The Situation
Riverbend Barber sits in a small retail strip in Byron, a neighbourhood in the south end of London, Ontario. The shop itself had never been broken into. But the businesses around it had. Two restaurants and a gym in the same strip had been targeted multiple times, and the pattern was clear enough that the owner decided not to wait for his turn.
The location is less visible from the main road, which makes it a softer target after hours. The owner wanted a physical barrier across the storefront that would actually stop someone from getting in, not just an alarm that would tell him about it afterward.
Motorized Operation With Manual Override
Each shutter has its own motor and operates independently. In this clip, the door shutter goes up first, followed by the window shutter a few seconds later. During business hours, both retract fully and the storefront looks the way it always did. At closing time, the owner brings them down and the building is secured.
Both units include a manual override accessible from inside the shop. If the power goes out, the owner can still crank the shutters open and get on with the day.
Riverbend Barber storefront. Motorized security shutters opening on the door and window in sequence
What Sunrise Installed
Sunrise reviewed the storefront and installed motorized roll shutters on both openings: the front window and the entrance door, including the transom window above it.
The window opening is roughly seven feet wide by five feet tall. The door opening is a standard 36-inch door with a transom, totalling about 8½ feet in height. Both shutters use foam-filled aluminum slats in solid black, matching the shop's signage and exterior trim. Each opening has its own motor, and both include a manual override on the inside so the owner can still open up if the power goes out.
One challenge on this project was the barbershop sign mounted directly above the openings. It couldn't be moved, so Sunrise had to integrate the shutter boxes and guide rails around it without covering the signage or making the installation look like an afterthought. The result is clean — the shutters sit below the sign, and when they're retracted during business hours, you wouldn't know they were there.
Why a Physical Barrier Makes the Difference
Cameras record what happens. Alarms tell you about it after the fact. Neither one stops someone from putting a brick through your glass. A roll shutter is a physical barrier between the street and your storefront. When it's down, there's nothing to smash and no easy way in. That changes the calculation for anyone looking for a quick target.
For small businesses in retail strips, side streets, or less visible commercial areas, a security shutter is one of the most practical steps an owner can take. It protects the glass, the inventory, and the interior from both break-ins and vandalism. And because it rolls up and disappears during business hours, it doesn't change how the storefront looks or feels to customers walking in.
Project Details
Location: Byron, London, Ontario
Business type: Barbershop in a small retail strip
Number of openings: 2 (one window, one door with transom)
Window opening: Approximately 7 ft wide × 5 ft tall
Door opening: 36-inch door with transom, approximately 8½ ft total height
Slat type: Foam-filled aluminum (RF40)
Colour: Solid black
Operator: Motorized (one motor per opening) with interior manual override
Notable: Shutter boxes and guide rails integrated around existing storefront signage
Want to Secure Your Storefront?
If your business is in a retail strip, a plaza, or a less visible location, you don't have to wait for a break-in to happen before doing something about it. Start with a few photos of your storefront, the rough measurements, and a short description of the situation. Sunrise reviews every opening before recommending a system direction.