Using Security Cameras and Surveillance Systems in the Restaurant Cash Register

Nowadays, many business establishments, such as restaurants, have taken into consideration the use of security cameras for their safety and security.  Many restaurant owners or managers think that when it comes to their cash registers, they must either empty the drawer or keep most of the earned money in a safe place, especially if the cash register is holding thousands of dollars at the end of the night.  In the early days, before surveillance technology became widely used and appreciated, business establishments such as restaurants normally opted to hire one or two security guards to help them maintain peace and order in the vicinity while the customers come and dine at their place.

It is absolutely true that restaurants are one of the first business establishments to be directly affected by raw material and gas price increases.  Another obvious sad truth about restaurants is that they are one of the first that get hurt by recession or an increase in the cost of day-to-day living.  In order to save money, people just stop going out to eat, and even if they do go out, they tend to order less expensive food so that they can spend less money.  This, in turn, puts restaurant owners in a very dire situation.  Owning and running a restaurant is not for the faint of heart.  The truth is, there are many other additional factors that can make it even more difficult for the restaurant owner to keep the doors of his or her restaurant open.  From vandalism, dine-and-dash customers to not-so-honest employees, the budget of a restaurant can receive many unexpected blows.

Thanks to the advancement of technology and the affordability of security cameras and surveillance systems at this digital age, business establishments such as restaurants can now enjoy using these nifty gadgets to promote safety and security inside and outside their premises.  Restaurant security cameras and surveillance systems can help owners keep an eye on their restaurant, watch their cash registers, watch your kitchen, monitor your customers, and many more.  The security cameras and surveillance systems can help in recording exactly what is occurring, so whenever problems occur, the owner will have a concrete and honest footage.  There are many different types of security cameras and surveillance systems that can help secure any restaurant.

Cash Register Security Cameras in Restaurants

If you are a restaurant owner in a fairly decent restaurant, then you would always think that the cash register in your restaurant holds a great deal of cash.  This is what actually thieves would think as well, so it is obviously a key target for them.  Not only that, the cash register is also an area where not-so-honest employees might decide to snatch a few bucks for quick cash.  These two scenarios are the main reasons why it is very important for you to have coverage of the cash registers in your restaurant when you are planning to have a CCTV surveillance system.  There are many different ways on how to get coverage, and this depends on the desired results and the set budget.

Security Camera Types used for Restaurant Cash Registers

There are 2 main types of security cameras that can be utilized for your restaurant cash registers: analog CCTV security cameras and MegaPixel IP security cameras.

• Conventional analog-style CCTV security cameras are still widely used for restaurant security camera installations that cover cash registers due to the fact that they can be mounted above the cash registers, either providing a wide-angle view that shows the people standing at the cash register as well as a view of the cash moving into and out of the cash register.  The only downside to this analog CCTV security camera (with wide-angle lens) configuration is that you will have difficulty in determining the exact denomination of the cash.  In other words, if you are going to use a wide-angle analog CCTV security camera, then you have to be contented with the fact that you will be limited to watching only where the dollar bills are moving to and fro (such as the slots to properly determine the denomination).With the help of analog CCTV security cameras, you can also opt to mount the camera with a fixed zoom lens.  This method will give you a much narrower field of view, which means that you may not be able to see the whole area surrounding the cash register, but it will definitely help you to correctly determine the denomination of the bills in the drawer.  Therefore, while you will see the money entering and leaving the cash register (and you may be even able to count it), you will usually not be able to see where the money went.  This is why most restaurant owners, whenever they opt to use analog CCTV security cameras, they normally use two of them.  The first camera will be covering the wide-angle view that shows who is at the cash register and the register itself, while the second camera will help show the exact denomination of the bills.

• MegaPixel IP security cameras are the newer options for covering the cash register of restaurants.  These security cameras connect to your computer network with a standard ethernet cable, and record footage in a higher definition video that the conventional analog-style CCTV security cameras cannot do.  With resolutions ranging up to 2592x1944 (or 5.0 MegaPixel), these HD-security IP cameras are the best choice due to the fact that their wide-angle lens can provide coverage to show not only who is at the cash register, but also the denomination of the bills that are changing hands at the same time.  The only downside to this MegaPixel IP security camera is that it is slightly more expensive and it requires a PC-based NVR (network video recorder) or hybrid analog/digital PC-based DVR system.

Whatever type of security camera you choose for your restaurant cash register, it is obvious that video coverage is important at all times.  It is crucial that you weigh out the options and choose the security cameras and surveillance system for your restaurant that will definitely satisfy all your needs as well as your budget.