Solink Secure Summit 2026 Los Angeles. Now 96% sold out.
Running a restaurant is harder than ever. Labor is tight. Costs are up. Customers expect more. Whether you manage one location or ten, staying on top of daily operations takes more time than you have.
That’s where video helps. Used the right way, security cameras do more than record. They give you the visibility to improve service, reduce losses, and run a smoother, more profitable business.
Here’s how video helps improve key parts of restaurant operations.
Start by fixing what slows you down. Most restaurants lose time and money in a few key areas:
Labor management
Theft and internal loss
Customer service
Food safety and compliance
Training and onboarding
Speed of service
Improving operations means getting visibility into these areas so you can act fast, coach better, and stop issues before they grow.
The right video system helps you do that without being on-site.
Video helps you see how your team is really working.
Spot late clock-ins or extended breaks
Catch unapproved shift swapping
Address performance issues with proof
Reduce time theft
You get a clearer picture of what’s happening when you’re not around.
A fast, friendly service keeps guests coming back. Video shows you where delays happen and what customers see.
Review long wait times at the counter or drive-thru
Catch missed upsells or abandoned checkouts
See how staff respond to guests during rush hours
Use real footage to make small changes that improve the customer experience.
Shrink adds up fast. Video paired with POS data makes it easier to spot and stop it.
Match transactions to video to catch void abuse or sweethearting
Monitor cash drawer activity
Watch back-of-house areas with high-value items or limited access
Losses are easier to prevent when you can see where they start.
The kitchen is your engine. It’s also a risk zone for mistakes, safety violations, and wasted time.
Check if staff follow food prep and cleaning protocols
Monitor for cross-contamination
Confirm food is being stored and handled safely
This kind of visibility helps avoid fines, protect your reputation, and improve consistency.
Training doesn’t have to mean sitting through slides. Video helps you coach in context.
Show new hires what “good” looks like
Use real interactions to explain service expectations
Reinforce best practices with actual examples
It’s faster to train with video, and easier for employees to understand.
When someone complains, you need facts. Not guesses.
Pull up video by time or transaction
Check what really happened
Respond confidently to customers or staff
Quick resolution builds trust with your team and your guests.
When video works with your POS and time tracking, you don’t just get footage. You get insight.
Search by employee name or transaction
Review footage of a specific receipt
Monitor access control and shift activity
This saves time, improves accuracy, and helps you make better decisions faster.
Solink isn’t just about catching mistakes - it’s about validating what’s being done right. We use it to coach our team, reinforce good habits, and even celebrate employees when they go above and beyond. It’s completely changed how we train and recognize our people. At the same time, it holds everyone accountable. We can see who’s following procedures, who’s cutting corners, and make sure every shift is running the way it should.
It improves productivity because employees know we can log in at any time and see what they’re doing. It makes them more aware. Workplace violence has happened at times, and having that visibility has helped us protect both employees and guests.
It’s easy to find time theft in Solink. I just put a dot on the screen over the employee entrance and skip from motion event to motion event until I see when someone comes in and leaves for the day. It only takes a couple minutes to monitor this critical issue. I unfortunately had a manager who’d come in around 11:00 on a Friday and then leave around 4:00. Her shift was supposed to be from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. When I confronted her showing the evidence, her response was to say that all of the other managers were doing the same thing. I sat down with her in front of Solink and showed her that in fact everyone else was following the rules.
When video is paired with restaurant operations and business data, it stops being just a security tool. It becomes a daily operations system.
Managers get more than footage, they get facts. Facts about where staff are spending time, how long guests wait, when key tasks get skipped, and what’s dragging down service speed or guest experience.
With Solink, video monitoring helps:
The result? Faster service, smoother shifts, fewer mistakes, and more time spent improving – not chasing problems.
Video monitoring used to be reactive. Solink makes it operational.
