Restaurants Opening in COVID-19 Era Need New Security Solutions

As New England restaurants begin reopening to the new normal, their owners and managers are discovering new uncertainties and risks.

New regulations and policies for hygiene add complexity to an already difficult business. As noted in a prior blog, some patrons are impatient or unwilling to conform to the new rules. Businesses in cities like Boston and Brockton are now facing vandalism and theft as well.

Some of these challenges can be mitigated with technology solutions.

Protecting Customers and Staff

As in-restaurant dining expands, customers themselves will want assurances that the restaurant is clean and the staff and fellow patrons are healthy, as a Boston Globe article indicates. That makes it wise to approach safety holistically, including physical security.

Restaurants face unique hurdles as they maintain compliance with regulations, monitor their locations for any disruptive events, and so on. They also tend to be smaller businesses (if they are not part of a national chain), and therefore have less of a budget for surveillance and safety monitoring systems.

Adaptation to the New Restaurant Normal

You may want to consider rolling out systems that can address both current and future restaurant security needs. Such systems must take into account protection of property, customers, and associates alike. Luckily, there are a variety of options available, which we’ll cover briefly below.

Curbside Protection

Takeout services have expanded with the pandemic, and this means that the curbside environment accordingly needs new security measures. This is frequently an area restaurateurs are unused to protecting, but some in New England have already implemented monitors and cameras focused on the takeout counter and around the parking lot — anywhere that employees are taking food out to waiting vehicles.

General Restaurant Security: This is as good a time as any to consider the best overall protections available for your establishment. Perhaps you already have an alarm system in place. To take such protections even further, consider a surveillance system that relies on high-resolution cameras. They can monitor the premises and grounds 24/7, including key times such as the evening close. Cameras can be aimed at crucial places, such as the stockroom or cash registers.

Commercial Burglar Alarm Systems: These are useful for the general protection of your establishment during open and closed hours. Given these uncertain times, you can also install panic buttons in key locations in your restaurant. If patrons become disruptive, you can summon assistance to prevent the situation from escalating.

Access Control Systems: Such a solution can both boost security and help you improve operational and safety efficiency. You can see which associates — or others — are accessing what areas and at what times. For instance, this system can help control traffic through certain doors, or making sure key areas are off-limits. Many systems even offer mobile access, so employees can use their smartphones to access the building. Such mobile passes can be immediately added or revoked, as needed.

To take security measures even further for your restaurant, consider combining your surveillance and alarm systems with 24/7 video monitoring from a professionally staffed control center. This way, you’ll have a few less things to worry about in these uncertain times.

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