WKS Restaurant Group Deploys Interface Video Verified Alarm Services
WKS Restaurant Group rolls out Interface’s managed video verified alarm services across 380+ restaurants to eliminate false alarm costs and streamline security operations.
WKS Restaurant Group (WKS), has chosen Interface Systems to upgrade and standardize alarm systems across 380+ of its restaurants.
WKS Restaurant Group (WKS), one of the fastest-growing restaurant franchises in the United States has chosen Interface Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, to upgrade and standardize alarm systems across 380+ of its restaurants.
WKS chose to work with Interface to roll out a fully managed video verified alarm solution. Security camera footage associated with every alarm event at any of the restaurants protected by Interface is validated by trained intervention specialists before calling in help. This approach not only eliminates false alarm costs and steep penalties imposed by law enforcement or municipal authorities but also guarantees store employees are called in to investigate only valid security breaches.
By standardizing alarm management services with Interface, WKS restaurant group enjoys the benefit of working with a single vendor for all alarm services and has created a proven playbook to rapidly secure new restaurant locations that are being acquired.
“Every time we acquired a restaurant, we were saddled with yet another alarm product that needed to be maintained. We realized that vendor consolidation was the only way forward.”
Christopher Magana
Senior Asset Protection & Safety Manager, WKS Restaurant Group
About WKS Restaurant Group
Headquarters: Cypress, CA 01
Interface Services for WKS Restaurant Group:
- Virtual guard services
- Managed alarm monitoring & video verified alarms
Hidden Complexities of Legacy Alarm Solutions
WKS is one of the nation’s fastest growing franchises with a portfolio of six leading restaurant brands – Denny’s, Wendy’s, El Pollo Loco, Blaze Pizza, Corner Bakery and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. The company’s acquisition-fueled expansion across several markets had opened up a variety of security challenges.
Before Interface, WKS was incurring about $165,000 worth of false alarm costs and a host of additional penalties levied by local law enforcement agencies in order to lift a non-response ban that’s usually imposed when law enforcement is called in to attend to a false alarm.
“The problem of false alarms was literally keeping us awake in more than one way. On one hand, we were losing money as a result of false alarm costs that impacted our bottom line and on the other hand, employees were woken up at odd times only to discover that the entire effort was a waste,” says Christopher Magana, Senior Asset Protection and Safety Manager at WKS.
Christopher Magana
Senior Asset Protection & Safety Manager, WKS Restaurant Group
Finding a solution to the false alarm problem was challenging. With every restaurant acquisition, WKS inherited a legacy alarm vendor that added to a complicated mix of alarm services and hardware ruling out any possibility of implementing a single solution.
The problem WKS was facing could be classified into two broad categories.
1. Vendor Management Issues
2. Security Management Issues
Next-Gen Video Verified Alarms From Interface
WKS chose to consolidate alarm management with a single vendor capable of not only integrating the alarm devices and remote monitoring with the existing video systems but also offer a solution to plug false alarm costs.
“We decided to work with Interface as they came highly recommended from well-respected restaurant brand owners and they had a demonstrated track record of working with multi-brand franchisees like WKS. They knew our world and had solutions to the problems we wanted to tackle,” says Magana.
Interface piloted the video verified alarm solution at a few of the WKS restaurants across six different brands. When the alarms were triggered, operators at Interface’s Command and Control centers were able to verify the alarm via the video stream before calling in law enforcement or escalating the issue to designated WKS staff.
“During the pilot run, we experienced zero false alarm fees at every location where we deployed the Interface video verified alarm solutions. It was a huge win for WKS and Interface.”
Christopher Magana
Senior Asset Protection & Safety Manager, WKS Restaurant Group
The successful pilot run resulted in a company-wide mandate to outfit every new restaurant location that came in through an acquisition with Interface’s managed alarm solution.
Even when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging, WKS and Interface continued the rollout as the solution exceeded the ROI goals across all the locations.
With Interface’s managed alarm services, WKS gained a lot more than reducing false alarm costs.
Standard protocols
Easier vendor management
Simplicity and convenience
Consistent communication and better productivity
Moving Ahead with Interface
The asset protection team at WKS is on a mission to standardize security operations and roll out next-generation solutions to tackle the emerging changes in the restaurant industry landscape.
According to Magana, “At WKS, we regularly come across seemingly insurmountable
security challenges. With Interface, we have a partner who can think one step ahead of us and show us the right way to tackle these challenges. Interface has demonstrated its ability to maximize the ROI from all the security infrastructure inherited when new restaurants come under the WKS fold.”
“Unlike larger tier-one security service providers, Interface can not only create top-of-the-line technology solutions but also deliver a personalized customer experience and remain responsive to our dynamic needs.”
Christopher Magana
Senior Asset Protection & Safety Manager, WKS Restaurant Group
