For restaurants and cafés
Cameras and security systems for restaurants and cafés
In a restaurant or café everything moves fast: orders at the till, delivery riders at the door, suppliers in the morning and a full dining room at night. Here a camera system helps you follow service and the quality of the work — not watch people.
Send one request with your type of restaurant and city, and licensed installers of cameras and fire systems send you quotes you can compare on a clear scope.
What a restaurant or café needs
Most owners want three things: a clear view of the till and payments, coverage of the receiving area where food comes in and delivery orders go out, and an overview of the dining room to see how busy it is and how quickly tables are served. An owner with two or more branches wants all of it on the phone.
The kitchen is a special case: heat, steam and grease affect both cameras and fire detectors. You need equipment suited to that environment, and a design that keeps a clear line between what is covered in the kitchen and staff rest areas.
Where cameras go in a restaurant
Entrance and till
One camera facing the door and one above the till showing the counter and payment, plus the pick-up window if there is one.
Dining room and terrace
A wide angle giving a general view of the room to follow service, without zooming in on customers’ tables.
Kitchen and prep line
A camera with protection against heat and steam covering the prep area, useful for hygiene and work routines.
Receiving, storage and back door
Where supplies come in, the cold rooms and dry store, and outside the parking or the spot where riders wait.
Where not to put cameras: toilets, staff changing rooms, rest rooms, and any closed family booths or other places of a private nature. Don’t aim terrace cameras at neighbouring shops or homes. More in how many cameras a shop or restaurant needs.
Fire alarms and kitchen safety
A commercial kitchen is one of the places that most needs fire systems: detectors suited to heat and smoke (a standard smoke detector over the cooking line can cause false alarms), extinguishers for oil fires and often a suppression system above the hood. Requirements depend on size and activity and are usually tied to the restaurant’s licence through the official Civil Defense platforms.
These systems are installed and maintained by fire-safety contractors accredited with Civil Defense. If you are fitting out a new branch, request a fire alarm system quote together with the cameras, and read our fire alarm and Civil Defense guide.
Attendance and shift work
Restaurants run long shifts with many staff, so a fingerprint or card attendance system that records the start and end of each shift is useful. An electronic lock on the store room or the safe room controls who can get in and saves handing out keys.
Compliance notes for restaurants and cafés
The surveillance camera law and its implementing regulations may cover restaurants and cafés depending on the activity and location, and set the areas to cover and how long recordings are kept. The municipality or health authorities may have extra requirements for kitchens. Check what applies to you, and see surveillance camera compliance.
Don’t post clips of customers or staff on social media, however funny. Recordings are for internal use and are handed to the competent authorities on request through the proper channels.
What to include in your quote request
- Type of restaurant or café, the size of the dining room and kitchen, and whether there is outdoor seating.
- A simple plan or photos showing the entrance, till, kitchen, store and back door.
- Opening hours, and the best time for installation so service is not interrupted.
- The retention you need and how many people need phone viewing.
- Whether it is a new fit-out or an existing site with cabling in place.
- Whether you need a fire alarm, kitchen suppression or a maintenance contract in the quote.
For what drives the cost, see our security systems cost guide.
Restaurant CCTV: common questions
Will a camera survive the kitchen heat?
You need a camera and housing suited to heat and steam, mounted away from the cooking line. Ask the installer which model type they propose for the kitchen and how it is cleaned.
Can I put cameras in the family booths?
Closed booths are of a private nature; it is better to cover the corridors and shared entrances only. Check the rules for your activity before installing anything.
Should the till camera record audio?
Audio recording may be treated differently from video under the rules. Don’t enable it until you have confirmed it is allowed for your activity.
Does the camera installer fit the fire system too?
Not always. Fire systems are installed by fire-safety contractors accredited with Civil Defense. Say in your request that you need both so you receive suitable quotes.
I have several branches — can I follow them all?
Yes. Most modern systems bring branches into one phone app, with separate permissions for each branch manager.
Helpful guides
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Fitting out your restaurant or café?
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