Hi Valerie,
If it hasn't already been done, I would recommend that your institution conduct a detailed feasibility study to see if the potential benefits outweigh the costs. You've already mentioned security of the collections on exhibit, which is the first thing that occurred to me as well. However, there would appear to be a number of other issues to consider:
1. Safety of café patrons: What if someone trips and falls down the steps after hours when the cafe is open but the museum isn't? Would café staff rove the area on safety patrol? Also, would it be possible for someone to access the building to ostensibly dine in the café but then go downstairs and hide, either to:
- Attack/rob someone heading to the bathrooms
- Vandalize or steal collections
2. Liability of the museum: If someone gets hurt after hours, the museum likely would be held liable.
3. Unintentional damage to building and/or collections: A child dining with his/her parents in the café goes to the bathroom then sees that s/he can wander into the galleries too. This would open a host of liability issues – and most importantly we don’t want a child to get hurt on our watch.
4. Might a café patron decide to go downstairs for a smoke?
5. A thief might decide to pose as a café patron in order to case the building.
These are just a few potential issues. Although I haven’t been to your institution, it seems to me that the only way to have the café open after hours is to somehow close off the rest of the building, while still having restrooms available for the public. A feasibility study that includes an architect, physical security specialist, safety professional, and the local fire marshal is a must. Someone with extensive museum foodservice experience could provide analyze the café’s profit potential. The study should look at the proposal from all of these perspectives (and probably others too) and develop several alternatives. Finally, and most importantly, the study should examine:
A) Potential Costs: Liability for an injured patron; damage to the collection, exhibits, and/or building; needed building improvements (for enhanced security); hiring extra security staff to be stationed downstairs and on the second floor after hours when the café is open; and any other issues.
Should be weighed against:
B) Potential Benefits: Projected profits (after all supplies, utilities, labor, maintenance, management, and other operating costs are deducted) generated by the café’s extended hours.
I hope this helps.
Steve
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Steven Floray
Staff Curator
U.S. Department of the Interior Museum Program
Washington DC
Original Message:
Sent: 12-15-2015 10:38 AM
From: Valerie Seiber
Subject: After hours cafe
Hello all,
The history museum where I work is looking at operating the cafe after the museum and the rest of the building closes. Because of the way our cafe and lobby are designed, there is no access to the bathroom inside the foot print of the cafe. This means that cafe guests will have to take an elevator to the lower level bathroom after 5 PM. I have serious concerns about the security of the museum's exhibits. There is no good way to block off access to the gallery on the second floor, though the elevator will be locked off, guests could still use the main staircase. I would be interested to know what others have experienced in this situation. Could this new policy prohibit us from borrowing items in the future or endanger our AAM accreditation? Should we notify our current lenders?
Thanks for your input!
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Valerie Seiber
Collections Manager
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