A ghost kitchen or delivery-only restaurant has no dining room, no walk-in customers and often no sign out front. It has a kitchen, a pickup shelf, a stream of couriers on bikes and e-bikes and orders coming in from apps. Some ghost kitchens share a building, with several brands cooking in different stations. The main problems are not shoplifting but missing orders, courier disputes, food and ingredient theft, access by people who do not belong, break-ins at the back door and fire risk from equipment and e-bike batteries. Cameras give the business proof of what left the kitchen, who picked it up and who was in the space. This guide explains how to place cameras in a ghost kitchen or delivery restaurant in New York and New Jersey: what to cover, how to handle couriers and shared access and what a sensible system costs.
This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to your attorney, insurer and the relevant health and fire agencies about requirements.
1. The Short Version
| Zone | Camera goal |
|---|---|
| Pickup shelf/handoff | Orders, couriers and disputes |
| Kitchen line | Overview and safety |
| Walk-in and dry storage | Access and ingredient loss |
| Shared entrance | Who enters the building |
| Back door and trash | Deliveries and after-hours entry |
| E-bike area | Charging, theft and fire risk |
| Office | Cash, keys and records |
2. What Delivery Kitchens Face
Common problems include couriers who say an order was missing, orders that leave with the wrong courier, stolen food and supplies, e-bike thefts, unauthorized people in shared kitchens, and break-ins through back doors. App platforms often side with customers in disputes, so proof matters. Our guide on camera placement explains how to plan coverage.
3. The Pickup Shelf and Courier Handoff
This is the most important camera. Place a camera that shows the shelf, the bag labels and the courier's face and hands. Use a clear process: order number on every bag, courier confirms name and order, bag leaves only after the check. Video helps when the app, the courier or the customer disputes who took what. Post a sign that video is in use. Our local pages on commercial camera installation in Brooklyn and business camera installation in Queens describe typical restaurant setups.
4. The Kitchen Line
Cover the line with a wide camera that shows stations. Use it for safety review, training and incident review rather than watching cooks. Tell employees where cameras are and why. Our guides on employee camera notice and on employee theft and cameras explain how to do this fairly. Do not place cameras in restrooms or changing areas.
5. Walk-In, Dry Storage and Inventory
Ingredients are valuable. Lock dry storage and cover the walk-in door with a camera. Count high-value items such as proteins, oils and alcohol. Use a delivery log and compare it to invoices. Video clips help when numbers do not match.
6. Shared Kitchens and Multiple Brands
In a shared ghost kitchen, several brands use the same building. Each brand should have its own station, storage and, where possible, credentials. Cover the shared entrance, corridors and storage. Do not place cameras inside another brand's station without agreement. Write clear rules about who can enter, when and why. Combine access control logs with video.
7. Back Door, Alley and Trash
Back doors and alleys are the weak points. Cover the door and the trash area. Use a strong lock and a motion light. In August 2026, according to ABC7, cameras captured a hooded figure with a flashlight in a basement during overnight break-ins at Bay Ridge restaurants. In July 2026, according to Hoodline, NYPD Crime Stoppers released images of a suspected serial burglar tied to 11 Brooklyn commercial break-ins, entering through basement-level doors, and asked businesses to check their own footage.
8. E-Bikes and Charging
Couriers' bikes and e-bikes crowd entrances. Lithium-ion batteries can cause fires. Provide a safe charging area with fire protection, and never block exits. The New York City Fire Department publishes lithium-ion battery safety guidance at nyc.gov. Cover bike parking with a camera and lighting. Lock racks.
9. Cash, Tips and Platform Payments
Most orders are paid through apps, but some kitchens handle cash, tips and vendor payments. Keep cash low and in a safe. Cover the office door. Link video to records where you can. Our guide on camera and POS integration explains how.
10. Fire Safety and Kitchen Hazards
Kitchens are fire risks. Install and maintain suppression and alarm systems as required. Cameras help afterward by showing how an incident began, but they do not replace compliance. Clean hoods and filters on schedule. Keep exits clear.
11. After-Hours Alerts
Use door contacts, motion alerts and local recording. Decide who receives alerts and what they do. Call 911 for emergencies and do not send staff alone to investigate. In September 2026, News 12 reported that NYPD was seeking two suspects tied to 19 commercial burglaries across 16 Brooklyn neighborhoods.
12. Retention and Storage
Keep at least 60 days of video, since platform disputes can arrive weeks later. Storage planning: total GB = cameras x Mbps x 10.8 x days. Eight cameras at 3 Mbps for 60 days is about 15,552 GB, or roughly 16 TB. Keep clips tied to open disputes longer. Make sure the clock is correct. Our guides on how long to keep footage and on storage planning explain the math.
13. Common Mistakes
- No camera on the pickup shelf.
- No order number on bags.
- No link between disputes and video.
- Recording audio.
- Blocked exits by bikes.
- Unsafe e-bike charging.
- No back-door coverage.
- Short retention.
