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By
Lee Simon
Consider
the number of people that have access, at one point or another, to
your kitchen facility. Kitchen staff. Servers.
Purveyors. Service agents. While it would be great to
assume that everyone has your best interests in mind, such a
thought process would be naďve. Unfortunately, some members
of the parties listed above have their own interests in mind.
It is your responsibility to make sure that your interests are
protected.
Security
is a critical issue in foodservice facilities. There is a
significant amount of money tied up in assets that are extremely
desirable by others. Steak, lobster, and other expensive
foods should be viewed as assets. It is no different than
tires at a tire store or clothing in a department store.
Hospitality employees do not typically view the food in the
walk-ins or dry storage rooms in this manner. As a result,
they don’t feel as guilty about taking something. “No
one will miss this” they convince themselves. I know
because I have seen it happen time and time again during my
operation days.
Protect
Your Assets
There
are steps that you can take to protect your investment. Keep
in mind that where there is a will, there is a way. In other
words, anyone with a strong desire to steal will find a way to do
so. Utilizing some of the preventative measures discussed
below, however, may act as a deterrent and limit your exposure to
theft.
The
location of the office is critical. The best location will
be dependent on the layout and configuration of the kitchen space,
but there are some rules to follow that will help you determine
the appropriate location. The office should have easy access
or clear views of the back door. Most products that
“leave” the facility do so through the back door. If the
office is in close proximity to the door, would-be thieves might
think twice about trying to sneak product by the manager’s
office.
Be
sure that the office has clear sight lines of as many work areas
as possible. Truthfully, a manager shouldn’t spend much
time in their office. While they are there, however, they
should be able to see what the staff is up to, or at least leave
them with the feeling that they are being watched.
The
kitchen should be designed to limit the number of alcoves and
enclosed spaces. Such configurations make it too easy, not
to mention tempting, for would-be thieves to plan and act on their
malicious intentions. Open spaces, easily viewed from the
main kitchen area or office should be incorporated. Also,
the use of half walls instead of full walls in certain locations
will assist in the effort as well.
Valuable
items, such as liquor, should be held under lock and key.
Just as important as securing these items is limiting the number
of people that have access to such product. The fewer the
better. This may sound like common sense, but separate
securable areas are often overlooked in the planning phase.
On opening day, the manager asks where the liquor is to be kept
and then learns it will be stored on the floor in the manager’s
office. It is tough to control your inventory when it is
stored below your desk.
One issue
that is overlooked time and time again is the fact that purveyors
(soda, beer, food, etc.) often have unsupervised access to your
kitchen facility. Once again, temptation and opportunity
often leads to mysterious “loss of product.” In my
design work, I try to provide separate, isolated storage of and
access to purveyor provided products. For example, a beer
keg walk-in cooler should be separate from the walk-in coolers and
freezers. Why should a purveyor be permitted to meander
through the walk-in cooler, where your lobsters and steak are
located? Provide a dedicated keg cooler with a single
entrance, and make sure that the entrance is easily supervised.
This philosophy can be used for other purveyor provided products.
Although
not a design related issue, the relationship between management or
ownership and the staff is vital. I worked for a great
restaurant manager early in my career … he really knew his
stuff. One day, a bus boy asked for a dessert to eat and the
manager obliged without hesitation. He then explained that
it is better to be open and honest with your staff. Had he
turned down the request, the dessert would have likely been taken
anyway. Not to say that this is acceptable behavior on a
regular basis, but it is a method to consider every now and then.
Implementation
of the design techniques above will not guarantee the elimination
of theft from your facility. They will, however,
provide significant deterrents to those that are considering
stealing. If it is difficult to steal, it may not be worth
their effort. The end
result is better protection of your assets … yes assets.
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