Opening a restaurant can be an expensive gamble. In fact, the median cost of opening a restaurant is $425,000.

After such a substantial venture, a savvy business owner values the protection of his or her investment.

Consider the various risks a restaurant faces and the equipment you need to protect against them.

Break-Ins

With paying customers coming in and out all day, a restaurant is an attractive target to a burglar looking for cash. The following equipment can help secure your business even after you’ve locked up for the night:

  • Monitored Burglar Alarms: With audible and visual alerts, a burglar alarm can deter potential thieves. Alarms can be placed on windows and doors, notifying your monitoring center if they are opened or broken.
  • Security Cameras: If a break-in occurs, it helps to have a clear picture of the perpetrator. Well-placed security cameras can catch footage of the crime, assisting authorities in their investigation.
  • Mobile Monitoring: Use a security system that allows you to check or activate your security cameras and alarms via smartphone, tablet or desktop in case of suspicious activity.

Fires

A restaurant’s kitchen can pose as a fire risk thanks to industrial-grade equipment like gas ranges, ovens and fryers. In fact, the U.S. Fire Administration reported that more than half of all restaurant fires from 2011-2013 were a result of cooking. Here’s what you need to protect your restaurant and save lives:

  • Smoke Detector: Smoke detectors with photoelectric capabilities can alert you of a dangerous fire, while lowering the chance of false alarms. Additionally, smoke detectors specially fitted for ductwork will shut off the ventilation system when triggered, preventing smoke inhalation.
  • Automatic Sprinklers: Heat-activated sprinklers installed in the ceiling turn on when a fire’s extreme heat is detected, beginning the fire-fighting process before the fire department even arrives.
  • Manual Pull Stations: Furnish easy-to-reach areas with manual fire alarms, which have a handle that can be pulled by anyone who notices a fire. These alarms emit a visual and audio alert, so people can safely leave the dangerous area.

Employee Theft

Business owners can’t be everywhere at once. Though you try to hire employees you can trust, there is always a risk of crime from within your restaurant. Prevent theft with these tools:

  • Surveillance Cameras: Place cameras in clear view of cash registers or other high-theft areas. You will be able to see which employees are coming and going, and if they’re stealing.
  • Specialized Access Control: Make your restaurant’s entrances technologically advanced with access control systems, which use keypad- or swipe card-activated locks. These locks eliminate the need to make keys, which are easily copied. You can also use this system to give only certain people access to specific areas. Aligning the data from these systems with video surveillance gives you even further insight into recorded events.
  • Mobile Monitoring: Mobile monitoring allows you to check in on live feeds or recorded footage from a mobile device. You can even control some equipment from anywhere with your device, such as manipulating a camera to get a better view or manually triggering an alarm to stop a criminal in the act.