MF Indian Restaurant - Essay Example

Background of Facility Business Services This paper focusses on a small chain restaurant, MF Indian Restaurant, experiencing gradual growth. While Eugene city in Oregon has a store, Portland, Oregon has two. The store in Eugene is the one that I visited. Renowned for Chicken Tikka Masala, the restaurant sells Indian cuisine. It has adopted the buffet style of service for lunch which is served between 1130H to 1430H from Monday to Friday and between 1130H and 1500H on Saturdays and Sundays. From Sunday to Thursday, dinner is served between 1700H and 2200H and between 1700H and 2230H on Fridays and Saturdays. At the moment, the restaurant has 9 employees perceived as being loyal. The restaurant has adopted a simple design and purpose. The buffet set-up comprises of numerous dining tables in addition to a big steam table. A family style of service is adopted where customers serve from bowls and plates. In the kitchen, meat would be flame grilled and deep fryers would be used for fried foods. The restaurant seeks to offer quality food at reasonable prices to its clients, combined with exemplary service, so as to make its profits. Summary Looking at the physical structure, the restaurant, measuring 3,000 ft2 and constructed on an acre of land, is built of vinyl siding. The window trim is made of wooden shingle. The location is in proximity to a mega shopping area which has stores like Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Kroger and the ancient Eugene Mall. This area is under frequent patrol by policemen thus making it a low-crime area with no criminal activity having been reported from any store. Even more, the interesting lighting in the area boosts security. The ceiling has small lighting fixtures and back-up lighting which operates independent of generators. Street lights erected between shrubbery hedging surround the parking lot of the building with a spotlight which remains switched on throughout, shining on the front of the building. The store has several exit and entry doors; there is one exit/entry on the side, another at the front and yet another in the kitchen area. An alarm has been installed and it goes off when the back door, reserved for employees, opens. A concrete brick wall surrounds the courtyard accessed through the side exit. A counter blocks off a drive-up window and a door, these having been present since the building was bought, creating a room for serving supplies. In the same area, a cash register will be found. This location secures the cash register and supplements security from indoor surveillance. The store has three surveillance cameras which capture views from all angles, including the entry and exit doors. The front and side windows which allow for high visibility in the store further reinforce security. Nonetheless, no cameras have been mounted on the outside. Customers entering through the front door walk past numerous tables neighboring the steam table, on the side of the building opposite the side exit. Criticality During business hours, cash is held at hand but owners deposit cash to the bank thrice a week. Thus, for some days, cash would be under overnight safe custody in a small office. Burglary would only occur in case the routine store operations is compromised. In case of such an eventuality, it is not only profits that would be lost but even revenue for the following day. The landscaping and perimeter fencing of the building and a shed pose a risk of vandalism and threatens the safety of employees taking out trash. Existing Security Infrastructure The restaurant has indoor cameras to offer security around the cash register and the bar located near the side door and window as shown in the diagram. Visitors are warned at the front door of surveillance equipment installed in the building. A wall erected around the outdoor patio protects the other side door while an alarm has been installed to alert of entry from the back door. Deadbolt locks in each door can only be opened by one employee who is the custodian of the respective keys. To further discourage crime in the property, the parking lot is well lit. Even so, there are some issues that threaten security. The first is the small shed in proximity to the garbage dumpsite with tall shrubbery surrounding it. The outside of the building is also under no surveillance cameras. This could attract criminals who could access the premises from the back door, threatening the security of employees exiting through the back door. As such, it would be prudent for the owners to install external surveillance cameras around this area or warn employees of the security threat that looms there. Even posing additional risk is the installation of just the sound alarm with no alarm system. An alarm system, in spite of a well-lit inside of the building that provides greater visibility courtesy of the windows, would boost security especially late at night when the restaurant is closed or when the blinds are closed as witnessed during some of my visits. Alternatively, the owners could hire security guards to man the premises located about five miles and a few miles away from the Police Department and the Fire Department respectively. Security Survey Questions 1. The main entrance to the property is located at what point? 2. What size is the property? 3. Where are the parking zones? 4. What area is the dumpster located? 5. What kind of external lighting is used and for how long does it run? 6. What form of landscaping is used and where is this located? 7. Have any outdoor surveillance cameras been installed? 8. Does the building have any warning sign for the presence of surveillance equipment? 9. Where have the windows been located? What is the visibility of the restaurant through the windows? 10. What location have the entrances been placed? 11. What types of locks are used? 12 The building is made of what material? 13. What is the interior layout? 14. At what point is the cash register located? 15. Where is cash kept? 16. Who banks the collected cash? 17. Does the interior have surveillance cameras? 18. The alarm system used is of what type? 19. Is the building manned by security guards? 20 Does office security exist? 21 The police department is how far from the restaurant? 22. Has the restaurant experienced any crimes in the past? 23. What are the probable kind of crimes? 24. The fire department is how far from the restaurant? 25. What purpose does the restaurant serve? 26. What hours does the restaurant operate? 27. The restaurant has how many employees? 28. Do the employees qualify as being loyal? 29. What security weaknesses exist? 30. What recommendations could be given to boost security? Read More