How Bars and Taverns Go About Getting Liquor Insurance

In designing an appropriate policy for liquor insurance, an insurance agent will need to know answers to specific questions in order to put together a good risk management plan. One of the first thing the agent needs to know is what is the total value of the establishment including the building, the property on which it sits, the fixtures within it and all inventory. The cost of replacing all of these assets must be determined.

Another question will be about how much of the bar’s sales will alcohol account for. In cases where that amount is over 50 percent, it is usually considered the bar will be at greater risk, and tavern insurance premiums will be higher.

What kind of games will patrons be able to play at the bar? This could include anything from darts and billiards to rock climbing and trampolines in more elaborate facilities. Bar owners will save money on liquor insurance if their facility keeps potentially injurious games to a minimum.

An insurance agent will also follow the dram shop liability laws in the state in which the bar exists. These laws dictate what the owner of the bar’s liability will be if someone (a third party) is injured by a customer who is intoxicated. It’s a good idea to consult an agency that’s experienced in tavern insurance or an attorney who specializes in dram shop liability.

If there will be one or more vehicles that bar employees use and that are dedicated just to commercial use, keep in mind that the vehicles are not covered by personal automobile insurance policies. Talk with your agent about the best way to insure them.

Your agent will also assess your bar’s risk of damage by natural disasters in the area you operate in. Naturally, liquor insurance policies will be higher in an area prone to hurricanes than one in which no natural disasters have ever occurred.

Another consideration in tavern insurance is will the bar serve food. There are many ways a bar owner can be liable when patrons eat food on the premises including cases of choking or poisoning from old or rotten food.

As you can see, there are many aspects to putting together an adequate tavern insurance policy. Each establishment is unique, and experienced insurance agents have a long list of questions they need to know the answers to before they can write your policy. The goal of every reputable agency is to protect their client against all manner of liability issues that could crop up at any point that the bar is in business.