Running a coffee shop demands a fast pace, as owners must balance crafting quality beverages with providing excellent customer service. Evolving coffee trends and varying preferences across generations, it can be challenging to keep up. This is whether you’re sourcing ethically produced beans or considering investing in a nitro machine to meet the growing demand for cold brews and nitro coffee. Research shows that while these beverages were almost nonexistent in 2015. Today, 1 in 5 Americans under 40 enjoy them weekly. These shifts in consumer preferences can introduce new operational risks, making it essential to understand how to protect yourself, your staff, and your business from common liability claims for coffee shop owners.
The Most Common Liability Claims for Coffee Shop Owners
A liability claim occurs when a customer is harmed physically or otherwise due to the fault of your coffee shop. What happens if a customer accidentally spills their fresh beverage and someone else slips on it before you get a chance to clean it up? Ouch! It sounds like she may have twisted her ankle.
- Slips, Trips and Falls – This is one of the most common injuries that occurs in a coffee shop. Remember that slip from earlier?
- Falling Objects – The new merchandise you ordered has arrived! You think you carefully stack all those new coffee cups and beans nicely for your customers. Crash! The display falls over on top of one of your customers.
- Employment Practices – If you have employees, this exposure is ever present. Should a current or former employee accuse you of wrongful termination, discrimination, or workplace harassment and retaliation, it can prove to be very costly.
Business Insurance is Your Friend
If the scenarios we mentioned above made you more than a little concerned about all your potential losses, don’t fret. Everything we listed above was simply meant to outline the most common claims we see in the coffee industry so that you can do your best to prepare yourself for them.
To learn more about the risks of running a coffee shop, check out the Gild Team’s article “Sip With Confidence: Navigating The World Of Coffee Shop Insurance“.
Remember, if you need help preparing yourself, your friends at Gild Insurance are never more than a click away. We combine the latest technology with experience to provide business insurance options that fit your business. We help coffee shop owners like you find the insurance coverages they need!
Sources
“NCA Releases Atlas of American Coffee.” NCA We Serve Coffee. Accessed 19 Nov 2023. https://www.ncausa.org/newsroom/nca-releases-atlas-of-american-coffee
