As a restaurant owner, you have your work cut out for you. From payroll and menu management to property maintenance and health code compliance, the last thing you need is something else to worry about. Unfortunately, there are extensive risks involved with restaurant and tavern ownership, and having the right insurance is of utmost importance. Don’t expose your restaurant to major losses when the team here at Burstad Insurance can help you find comprehensive restaurant and tavern insurance individually tailored to fit your needs.
We understand the challenges of the industry and have a history of serving restaurant and bar owners throughout Central and Western Wisconsin. Our goal is to minimize your restaurant’s loss vulnerability by developing custom insurance solutions to mitigate your risks. Call us to discuss coverage options for your:
- Casual table-service restaurant
- Fast-casual restaurant
- Upscale restaurant
- Take-out restaurant
- Catering business
- Food truck
- Sub shop
- Diner
- Pizzeria
- Deli
- Café
- Coffee shop
- Tavern
- Bar
- Pub
- Or other food and beverage service
Restaurant and Tavern Risks and Coverage
It is a litigious world we work in, and restaurants are often the target of employee, customer, and third-party lawsuits. Could your business afford the cost of legal representation? Could you continue operations if you were found liable for a six or seven-figure judgment? Of course, there are many more risks associated with restaurant ownership, too. You could lose your entire building to a fire or lose the use of your kitchen due to an equipment failure. With the right insurance protection, you can prepare yourself for a broad range of losses and better ensure the continuity of your business.
At Burstad Insurance, we get to know your restaurant or tavern business and the unique risks you face on a daily basis. Our team of independent agents knows how to find affordable commercial insurance solutions that minimize coverage gaps and reduce your vulnerability to loss. Every restaurant is unique, and the types of coverage a microbrewery might need will be very different from the food truck parked outside it. However, there are coverage types that are common to the food and beverage service industry. Examples include:
General Liability Insurance (GL)
This important coverage helps safeguard your restaurant against the general risks of business ownership. Whether someone trips on a pothole in your parking lot or your waitstaff spills a pitcher of water on a customer’s brand new smartphone, general liability insurance can help cover medical expenses and protect you against third-party claims of negligence and liability for various types of injuries and property damages. In addition, GL can cover your legal defense fees and the judgments brought against you if you are sued for damages.
Workers Compensation Insurance
Workers compensation insurance is a must for all Wisconsin employers, including restaurant and tavern owners. You are responsible for the safety of your work environment. Workers compensation provides financial benefits for lost wages and medical bills when a worker is injured on the job, regardless of fault.
Food Contamination Liability
If you serve contaminated food in your restaurant, you could be sued for negligence if a customer falls ill. Food contamination liability helps protect you against losses due to food-borne illness as a result of unsafe food.
Liquor Liability
There are serious risks involved with the serving of alcohol on your premises. Whether you run a full-time bar and pub or serve beer and wine as a part of a broader menu, protect yourself against the dangers and liabilities associated with over-serving guests or hosting intoxicated guests on your property.
Property Insurance
Protect the building and other physical assets you own with property insurance. Coverage generally pays for damages and loss caused by certain types of events, such as fire, vandalism, high winds, lightning, and more. It can pay to rebuild or repair your owned building, as well as your signs, computer systems, tables, chairs, equipment, and more.
Food Spoilage
Food is perhaps the most precious inventory in your restaurant. Without it, you cannot serve your customers. Food spoilage insurance helps cover your losses if you are forced to dispose of your food inventory due to certain uncontrollable circumstances, such as a loss of power.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Caterers, food trucks, and delivery services rely heavily on transportation to conduct business. If you operate one or more vehicles as a part of your restaurant business, talk to an agent about purchasing commercial auto insurance to add physical damages coverage for your vehicles and to also cover your business against third-party injuries and property damages.
Equipment Breakdown
When a power surge destroys your brand new commercial kitchen equipment, this coverage helps you recover your losses. From your dishwashers and freezers to your computers and ranges, don’t let business grind to a halt because of an equipment mishap.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
Many restaurants benefit from supplemental liability protection that provides secondary coverage when the liability limits on a primary policy are exhausted. These policies typically provide millions of dollars in additional liability protection, which can prove beneficial in the event of a major lawsuit involving multiple injured parties or even a fatality. It could mean the difference between the continuation of your business and a potential bankruptcy.
Restaurant and Tavern Insurance in Central and Western Wisconsin
If you are a restaurant or bar owner in the Central or Western Wisconsin regions, the team here at Burstad Insurance can help you find coverage to protect your business and financial interests. For more information or to request your quotes, contact our office today.
