Having a camera outside here is crucial to maintaining security.
- Behind the Bar: If you have a bar this is usually where your cash registrars are. Having a camera that covers your cash registers is important because that is usually where theft is going to go if they break-in.
But there is another reason to have some cameras behind the bar. Sometimes it can get rowdy, well too rowdy. And when this occurs sometimes fights or inappropriate actually break out from your guess. This is still a threat to safety to anyone in the restaurant so you want to make sure you have cameras that can capture this behavior to give over to authorities if need be.
- Storage Spaces: Some restaurants will have a downstairs or an upstairs where they keep their big freezers to freeze food and store other products that are important to the business. Having cameras in the entrances to these rooms or around them is not a bad idea because if an employee is downstairs by themselves and an event were to occur, the camera footage would get it.
While there are plenty of places to store your security cameras these are certainly the most common spaces to consider.
Restaurant Security Cameras FAQs
While restaurant security cameras seem pretty straightforward it’s common to have some questions beyond the setup or benefits. That’s why we have dedicated this space to answer the most frequently asked questions about restaurant security cameras.
What types of security cameras make the most sense for restaurants?
There are many different types of security cameras on the market. And on top of that, many different types of cameras fit certain scenarios better than others. When it comes to restaurant security cameras here are a few that are worth considering.
- Indoor/Outdoor Cameras: These cameras are going to be reliable both indoors and outdoors which is incredibly important for covering your entrance and exit spaces like we mentioned above. You can get these cameras both wired or wireless depending on your building’s needs and your concerns.
- Dome Cameras: Dome cameras are great because you can exactly see where they are filming. These are better typically for inside rooms because they provide a wide-angle view but don’t give away their position as we said.
- Thermal Cameras: If you like a more high-end camera a thermal camera is never a bad way to go. The cameras here can see through smoke and work on body heat which can be useful for restaurants.
Should I choose wireless or wired cameras?
Wireless and wired cameras both have their benefits and their drawbacks. A wired camera is going to be the most reliable connection you can get because it relies on electricity and power. But if you lose power or someone cuts those wires then of course you don’t have anything that is functioning at this point.
Wireless is great because it works without power but of course, you don’t know if you are always going to have the best connection because it runs based on a network or a cloud server to keep the footage rolling and stored.
Do I need to work with one brand for a security system like this?
Because of toady’s ability to connect to Bluetooth for most tech, it is not always necessary to have to buy from one brand for all your security needs. Having said that, you are more likely to deal with some compatibility issues when you mix and match to match. When you stick to one system your convenience factor goes way up because you probably have one app or hub for everything that you really need to control.
When we talk about shopping with one brand or ensuring that you need to choose a camera that is high quality, Circle Security Solutions is the person to turn to. With quality products from top brands, we can help you find the camera type that is most suitable for your restaurant. But more importantly, we can help you install them in all the spots of your property to ensure that you offer the highest safety to your guests and your staff.
A Surveillance System that Works For You
When it comes to putting a security camera system in your restaurant you may feel like it’s not super necessary. Don’t be fooled! A restaurant in South Florida should have a camera security system in place covering the most important spots of the restaurant. For starters, you need to make sure that you cover your entry and exit to the restaurant. Not only that you also want to have a camera around the bar and cash registrars along with any other storage rooms.
This can be overwhelming which is why you need an experienced security team like Circle Security Solutions to explain the ins and out’s of what types of cameras are best for you and your property. Once you figure that out you can go ahead and look at the installation process.
Once your camera system is installed authorities will thank you because they have a much easier job when there is footage of a possible crime occurring!
