The Basic Insurance Requirements of a Restaurant
October 1st marks the start of Dine Out Lauderdale, a six-week celebration that gives patrons a chance to experience the amazing restaurants of Broward County. Not only is this a great for your palate, but also for your wallet, where specially crafted, multicourse menus are only $35 per person.
As the Pettineo Insurance Agency gears up for spicy mussels, Sirloin Steaks and onion-crusted yellow tail snapper, we cannot help but give tribute to the hard work behind opening these foodie havens. As insurance agents for a plethora of Fort Lauderdale restaurants, we work closely with food lovers alike, assisting them throughout the insurance process. From general liability, liquor liability, property insurance, workers compensation and automobile liability.
Starting a restaurant is much easier when you have a better understanding of what is required, and the one area you do not want to skimp on is insurance. There are myriad of unforeseen problems that can occur once the doors of your restaurant are open; from slip and falls, fires, liquor incidents, or a hurt employee.
The following includes the six basic insurance requirements for a restaurant.
General Liability: General liability is your best friend. It’s the superhero that will be there for almost anything business related. Perhaps someone slips and falls in your restaurant, gets sick from your food or is served a beverage that is too hot, a standard general liability policy will provide the necessary protection. General Liability is usually bundled with other types of insurance, categories include bodily injury, property damage, personal injury and advertising injury. If you do not have general liability insurance, the high costs of legal defense and settlement could be enough to put you out of business.
Liquor Liability: Liquor liability will protect you if a customer has too much to drink and hurts themselves or someone else. Most states, including Florida, require a liquor license if the restaurant will be serving alcoholic beverages. To learn how to get a liquor license visit: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/abt/
Property Insurance: You have a name, you have a menu, and you have a space for your hip, cozy and cool dining experience. Now it is time to protect it. With cooking comes appliances, and with appliances come all the unforeseen incidents such as fires, a pipe bursting or equipment breakdowns. Property Insurance will protect you should these incidents occur. Your property insurance may not cover natural disasters, such as hurricanes or floods, therefore we suggest contacting your insurance agent to get a better understanding of your policy. The Pettineo Insurance Agency, Inc. is happy to review your policy and answer any questions you may have.
Worker’s Compensation: Your employees are important assets to your thriving restaurant. As they provide great service, it is your job to provide great security. As your servers carry hot plates and chefs cook alongside a fire stove, worker’s compensation will protect you and them if an accident were to occur. Most states, including Florida does require workers comp. To learn more about workers compensation and the requirements visit http://pettineoinsurance.com/workers_compensation.html
Commercial Automobile Liability: If you have a company vehicle, business automobile liability may be a good insurance to have. In fact in certain states, this type of insurance is required. For Florida business owners, registering your commercial auto insurance requires the minimum amount of insurance coverage. This type of insurance will cover any damage to your vehicle or any causalities and injuries that occurred.
To learn more about commercial automobile insurance visit http://pettineoinsurance.com/commercial_auto_insurance.html
To learn more about insuring a restaurant and the basic requirement visit http://pettineoinsurance.com/business.html or contact The Pettineo Insurance Agency, Inc. at http://pettineoinsurance.com/contact_us.html
To learn more about Dine Out Lauderdale visit http://www.sunny.org/dineout/
— Pettineo Insurance Agency Inc. prides itself on the 30-year history we have with our clients. We provide auto, home, life, health, & business insurance in Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs & all of South Florida. We want to give them the best protection they need, with the best carrier suitable for them.