Reservations and restaurants go together like barbequed ribs and a hearty appetite. Unless, of course, the "reservations" are about the dining establishment's security system.
That's because a well-designed security system can protect against fraud, often the biggest threat to a restaurant's profitability.
Paul Williamson, V.P of operations, for Hof's Hut, which operates the Lucille's Barbeque brand, is very confident in the customized CCTV security system JMG designed and installed in two of Lucille's locations since 2006.
The key to loss prevention at Lucille's, like most restaurants, is in keeping an "eye" on employees who handle the money transactions and to be able to watch where the food deliveries take place. High traffic areas, where slip and fall injury claims are likely to occur, are another critical observation point.
JMG's experience in providing security and alarm systems for such chains as Carrows, Coco's and Pasta Bravo, streamlined the process and impressed Williamson, who has been in operations at Hof's for more than 30 years.
"We're very pleased with the design and the bid that JMG provided us," Paul reported. "Both Gil Gonzales and Ken Jacobs kept in touch to make sure the installation and activation went smoothly."
Williamson is also pleased that the system has such clear images that are easy to retrieve by date and time. One of the biggest changes he has seen in security since taking on the responsibility in 1999, are the improvements in technology.
"We use the system almost as much for operations as we do for security," he said about the advances in recorders and cameras. "We can clearly see who is on camera and what they are doing at all times."
Such certainty, he observes, can eliminate disputes from overtime payments to Workman's Comp claims.
Opened in 1999, Lucille's has expanded to 11 locations, most recently in Tempe, AZ. JMG, whose design included exterior as well as interior camera installation at the two sites in Cerritos and Tustin, also updated the monitoring system where Paul can view all the locations with cameras from his office in Signal Hill.