Restaurant goup’s tagging system hailed

Our franchisees undergo training to prioritise the safety and comfort of all customers

A LEADING restaurant group’s new tried and tested tagging system to keep children safe this festive season has so far been such a success that the eatery may keep it permanently.

To avoid kidnappings or children running out of the restaurant without their families knowing, Spur Steak Ranches started tagging children with magnetic detectors usually used in clothing stores.

Those magnetic tags are used to prevent shoplifting.

In Spur, the little grey plastic items are attached to the children’s clothes as soon as they enter the restaurant. The detectors situated at the entrance of the restaurant would beep if the child is leaving the store to alert staff and families.

Jo Judnick-Wilson commended Spur in Sunninghill, Johannesburg, for the new system.

“There is a staff member at the door who takes the tags off with a machine (no damage to clothes it’s magnetic-based), checking that the kids are happy and with their parents. I must admit not only did I have a meal without indigestion from anxiety, but the kids felt safer too,” she said in a Facebook post.

Her post received more than 6 000 shares with many expressing their satisfaction with Spur’s safety measures.

“Without stating the obvious, you could change their clothes but because of the tagging system, there is a dedicated person at the door looking to remove tags, I think they’d be suspicious of a child leaving without a tag. So there is an added level of exit control and monitoring now too,” Judnick-Wilson said.

She commended Spur Steak Ranches for taking the initiative to keep children safer and pledged her ongoing support for the group.

Spur spokesperson Moshe Apleni said they were testing the initiative at a few restaurants, but were happy that customers found it to be good.

“At Spur Corporation, we take the safety of our customers and children very seriously.

“Our focus has always been to provide a safe, welcoming and inviting restaurant where families can relax and enjoy themselves.

“Our franchisees undergo training to prioritise the safety and comfort of all customers and to handle numerous situations, including the serious threat or risk to children.”

Apleni added that they were also investigating technology to enhance the safety of children in the play areas.

Moshe Apleni Spur spokesperson