A few days ago, Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer set ‘mid-May’ as the target date for restaurants, cafes and pubs to reopen. There will be strict rules for social distancing, hygiene/ cleanliness, and physical barriers. Restaurateurs who have been closed since March are waiting to hear more so they can work out ways to comply and get their business back in operation.

Hospitality commercial security is one of the areas that has been highlighted by this health crisis. Many restaurant owners realized that their premises were vulnerable when restrictions were put in place for visiting or operating with reduced staff for take-out only.

Restaurant owners are now thinking about how to improve security so that they can protect their stock and valuables from theft, but, even with the prospect of re-opening on the horizon, there are new vulnerabilities to be considered.

Here are 3 ways Sontirol security can help restaurant owners reopen their doors to the public, with systems in place to safeguard their staff and property.

1. Keyless Access Control: If your restaurant is still using physical keys to open doors, you know this is a problem. Keys can be lost, copied, and with new or temporary staff being called in to work different shifts during this phase of the Covid response, keys just are a pain to manage. Our access control allows you to track and restrict who goes where and when. With a phone call to our central monitoring station staff you can make changes to the access system, at any time, add employees, delete employees, change access levels and door locking/unlocking shifts.

2. Monitored Alarms: If you are unfamiliar with Sonitrol monitored video, let me explain that not only do you have access to live CCTV video in your restaurant, but, our system is 100% monitored by security specialists who can verify any unusual activity or potential break-ins. Theft of food and alcohol could not only damage your ability to reopen and reestablish your restaurant, but could prove costly against the bottom line.

3. SonaVision CCTV Observation: SonaVision by Sonitrol gives restaurant owners access to view security camera live feeds so they can observe first-hand aspects of their business. For example, a restaurant owner might want to observe a social distancing waiting area outside the restaurant, or observe the clean-up crew to make sure everyone is following procedures. Owners have access 24x7 to monitor cameras using any personal electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet. Knowing what is going on can help an owner improve training and processes.

These systems might seem costly, but they are quite cost-effective and very easy to install and implement. We’re here to help! With decades of experience providing security systems to the hospitality industry, we can work with you to design the best solution for your restaurant.