Are you seeing more security in restaurants?

When you look at a list at the types of businesses that are most likely to hire security firms, hotels are usually No. 1, followed by museums. It might surprise you to learn, though, that No. 3 on that list is restaurants.

Many restaurants and almost all bars and clubs have either bouncers or security personnel. As guests, we often see individuals walking around, perhaps wearing a blazer and an earpiece, and we feel comfort knowing that they are there for our protection. Sometimes there’s a beefy individual at the door or walking the floor.

I’m seeing restaurants and bars move away from the traditional bouncer toward professional security. Why? It’s a question of not only guest safety, but also the survival of the business.

This is top-of-mind for me because of an incident in a town where I have a client. A patron got drunk and tried to hit the bouncer, and the (untrained) bouncer was more aggressive than the situation called for. The patron was sent to the hospital with serious injuries, the bar closed because they were not covered for the lawsuit, and the bouncer will probably go to jail.

The jobs of bouncer and security are not the same, but the one common denominator is danger.

Years ago, bouncers only had to worry about a guest being underage, getting drunk or becoming belligerent. Today, four states — Georgia, Tennessee, Arizona and Virginia — allow individuals to carry concealed weapons into bars.

Illinois law prohibits firearms in bars, and in restaurants where more than half of sales come from alcohol. Nonetheless, bar shootings are commonplace around Chicago.

Also, some alcoholic beverages are more potent these days. While typical national brand beer has 4.2% alcohol by volume (ABV), many craft beers can have an ABV of 13%, almost triple the standard amount.

Another issue for the bouncer/security person is the possible presence of drug use among guests. With the widespread legalization of marijuana, some bars are even offering cocktails infused with THC, the intoxicating component of cannabis.

Drinking, drugs, lots of energy, a crowded venue — this is a recipe for potential danger around every corner, and the No. 1 thing that should be on the minds of the bouncer/security individual is guest safety.

However, states don’t require certification for bouncers, and training is left up to the individual bar owner. Interestingly, almost all states require bartenders and servers to have alcohol training and kitchen personnel to have sanitation certificates, but there’s no such requirement for bouncers, who are governed by the same laws as the general public. They can only use force if it’s used against them, and if someone is injured, the individual may be charged with a crime and the employer sued.

The main reason a restaurant or bar hires an outside security company is that their employees must have undergone a criminal-background check and training in safety, de-escalation and firearms. Another advantage is that an outside security company has its own liability insurance because they have gone the extra mile to ensure that their staff is fully trained and that they know how to de-escalate a dangerous situation.

As I travel, I see more and more restaurants employing security guards. We were shocked when schools started putting in security guards and now it’s the norm. I believe in a few years security guards in restaurants will be the norm, not the exception.

• Izzy Kharasch is the founder of Hospitality Works, a consulting firm that has worked with 700+ restaurants and small businesses nationwide. He is offering Daily Herald restaurant owners a free consultation by contacting him at Izzy@HospitalityWorks.com.