Security Cameras Security Systems Commercial Security Systems Video Surveillance Feb 28, 2026 10:00:03 AM General Security 5 min read
A restaurant security system is one of the most important investments a food service business can make, and it's one of the most frequently delayed. With threats coming from both outside the building and within your own staff, the risks are real, ongoing, and expensive. Here's what you need to know.
Why Are Restaurants Such a Common Target for Burglary?
Restaurants rank among the most burglarized commercial properties in the United States. According to Statista data, restaurants recorded 23,358 commercial burglaries in a single recent year — more than convenience stores, grocery stores, hotels, and gas stations. After-hours break-ins targeting cash drawers, back-office areas, and unsecured entry points are the primary driver.
The combination of daily cash handling, late closing hours, and multiple entry points makes restaurants structurally vulnerable. A monitored burglar alarm system changes that. If there's an intrusion, a trained monitoring professional responds immediately — not after you discover the damage the next morning.
General Security's alarm monitoring is backed by its TMA Five Diamond-certified Central Station, which is the industry's highest professional monitoring credential. When your alarm activates, a specialist verifies the event and dispatches law enforcement without requiring you to do anything.
How Much Does Employee Theft Actually Cost a Restaurant
Internal theft is the leading cause of inventory loss in the restaurant industry. According to an industry report, employee theft accounts for up to 75% of restaurant inventory shortages and approximately 4% of total sales.
For a restaurant generating $800,000 in annual revenue, that is $32,000 in losses per year. Those losses often occur in small, recurring incidents that go undetected without proper oversight — register voids, unauthorized comps, cash skimming, and inventory removed without documentation.
Commercial video surveillance cameras at registers, bar stations, back-of-house, and storage rooms create the accountability layer that deters this behavior before it becomes a pattern. We install professional-grade commercial security cameras with high-definition recording, smart motion detection, and remote viewing through the Alarm.com mobile app so you can monitor what's happening at your restaurant from anywhere, at any time.
What Is AI Deterrence and How Does It Protect a Restaurant After Closing?
AI Deterrence (AID) is a security feature that uses artificial intelligence to detect suspicious activity around a property and deliver real-time, customized verbal warnings to deter intruders before they make entry.
General Security deploys AI Deterrence through the Alarm.com platform. When suspicious behavior is detected at or around your restaurant after hours, the system identifies the threat and issues an immediate audio warning based on what the camera observes. This is useful if someone is approaching a back entrance, loitering near the building, or attempting to access a delivery area.
This is an important and different approach from traditional recording. Rather than documenting a break-in after it happens, AID actively intervenes to stop it. Paired with General Security's Perimeter Guard and remote video monitoring with live talk-down, a trained specialist can also speak directly through on-site speakers in real time, which causes most unauthorized individuals to leave without ever attempting entry.
How Does Access Control Protect Restaurant Back-of-House Areas?
Key card access control systems restrict entry to storage rooms, manager offices, cash-handling zones, and walk-in coolers to authorized personnel only. Unlike physical keys that can be copied or passed between employees, access credentials can be assigned, modified, or revoked instantly.
General Security installs commercial access control systems that log every entry and exit by individual credential. This creates a documented record of who accessed which area and when, which is essential for investigating cash discrepancies, inventory shortages, and after-hours access events. When an employee is terminated, their access is deactivated immediately with no lock changes required.
For restaurants using intercom and entrance systems at delivery entrances or side doors, we also install integrated intercom solutions that let you verify and admit vendors remotely, even from off-site.
What Does a Complete Restaurant Security System Include?
A professionally installed restaurant security system from General Security integrates the following components on a single platform:
1. Commercial video surveillance cameras — High-resolution cameras covering entrances, dining areas, registers, bar stations, storage, and parking lots with remote viewing
2. Monitored burglar alarm system — Door and window sensors, motion detectors, and glass break sensors connected to a Central Monitoring Station
3. AI Deterrence (AID) — Real-time perimeter detection and automated verbal warnings that stop intruders before entry
4. Key card access control — Credential-based entry management for back-of-house zones with full activity logging
5. Intercom and entrance systems — Remote vendor and delivery access management
6. Remote video monitoring with live talk-down — Live specialist intervention when a camera detects a real-time threat
All components are managed through the Alarm.com platform, allowing restaurant owners to arm and disarm the system, view live camera feeds, receive instant alerts, and manage access permissions from anywhere through an app.
Restaurant Security Systems FAQs
What type of security system does a restaurant need?
The system should at least include commercial surveillance cameras, a monitored intrusion alarm, and access control for back-of-house areas. Restaurants at high risk after hours can benefit from adding AI deterrence and remote video monitoring with live talk-down capabilities.
Where should security cameras be placed in a restaurant?
Cover all entry and exit points, cash registers and POS stations, bar areas, storage rooms, walk-in coolers, back doors, and parking lots. Camera placement at the register is especially important for detecting cash handling irregularities.
Does a restaurant security system help reduce employee theft?
Yes. Visible surveillance cameras at registers, storage areas, and bar stations deter employee theft by establishing accountability. When camera footage is combined with POS transaction data, managers can identify patterns like excessive voids, unauthorized comps, or unrecorded sales.
How does professional alarm monitoring work for a restaurant?
When a monitored alarm is triggered at a restaurant, a specialist at a Central Monitoring Station receives the signal, reviews the event, and dispatches law enforcement. General Security's Central Monitoring Stations are the industry's highest-rated for monitoring quality and response protocols.
Can a restaurant security system be monitored remotely?
Yes. General Security's systems operate through the Alarm.com platform, which allows restaurant owners and managers to view live and recorded camera footage, arm and disarm the alarm, manage access credentials, and receive real-time alerts from any smartphone or device.
Protect your restaurant with a system built for the food service industry. Request a free security consultation from General Security.