Five Ways to Keep Your Bar or Restaurant Secure

From bar fights to kitchen fires, businesses in the dining industry face many day-to-day risks. Dependable business security is an essential aspect of restaurant management that protects your staff, patrons, and property. 

You should regularly review, test, and update your security setups for maximized efficiency and safety. However, every security system differs, and various businesses often have specialized security needs. Therefore, some restaurants may prioritize specific alarm setups, while others combine several security structures for the best overall protection. 

In this guide, we’ll cover the five best restaurant security options to consider for your venue. 

1. Burglar Alarm

Burglar alarms effectively reduce theft, burglaries, and break-ins by securing your property’s perimeter and entry points. These alarms connect to various sensors and motion-detection devices around your property. Upon finding suspicious activity, high-quality systems signal their alarms and alert you and your response teams digitally. 

While every burglar alarm system is different, many combine the following features:

• Motion-sensor cameras
• Video surveillance
• Glass break and audio sensors
• Door and window contacts
• Physical alarms, often featuring speakers, lights, and controls
• 24/7 alarm monitoring and response

For restaurants and bars, burglar alarms are ideal for protecting the business after hours, limiting break-ins and vandalism. In fact, simply having a visible security camera or a burglar alarm sticker may be enough to scare off potential intruders. Burglar alarm systems can also be beneficial for keeping an eye on the property during operations. For example, arming the burglar alarm for an unused back door can limit theft and dine-and-dashes. 

2. Surveillance System

Surveillance systems take the efficiency of burglar alarms a step further by ensuring you can always have eyes on your property via your computer or phone. This valuable security layer can improve your response to emergencies by letting you gauge each situation before responding. So, whether it’s a fire hazard or physical conflict, you can get involved or contact the authorities as you deem appropriate without wasting time.

Combined with 24/7 monitoring, surveillance cameras can effectively improve your emergency response, even when you’re off the property or away from your phone. Dependable surveillance security providers, such as Alarm Detection Systems, use highly trained year-round response stations to monitor alarm services. In doing so, they can immediately detect emergencies, reduce false alarms, and keep you informed at every step.

Video surveillance is also beneficial for liability and insurance reasons, especially regarding certain incidents. For example, let’s say a patron slips on their way out of your restaurant. Video footage of the fall can protect your restaurant legally by highlighting wet floor signs and other important details. You can also use surveillance footage to identify criminals, substantiate a police report, and track restaurant operations. 

3. Fire System

Fire safety is especially critical for bars and restaurants due to their various kitchen appliances, packed venues, and countless other factors. Installing and operating a fire system properly ensures minor kitchen fires remain only that. They’re also crucial for your restaurant’s longevity, as not following applicable fire safety standards could get your business fined or shut down. 

Though cooking equipment is the leading cause of fires in eating and drinking establishments, lighting and heating equipment are also prominent contributors. Therefore, you shouldn’t be stingy when setting up fire equipment. Furthermore, pull stations and fire extinguishers should be easily accessible to everyone, including patrons. 

Beyond the initial setup, business fire safety includes frequent equipment tests and employee training. All staff should thoroughly understand your restaurant’s safety protocols, including the best escape routes, equipment locations, and safety practices. Furthermore, you must regularly check and test your fire equipment, including detectors, AVs, and strobes. While most equipment specifies how frequently it must be checked, you should consider testing it more often for the best reliability. 

4. Access Control

Security systems with access controls restrict entry to specific premises and doorways using various methods, including key cards and pin codes. Access control options are often more secure than standard locks because they let you track all activity through certain points. So, if something is stolen from a locked storage room, tracking every employee who accessed its keypad will help you narrow down suspects. 

Each access control system varies in its identification processes and access models. Most restaurant security systems use role-based models that restrict employees’ access based on their position. In doing so, they ensure all employees can access most locations, such as the main entrance and kitchen, while restricting higher-security areas only to managers. Plus, you can easily change employees’ roles to give them temporary access without requiring new codes or cards. 

Various security control systems use the following access methods:

• Pin codes
• Key cards
• Facial recognition
• Fingerprint, iris, and other biometric scans
• Voice recognition
• Time schedules

5. Panic Button

Finally, a panic button is a basic yet highly beneficial layer to add to any security layout. These buttons should generally be placed near your venue’s front lines and highest-traffic areas, such as the server station, kitchen entrance, and bar. This way, in the event of an emergency or a confrontational patron, your staff can immediately call and receive help.

For the best efficiency, your panic button and security system should be connected to a 24/7 monitoring station. These security providers respond to situations immediately and will contact the authorities as needed. This functionality saves you essential time in emergencies, letting you focus on the problem while security professionals oversee the rest. 

Refine Your Restaurant Security With Alarm Detection Systems, Inc.

By combining effective surveillance, fire safety, and alarm monitoring, you can thoroughly protect your restaurant or bar from countless types of threats. Family-owned since 1968, Alarm Detection Systems provides business alarms, fire alarms, card access, security cameras, and home security systems. We proudly service Chicagoland, Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, Southern Wisconsin, and most areas of Colorado. Get a quote today for customized restaurant security. 

About Alarm Detection Systems, Inc.

Alarm Detection Systems is one of the largest alarm firms in the country. Family-owned since 1968, we provide business alarms, fire alarms, card access, security cameras, and home security systems. Proudly servicing Chicagoland, Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and Southern Wisconsin in the Midwest. Call us at 630.844.6300 for more information.

In Colorado, we service all of Denver, Boulder County, Northern Colorado, the Eastern Plains, and Colorado Springs. Call us at 1.800.446.7519 for more information.