- Treat your surveillance camera video like “game film” to coach staff, spot inefficiencies and highlight top performers.
- Positioning cameras to monitor your POS system and access points can reduce theft and fraud.
- Some AI-enabled sensors monitor for long customer waits, spills and inventory issues.
Pizzerias Can Use Surveillance to Protect Their Businesses and Drive Performance
Veteran pizzeria owner Mike Bausch likens restaurant video surveillance to game film.
Much like top gridiron coaches use tape to assess play, study movements and seek performance-driving improvements, Bausch similarly leverages video surveillance on a near-daily basis at Andolini’s Pizzeria, the five-chain restaurant he founded alongside his brother, Jim, in 2005.
Pulling up video, Bausch studies the operational flow of the kitchen to spot inefficiencies, reviews a specific “play” to gather facts and discovers high performers excelling in the kitchen or dining room – clips he later shares with staff as concrete training examples. Bausch calls restaurant video central to Andolini’s 20-year run in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“For us, restaurant surveillance is as vital as having locks on the door or gas for our ovens,” he says. “Once you know what you’re doing and use it, you see its value to running a professional operation.”
Using Video to Train Staff
In the restaurant industry, a surveillance system can help operators protect people, property and profitability. It can be used to investigate complaints and reduce liability around accidents. It can help cut financial losses from theft and fraud, both of which are becoming increasingly sophisticated. In an industry already operating with thin margins, surveillance also can help prevent or correct small missteps – sometimes intentional, sometimes not – such as employees dispensing free beverages or kitchen staff piling on excess toppings.
In addition, “restaurants can leverage these systems to improve operational efficiency and provide valuable selling insights, further driving (return on investment),” says Chris Bainter, vice president of sales-video security and access control for Motorola Solutions. Pizzeria leaders, for instance, can use video and accompanying data to support training and enhance the customer experience through operational or even structural improvements such as reconfiguring the waiting area for dine-in or carryout customers.
So, how might pizzerias operators extract these protection and performance-driving benefits from their surveillance systems?
Integrating Surveillance With Existing Tech
Video security systems have evolved beyond simply recording, and restaurant operators should look for an intelligent, integrated and easy-to-use solution.
A surveillance platform tying video to other security systems such as access control and communications will allow for a more cohesive and rapid response, says Bainter, adding that systems also should include integration with point-of-sale (POS) systems to help detect and investigate fraud at the register.
Lianne Bradley, director of QSR at Solink, a video security and analytics platform used by restaurant locations across North America, also touts the value of remote access – particularly for multi-unit owners. A centralized system providing unified, 24/7 remote access to view restaurant locations empowers ownership to monitor operations and formulate responses. It also can give ownership peace of mind when they’re not physically at the restaurant.
Where Should You Place Cameras?
Strategic camera placement is vital to maximizing the use of a surveillance system. At Andolini’s, Bausch places cameras over the POS system as well as at front and rear doors, in the kitchen and walk-ins – precisely what a security expert like Bainter would recommend.
“Go beyond just the front door,” Bainter says. “Restaurant operators should consider placing cameras not only where they deter crime but also where they provide the most actionable intelligence.”
Cameras at the POS should be angled to capture employees, customers and transactions. Cameras at the back door and dumpsters, meanwhile, will help prevent unauthorized access and theft. With video coverage of the online ordering station, owners can monitor chargebacks. In the kitchen, cameras over the line allow operators to observe pizza builds.
“You definitely need visibility into your kitchen, where product is your key differentiator,” Bradley says.
Leveraging AI for Video Surveillance
Artificial intelligence (AI) is all the buzz in the business world these days, and restaurant surveillance is no exception.
“Any camera now can have AI,” Bradley says, adding that the right software behind cameras turns surveillance from simple hardware into an intelligent ally propelling business performance.
With AI, operators gain consistent, 24/7 location monitoring with an edge. They can receive alerts if a customer is waiting more than five minutes, the dumpster is overflowing or if staff closed early. AI also can be set to flag irregular behavior, such as significant discounting or if someone entered a restricted area.
Generative AI, meanwhile, allows operators to create alerts by typing out what they want to detect, such as a liquid spill or blocked fire exit, helping to protect customers and employees. Leveraging security cameras and analytics for an intrusion system can help detect threats when the restaurant is closed, further protecting the business.
AI can even contribute to sales and marketing efforts. If the restaurant has installed a lobby display case selling sauces, dressings or branded merchandise, for example, operators can receive data about how many people spent more than 30 seconds at the display over a month’s time before testing the set-up in a different location to maximize impact.
“The next generation of security is all about proactive intelligence,” Bainter says.
How to Use Video Surveillance in Restaurants
Surveillance continues to evolve and offer new benefits to restaurants.
Non-video tools including smart sensors, for instance, can be placed in privacy-sensitive areas such as restrooms, where they can detect gunshots, aggressive noises or environmental changes. Sensors also can be used to spot temperature changes in areas of a restaurant where spoilage and loss is a concern, further mitigating those risks, Bainter says.
At the same time, operators can experiment with functionalities of their existing video surveillance systems to optimize their investment. For example, by using a system’s advanced search features, an operator can search for a person based on their clothing color or a vehicle by its type instead of reviewing a full day’s worth of video.
“We know time is valuable in the restaurant industry, and using AI analytics such as appearance search can save security personnel or restaurant managers time when reviewing back security footage after an incident,” Bainter says.
DANIEL P. SMITH is a Chicago-based writer who has covered business issues and best practices for a variety of trade publications, newspapers and magazines.
