Robberies Prompt New Security Measures at Texas Restaurant Chain

Nov. 8, 2004
Operations manager hires guards, installs CCTV, shuts down entrance during slower hours

A string of armed robberies targeting Arlington, Texas, Wing Stop restaurants has prompted managers to hire security and start other safety measures to protect customers and employees.

Arlington police don't know why the two men appear to be specifically targeting the business other than because it is open until midnight. Since August, the men have held up three of the four Arlington Wing Stop locations just before closing time.

Operations manager Tim Blakeney said security enhancements include hiring off-duty police to guard the restaurants, installing surveillance cameras and locking the front door late at night when business is slow.

"It's a pretty scary experience," said Blakeney, who runs all four restaurants. "We've taken extra measures to protect ourselves and our customers. These people are going to get caught."

Police are seeking the public's help to catch the men, who are verbally aggressive and have taken money at gunpoint from the store's cash registers and even two customers.

"The suspects are demanding that they hurry. They seem to have a set amount of time they are going to stay in there," Detective Byron Stewart said.

No one has been injured during the robberies.

Blakeney said customers who place carry-out orders over the phone are asked to provide their vehicle descriptions and park directly in front of the store. Employees also keep less money in the registers as closing time approaches, he said.

"They are not getting very much money," Blakeney said of the robbers. "It's not worth their trouble."

Investigators are trying to determine whether these robberies are related to any others in Arlington or surrounding cities, Stewart said.