Theft and Loss at Restaurants
If you own a restaurant, bar, night club or fast food location, you likely know that these businesses are targets for criminals. There are a number of crimes that restaurant owners need to be on the lookout for and prepared to protect themselves against.
One of the most common is theft. Restaurants, bars, clubs, and fast food establishments are frequently targeted by criminals looking to steal from the location. One of the main reasons for this is because these properties often have a large amount of cash on hand. Unlike clothing stores, department stores and other retailers, many people use cash at restaurants and bars, as opposed to credit or debit cards. This makes them a bigger target for thieves.
Another reason that these locations are targeted by criminals is because they are often very busy and quite large. A busy location is easier to steal from because people are less likely to notice if an unauthorized person slips into a secure area for a moment. Criminals often use busy periods to steal from cash registers, stock shelves and back rooms when no one is looking. Larger locations are often hit more frequently because these properties are more difficult for staff to keep an eye on.
Restaurants, bars and clubs are also frequent targets for criminals because alcohol is served at these locations. This means two things: 1) Criminals can steal unopened bottles of alcohol which can quickly and easily be resold for profit, and 2) People who have been drinking are more likely to take risks and attempt a robbery.
Securing your Restaurant
One of the most effective ways to secure your restaurant, bar, club or fast food location is to utilize physical security tools such as security gates and locked cabinets. These tools put a barrier in between your valuables and the items that criminals wish to steal. Unlike surveillance cameras or alarm systems, this barrier makes it much more difficult to steal from a property.
Physical security tools can be beneficial in many different situations. One is to secure stock rooms, staff rooms and other such locations that often contain valuables and cash. As mentioned, many criminals take advantage of busy or large locations to sneak into “off limits” areas in order to steal valuables. Locking these areas with security gates keeps them safe and secure.
Valuable merchandise, such as expensive alcohol, can be stored inside locked cabinets to prevent theft. When these items are required, staff can quickly and easily unlock the cabinet to access the product. When the gates are locked, criminals can’t get their hands on your merchandise.
Security gates can be installed on the windows and doors of a property to prevent smash and grab robberies. Criminals often target restaurants for smash and grab robberies because they are hoping to steal cash from the location when it is closed. In these crimes, speed is crucial. Criminals want to get in and out of a property as quickly as possible. This lets them leave the scene before the authorities can arrive. Security gates make it significantly more difficult and time-consuming to access a property. This keeps many criminals from even considering the location to be a target. It’s simply not worth the risk to them.
Want some more helpful tips to improving the security of your business? Download our helpful guide to Improving Your Security Mindset.
