Theft happens. No matter how conscientious you are about training your staff on robbery deterrence and following safety procedures, robbery can and does occur. And no doubt about it, robbery is nothing but trouble for your bottom line—not to mention the fact that robbery threatens you, your employees, your guests and your business. But you can get a jump on prospective burglars by making your restaurant as uninviting for them as possible.
Ask yourself the following questions about your robbery deterrence practices:
- Are there bright lights on all entrances, sides of buildings and parking lots so that people loitering outside are easy to spot? Do you have video cameras installed in your parking lots positioned in areas clearly visible to potential robbers? Have you researched a reputable security company and hired it to patrol your parking lot? Some burglars don’t necessarily want to rob your establishment but, instead, prey upon your patrons on their way out. This type of incident does nothing for your reputation. Is your cash register monitored by a surveillance camera?
- Are all the doors that should be locked, locked? Are your delivery doors locked at all times except when checking in a scheduled order? Managers present anytime the back door is open? In addition, are delivered items promptly put away? If you haven’t had time to inventory and store the delivery, it could be stolen and you’d never even know it arrived—although, you’ll still be paying for it. Is the cash-on-hand kept to a minimum to deter theft?
- Do you have signs on the front doors letting potential thieves know you have security and time delay safes?
- Do all your outside doors, plus the door to the office where the safe is kept, have peepholes? Did you invest in a high-quality time-delay safe bolted to the floor? Have you limited the number of people who have the combination to the safe?
- Do you have a strong robbery training program that covers both robbery deterrence and robbery protocol? Do employees know how to use security monitors and panic buttons if you have them? Do they know what to do to keep themselves and guests safe if a robbery does occur?
The Bottom Line of Robbery Deterrence
Robbery deterrence is good for your bottom line. If a robbery or burglary does occur, you could lose an average of $10,000. The key is to minimize loss—loss of life first, property second.
