Pelco Serves up State-of-the-Art Security at Flemming's Prime Steakhouse

By Susan B. Barnes
Pelco Magazine, Summer 2007

Since its first restaurant opened in 1998, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has emerged as one of the elite establishments of its kind. With more than 50 restaurants spread throughout the United States and an extensive and highly acclaimed wine menu, Fleming’s offers a dining experience that is elegant and unforgettable.

And, of course, such an upscale restaurant deserved a video security presence to match. That’s where Pelco came in. Fleming’s had been considering a number of video security options for some time but had not yet made any decisions.

As opportunity would have it, Pelco President and CEO, David L. McDonald was dining at the Fresno restaurant and discussed the application, benefits and advantages of implementing a video security system. After careful consideration and examination of the requirements and capabilities a restaurant such as Fleming’s would require, they chose a Pelco solution. “We wanted to go with Pelco,” said Wayne Hanseth, operating partner, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Fresno. “We heard that they’re the best.”

“We worked closely with the manager and spent quite a bit of time looking at areas of concern, where they wanted coverage and the best way to achieve that coverage,” said Gary Milner, account executive for project integrator, Sierra Tel Business Systems.

That coverage included managing behind-the-bar activity and all of the restaurant’s entrances and exits, both public and employee, including the front door and back patio. “We took into consideration Fleming’s peak operating hours and came up with a balanced Pelco camera and DVR selection that fit their budget,” Milner added.

As a result, Sierra Tel Business Systems has installed a system that includes a set of four-channel DX4000 Series DVRs with 500 GB hard drives, and a combination of Camclosure Integrated Camera Systems.

One of the challenges faced by Milner and his team at Sierra Tel Business Systems was that though the restaurant is open for business only at night, vendors make deliveries and customers stop by to make reservations throughout the day.

“The high contrast in the lighting during the day with the bright sunlight coming through the windows and the low lighting in the restaurant at night proved to be a challenge,” said Milner. “To compensate for that contrast, we ended up installing [Camclosure IS units with] Wide Dynamic Range.”

With traditional camera systems, direct sunlight, backlighting, and shadows pose significant challenges. Pelco Camclosure IS Systems with Wide Dynamic Range technology, however, easily manage any extreme-lighting condition. By digitizing light at the point of capture, each pixel determines its own exposure time. The result is natural looking images from a fully integrated, easy-to-install camera system.

Several cameras are now installed throughout the interior of the restaurant, including the bar area, and others were installed in the back of the store – one aimed solely on the meat locker and the other focused on the back office. An environmental camera monitors activity in the rear exterior of the store.

Dome cameras were used throughout the interior to blend with the décor and not be obtrusive to the customers.

The Result

“They’re very happy,” said Milner. “It’s doing exactly what they need for it to do.”

The staff at Fleming’s found the systems easy to use, too. “Training was very smooth,” said Milner. “They were whipping right through the menus and got it very quickly.”

Operationally, things are running smoothly as well, according to Hanseth. “We’ve been able to catch some internal mishaps,” said Hanseth. And that’s an additional benefit of these video systems. Increasingly, they are being used for more than security applications, helping management improve internal processes, supplement training and implement ever-more efficient operating procedures.

Fleming’s corporate office advised their San Diego location to look into implementing a security system and so, upon recommendation from their colleagues in Fresno, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse in San Diego has hired Sierra Tel Business Systems and has a customized Pelco security system installed in its restaurant.

“The work we did in San Diego was a direct result of what we did in Fresno,” said Milner. “They went with a mirror image of Fresno’s system, configured to fit their layout.”

According to Milner, he and several members of his team take advantage of the different training courses offered by Pelco. Milner himself has gone through many of the product and sales trainings, and Sierra Tel Business Systems representatives recently went through Endura training; Sierra Tel Business Systems is now an Endura-certified provider.