are not only for securing the property
itself; they’re also helpful in slip-and-fall
situations and food handling disputes,”
says Robert Kramer, senior system engineer, security group, at Panasonic System
Communication Company in Newark,
New Jersey. “In case of litigation, you
can review what actually happened.
It’s also common to tie in surveillance
with POS data and play back transac-
tions—so if you notice a lot of voids on
a particular day, the manager can check
why. Surveillance is also useful to reduce
shrinkage and liability for an owner.”
At Chuck E. Cheese’s, a family-friend-
ly environment translates into rigorous
safety measures to protect both guests
and employees. “Our video surveillance
system deters criminals because we have
signage on the door that says security is
in place,” Olivieri explains. “It also moni-
tors against fraudulent claims, helps ad-
dress poor employee practices and helps
with police investigations. We average
30-something cameras per store to get
good visibility in all areas, and it’s synced
with our POS to examine potential em-
ployee theft.” Because Chuck E. Cheese’s
has so many locations, it also works with
a security company that predicts how
safe an area is based on criminal activ-
ity, which helps determine what safety
measures to put in place (such as fencing
around the property or on-site security
guards). Meanwhile, their Kid Check
program ensures families that come to-
gether leave together.
To create efficient security, use the surveillance systems according to instructions, and make sure they work properly
at all times, Brumagin says. You’ll also
want to ensure the cameras are visible
and that customers and employees know
about the security system. He recommends using camera technologies that
have a secure recording system that captures and stores enough historical data
to be useful (in many cases, claims come
days or even weeks after an incident).
Finally, you should let employees know
now and then that someone in management is actually watching (for example,
call into the restaurant and point out
something so they’ll know—and tell each
other—they’re being monitored). “Use
this for good,” Brumagin advises. “Call
a store and compliment an employee
because you were watching through the
camera and saw what a great job he did
cleaning the dining room or opening the
door for a customer.”
Securing the System
To find the right security system for your
operation, Kramer recommends looking
for cameras with a small profile so as to
not detract from your decor. Cameras
with a wide dynamic range, he says, will
be better equipped to record images in
different lighting situations (for example, when bright sunlight is coming in
through the window). He recommends
placing cameras at front and back doors
(or any other entrance points), at the
cash register, near the freezer area or in
the freezer (a common point of product
loss), prep areas (to guard against improper food handling or contamination),
in the manager’s office or near a safe, and
anywhere else where important personal