14. Cost
Planning ranges in 2026: four-camera system for a small kitchen, $1,800 to $4,200; eight-camera system, $3,000 to $7,000; twelve-camera system, $4,800 to $10,000; access control for shared entrances, $1,500 to $10,000; recorder and storage, $600 to $3,000; exterior camera, $350 to $900. These are planning ranges, not quotes.
15. A Second Data Point
NYPD reported burglary down 19.5% citywide in May 2026 compared with May 2025 (NYPD). A delivery kitchen's real exposure is order disputes, ingredients and its back door, so plan around those.
16. Questions to Ask Your Installer
- How will you cover the pickup shelf and handoff?
- How will cameras fit a shared kitchen?
- How will you cover storage and the back door?
- How will you handle e-bike areas?
- How much storage do I need for 60 days?
- Can the work be phased?
See our local pages for commercial camera installation in Brooklyn, business camera installation in Queens, commercial camera installation in Jersey City and our services page.
Running a ghost kitchen? Revolvis will walk the property with you and mark the spots, from the pickup shelf to the back door.
17. A Hypothetical Ghost Kitchen
A four-brand Queens ghost kitchen installs ten cameras: an entrance camera, a corridor camera, a pickup shelf camera, three kitchen cameras, a walk-in camera, a back-door camera and an exterior camera. Bags carry order numbers. Footage is kept 60 days. A courier claims an order was missing; the manager finds the handoff clip showing the courier took the bag and sends it to the platform.
18. Daily Routine
Open by checking cameras. Verify the bag labels. Walk the storage. At closing, lock storage and the back door, check bike areas, set alerts and review disputes. Wipe lenses monthly. Test an export monthly.
19. Working With Platforms and Couriers
Keep a standard way to respond to disputes with clips and order records. Be polite and factual. Tell couriers that cameras cover the pickup area. A consistent process keeps relationships healthy.
20. Annual Review
Once a year, walk the kitchen with an installer. Check coverage, lighting, access and fire safety. Review disputes for patterns. Update procedures and training.
Wired Versus Wireless Cameras
Wired PoE cameras are the steadier choice here: one cable carries power and data, and the picture does not drop when many devices crowd the Wi-Fi. Wireless cameras and point-to-point bridges fit a temporary spot or a long run where trenching is impractical. Keep the recorder in a locked, dry room with a small UPS, label every camera on the recorder and check the system weekly so a dropped link is found before an incident, not after it.
Seasonal Patterns
Busy seasons, holidays and bad weather change how a site is used. Review footage from a busy day once a quarter to see whether any entrance, row or door has a blind spot, then adjust angles and lighting before a loss exposes the gap.
More From Revolvis
Cameras are one layer of a secure property. The same in-house crew also handles the rest:
- Keyless entry installation and smart lock installation
- Access control systems and commercial access control
- Video doorbells and intercoms
- Alarm system installation
- Complete unified security
Learn more about Revolvis, meet the team, see all services, browse the blog or contact us.
Areas We Serve
Revolvis installs residential and commercial camera systems across the New York metro area. Every borough and county has its own building stock, rules and wiring challenges, so the plan for a Queens two-family is not the plan for a Manhattan co-op.
- Staten Island: houses, detached garages and shop fronts. See security camera installation in Staten Island.
- Brooklyn: brownstones, row houses and storefronts. See security camera installation in Brooklyn.
- Queens: attached brick homes, two-families and busy commercial strips. See security camera installation in Queens.
- The Bronx: pre-war buildings, bodegas and warehouses. See security camera installation in the Bronx.
- Manhattan: co-ops, condos, offices and retail. See security camera installation in Manhattan.
- Long Island: Nassau County and Suffolk County.
- New Jersey: Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken and nearby towns.
The full list is on the service areas page.
Get a Custom Quote After a Site Visit
Revolvis prices every job after a site visit, because the building sets the cost as much as the equipment does. A few things make the estimate faster and more accurate:
- The address and property type: house, apartment, co-op, condo, storefront or warehouse.
- Which doors, sides and areas you want covered, and what worries you most.
- Photos of those spots and any spots where you already have cabling or power.
- How many days of footage you want to keep and whether you want to watch on your phone.
- Any landlord, board, lender or insurer requirement.
Call 347-258-9165 or use the contact page to book a site visit. The quote you receive is written and itemized, so you can compare it line by line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should cameras go in a ghost kitchen? Pickup shelf, kitchen line, storage, shared entrance, back door and bike area.
How do cameras help with delivery disputes? They show the handoff and who took the bag.
Can cameras cover shared kitchens? Yes, with agreements on shared areas.
Can I record audio? Usually not without legal advice.
How long should I keep video? Often 60 days.
Is e-bike charging a risk? Yes. Follow fire safety guidance.
Ready for a custom quote? Call Revolvis at 347-258-9165 for a site visit and a written, itemized estimate.
Safety note: A camera system supports, but does not replace, good locks, lighting, alarms and everyday habits. If you are in danger or witnessing a crime, call 911. Prices and legal summaries in this guide are general information for the New York metro area, not an offer or legal advice. A written quote after a site visit governs your actual price, and for legal questions you should confirm with the agencies linked in the article or a licensed attorney.