"Having video surveillance in your [office] as an owner isn't a bad idea. It is useful to monitor your [programmers] remotely to ensure that [they are busy writing software] and no one is [reading Hacker News] even when you're not there."
I'm sorry, but there is zero equivalence between a bar and offices.
Bars lose about 24-26% of their gross revenue to theft [1]. Further, bars are about customer service and every bar has a GM or owner who is there most of the time monitoring their employees. Adding cameras only allows them to do it remotely, it doesn't change the fact that they are watching.
The fact is that bartenders are mostly paid in tips and handle a lot of cash (some bars can pull in $60K/week gross). Not only is there a lot of opportunity, but frankly, most bartenders aren't paid very well. Combine this with lax monitoring and you are asking for theft.
Show me an office that has that kind of theft and I'll happily recommend monitoring there too.
The theft is not as clear cut as someone pulling money out of the till. Often it involves say, double collecting money from two patrons and only entering in one order or charging a patron for a premium spirit, filling out an order for a cheaper one and then pocketing the difference. Then there is the ever constant overpouring or simply giving away free drinks. With nightclubs there can be all sorts of theft and graft at the door when collecting covers.
Even in bars that don't have cameras, don't believe for a second you aren't being watched just to ensure you're getting your drink quickly or you're not being too aggressive or any number of things that happen when liquor and people mix.
Sure, I'm just contradicting the idea that "there is zero equivalence between a bar and offices". Actually there's no difference, if you have a niggling point of view.
No. Just no.