Pizza Today - January 2016 - 33

While wholly eliminating crime
in today's world remains a fantasy,
late-night pizzeria operations can take
reasonable steps to minimize risk:
* Step 1: Installing deterrents.

Open until 3 a.m. during the week and
4 a.m. on weekends, Sizzle Pie, a fourstore, Oregon-based operation, knows
safety is paramount to the business'
long-term prospects.
"If people feel threatened or that
their safety is violated, they are far less
likely to return," Sizzle Pie director of
operations Bob Peyton says.
To bolster safety, Sizzle Pie has
adopted numerous measures: closedcircuit television, including two cameras pointing directly at the front door;
posted signs alerting customers that
they are being recorded; and in-house
security personnel.
The mere appearance of a hardened
target, Roberts says, disturbs nefarious
plans.
"Simply making a robber think it
will take longer helps immensely," he
says.
Digital-quality cameras properly
installed by an expert stand a good
starting point, though the cameras
must be in sound working order. As
robberies are almost always about
money, pizzerias should also limit
the amount of money accessible to
employees throughout the day, but
particularly in the late-night hours, by
installing bill-validating or time-lock
safes. Furthermore, owners should
communicate the presence of such elements with visible signage to diminish
the perception of criminal opportunity.
Lighting can also do wonders, providing "natural surveillance" that allows
those inside the shop to see and be
seen, though it's important windows be
clean and free of clutter. The interior of
the restaurant and immediate exterior
should be well illuminated, says Emil
Monda, a California-based security,
safety and loss prevention specialist.
* Step 2: Training. When it comes
to security, "Never underestimate the

value of training," Monda says.
In the event of a robbery, staff
members should know what's expected
of them, such as avoiding excessive eye
contact, complying with the criminal's demands and what to do after an
unruly patron or robber leaves, such as
calling 911 and recording key details.
"The better equipped staff are to
understand what they need to do after
the fact, the better equipped they are
to survive," Roberts says.
Sizzle Pie leadership took training
to another level in earning credentials from the Oregon Department of
Public Safety Standards and Training
(DPSST). Managers at each Sizzle Pie
location hold the certification, which
develops professional standards for
public safety.
Information gleaned from that certification is then passed along to Sizzle
Pie employees, who are trained on how
to speak to guests, particularly intoxicated or belligerent patrons, and the
warning signs of a suspect situation.
* Step 3: Operational attentiveness. Very often, Monda notes,

restaurant robberies are committed by
an employee, ex-employee or friend of
an employee, all of whom can be quite
aware of a pizzeria's operations.
As important as it is to do background checks and screen employees,
Monda says it is equally important to
restrict access to cash. Owners should
have - and insist staff follow - strict
procedures around using safes to limit
on-hand cash, rules on rear door access
and defined guidelines for dealing with
ornery guests.
"Whether it's 2:30 p.m. or 2:30 a.m.,
we want to create an environment that
keeps our operation, our employees
and our guests safe," Peyton says, "and
we will struggle to do that if we don't
have and enforce certain rules." n

Chicago-based writer DANIEL P.
SMITH has covered business issues
and best practices for a variety of
trade publications, newspapers, and
magazines.

Pizza Today - January 2016

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