Blogpost

Security in Fast Food Restaurants

Fast Food or quick-service restaurants are unique commercial properties.

Fast-Food-Security

Fast-Food-Security-Service

They operate late at night or 24-hours a day, staffed by crews of young adults or juveniles. They are primarily cash-based businesses with a high amount of workplace violence against employees.
By design, they are conveniently located on major thoroughfares for quick service. The nature of this business style makes it very convenient for customers.
Unfortunately, this style of operation also makes it an attractive target for aggressive or intoxicated persons, robbers, and other criminals.

Most fast-food chains have developed a standard security hardware and equipment menu for all stores. These include video surveillance systems, alarm systems, time-delay safes, fortified drive-thru windows, and robbery prevention training for the entire staff.
Fast-food and quick service restaurants should develop a security plan tailored to meet the specific needs of a property and the conditions under which it operates.
Large chains should have a menu of basic security procedures and a progressive list of add-on solutions for higher crime properties.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel or invent custom security solutions at this level.
Before reasonable security solutions can be applied, a risk assessment must be made to determine if the solutions offered will be adequate under the circumstances.

Obviously, the cycle of assessment and application of security solutions must be constantly reviewed for effectiveness. If the pattern of disruptive and violent crime is escalating with security measures in place, then the existing security plan needs to be supplemented.

Likewise, if the crime problems plummet in the presence of security solutions, maybe a lower standard is warranted if the source of the problem has been eliminated. For example, one restaurant had a horrible problem with car club street cruisers. It was great for late-night sales on weekends but bad for drinking on the property, customer abuse, and fights. After the city passed an ordinance banning street cruising, the hostilities on the property fell off dramatically. This restaurant terminated its costly off-duty police coverage for a less expensive uniformed security service to maintain order on the property.

Ranger Guard and Investigations has been a leading private security company since 2009. Contact us at 713-357-8225 for services that best fit your needs, or fill out a form online.