Restaurant security cameras that warn you, not just record
Restaurant security cameras usually record for weeks and get watched only after a loss. With the cameras you already have, you can be told the moment something is wrong: the back door left open, the walk-in door ajar, someone in the bar store after closing.
The problems restaurant owners actually have
- The kitchen’s back door left open onto the alley during service, or found open in the morning.
- The walk-in fridge or cooler door left ajar, and a night’s stock lost.
- Someone in the bar store or the stockroom after closing.
- Cash left at the host stand or the till with nobody there.
- Guests waiting at the door with nobody to seat them.
- Boxes stacked in front of the fire exit after a delivery.
Rules for restaurant security cameras
- Kitchen camera, an area around the walk-in: “tell me if the door is left open.”
- Back door: draw it as a motion alarm for the hours you are closed. The alert arrives within a second.
- Bar store: “Tell me if anyone is in the bar store after midnight.”
- Entrance: “Tell me if guests are waiting at the host stand and nobody is there.”
- Corridor: “Tell me if the fire exit is blocked.”
- Dining room: mark the TVs as ignored, so a match on screen never triggers anything.
Scheduled checks for opening and closing
A scheduled check is a time and what should be so. At that time Puw looks. If it isn’t so, your phone gets the photo, and you know without driving back.
- “10:30, front shutter open.”
- “23:45, back door closed.”
- “23:45, kitchen empty and the walk-in door closed.”
Questions to ask from your phone
- “When did the produce delivery arrive today?”
- “Did anyone go into the bar store after closing?”
- “Send a photo of the dining room now.”
- “How many times was the back door opened tonight?”
Tampering and privacy
If a camera is turned away, covered or unplugged, you get an alert, and the last 20 minutes before it are kept as a black box.
Point cameras at doors, the till, the stores and the dining room, never at restrooms or changing rooms. Use the alerts for safety, theft and moments when nobody is there, not to rate how anyone works. Puw describes actions and objects; it doesn’t recognize faces.
Puw: AI for the cameras your restaurant already has
Puw is a Windows 10/11 app that connects to your existing cameras or recorder over RTSP or ONVIF. Hikvision, Dahua and most other IP brands work. The recorder keeps recording; Puw adds the understanding.
The AI runs on that PC, and the footage never leaves it. Alerts reach your phone on Telegram with a photo. Puw also learns each camera’s usual day, so motion in the kitchen at 4am is reported without any rule.
- Unlimited cameras on one yearly plan, up to 3 PCs.
- The PC must stay on. Busy cameras, like the till or the pass, want an NVIDIA graphics card.
- 30 days free, the full version, no card.
30 days free · full version · no card
Frequently asked questions
How long do restaurants keep security footage?
As long as the recorder’s hard drive allows. Most recorders overwrite the oldest footage when the drive is full, so the time depends on the number of cameras, the quality and the drive size. Puw doesn’t change your recording; it keeps its own captions so you can search past events.
Where should security cameras go in a restaurant?
The entrance, the till or host stand, the back door, the stores and the walk-in, and the dining room. Never restrooms or changing rooms.
Can cameras warn me if the walk-in door is left open?
Yes, if a camera can see the door. Draw an area around it in Puw and write the question. The AI checks that spot and your phone gets the photo.
Is this a fire or alarm system?
No. Puw helps you notice what your cameras saw, and it can miss events. Keep your fire alarm and intruder alarm.
Hikvision, Dahua, Lorex, Reolink and other brands are trademarks of their owners. Puw is not affiliated with them.