Cheese shops specialize in a wide variety of gourmet cheeses including kosher cheese, blue cheese, soft and hard cheeses, goat cheese, firm cheese, organic cheese, gorgonzola, brie, gouda, parmesan, and more. Many cheese shops also provide other snacks and treats such as sandwiches, crackers, fruit, nuts, bread, soup, salad, oils, wine, and gift baskets. Cutting boards, cheese slicers or graters, or wine bottle openers are among the many accessories a cheese shop often sells. After building a successful business, you should protect it from the risks you are exposed to. As a cheese shop owner, you may have to deal with employee risks such as cutting their hand on a cheese slicer or liabilities related to customers getting ill or injured while visiting your shop. Cheese shop insurance will ensure the protection of these and other business risks.
Types of Cheese Shop Insurance
There are more than just one insurance policy that can help your shop be protected from your exposed risks. Consider the following cheese shop insurance policies for your business:
Cheese Shop General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance is one of the most important business insurance policies to have as a cheese shop small business owner. Your shop is liable for damage, illness, or injury caused to the customers from products you sell or accidents in your store. It includes premises liability which covers claims resulting from a customer falling in your store, such as from a spill on the floor. Any illness caused to a customer from the products you sell them is covered under products liability. Finally, if you provide services such as catering to your customers, completed operations offers coverage from any damage resulting from the services you provided.
Cheese Shop Property Insurance
You also need to be aware of risks relating to your shop itself and the contents you sell. If there was equipment malfunction with an oven or stove, it could cause a kitchen fire that might destroy other equipment, cheese and other food items, and even the building structure. Property insurance protects against fire and other unexpected events like flood or natural disasters. It helps pay for any repairs or replacements that you need.
Cheese Shop Spoilage Insurance
Spoilage insurance is extremely important when you own a cheese shop. You run the risk of losing money if your cheese and other food or drink items spoilage, which may happen as a result of a refrigerators breaking down or power outage. If this was to occur, you would lose money and inventory. However spoilage insurance helps to replace the spoiled items to re-stock your cheese shop shelves without suffering financially.
Cheese Shop Commercial Auto Insurance
Business auto insurance is important if your cheese shop offers delivery services or needs to pick up supplies. These errands are considered business-related, therefore the vehicle used should be covered by business auto insurance. Business auto offers coverage for property damage or bodily injury as a result of a collision, and many include theft and vandalism in the same policy.
Cheese Shop Crime Insurance
Your cheese shop is at risk for a number of different crimes, including dishonest employee acts, vandalism of your shop and contents, and theft of cheese and other goods you sell. To protect your business from such risks, you should obtain a crime insurance policy. This will help cover the loss you experience from these crimes, such as the money lost after an employee has stolen from the cash register.
Cheese Shop Workers’ Compensation
Worker’s compensation is required by law in most states and is considered mandatory for your business. Worker’s compensation is insurance for your employees to offer them assistance if they incur a work-related injury. In a cheese shop, employees are at risk of harming themselves while using cheese slicers or knives, as well as burns from baking bread or other treats you might serve. However, with worker’s compensation insurance, you won’t be personally liable for the damages caused and the employee has help with medical costs.
You have worked hard to build your cheese shop business and deserve to have the proper protection. By obtaining the right kinds of cheese shop insurance, you can protect your business assets and focus on other areas of owning and operating your shop.