Tips on ways your employees could be undermining your business profits

ICE + American Express Present: Preventing Bar and Retail Theft

Do you trust your staff? Do they trust you? Could security cameras do more harm than good? Master the secrets to preventing beverage, food and retail theft in your restaurant with this exclusive video from ICE and American Express’ four-part Restaurant Success Series.

From the cash drawer “no-sale” to the little-known “straw-trick” and other clever theft secrets, ICE Culinary Management Instructor Anthony Caporale reveals the ins and outs of what might really be happening behind your counter.

Among the video's most fascinating highlights? Anthony shares insight into employee theft — a common problem that accounts for approximately 75% of a restaurant’s inventory loss, according to the National Restaurant Association. See below five ways "employee collusion" could be undermining your profits:

  1. Bartenders and line cooks exchanging free drinks for dishes “on the house”
  2. Not ringing in cocktail servers’ sales and splitting the money
  3. Giving free drinks to employees or friends of employees in exchange for higher tips
  4. Hotel room service maids using (or selling) complimentary cocktail or wine coupons taken from hotel rooms to bartenders in place of cash
  5. Pocketing the money from food sales at the bar and offering kitchen staff free drinks as a bribe to not ring in the food order

Looking for more ways to boost your culinary business skills? Click here.