The Hartford doesn’t offer bar insurance online, but a local agency or Tivly may be able to help you find the coverage you need. The following content includes information from various sources and can change over time.

Bar Insurance

business protected by bar insurance

Preserve the Good Times With Bar Insurance

We know running a bar is fun and rewarding, but it’s also hard work and comes with a lot of risks. That’s why we connect you with Tivly, so you can get the insurance coverage you need to protect your livelihood.
 
business protected by bar insurance

What Is Bar Insurance?

Bar insurance is another name for small business insurance. It’s a package made up of different types of business insurance coverages to help protect you from the risks you face in the restaurant and service industry. These risks can include a patron slipping on a wet floor or a broken refrigeration unit that spoils your inventory. Common types of coverage that can be part of a bar insurance package include:
 
  • Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
  • Workers’ compensation insurance
  • Liquor liability insurance
  • Cyber insurance
Although The Hartford doesn’t offer insurance for bars, Tivly can help you get the coverage you’re looking for.
 

Why Might You Need Bar Insurance?

Bar insurance can help protect your business from many risks that could come up during normal operations, like:
 
  • Property damage: A grease fire damages your kitchen and shuts you down for a week.
  • Theft: Someone breaks in and steals your sound system.
  • Employee injury: A bartender strains their back while unloading inventory.

Bar Insurance Policy Coverages

When it comes to protecting your bar, you’ll want to ensure you have coverage that matches your potential risks. Many bar owners have a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) for the peace of mind it can provide. It combines three types of coverage to help protect your bar from everyday risks:
 
General liability insurance helps protect your bar from claims that it caused bodily injury or property damage to others. For example, if a patron trips on a bar stool and gets hurt, this insurance can help cover the associated costs.
 
Commercial property insurance helps protect the owned or rented building you operate from, as well as the inventory and equipment that you rely on. These can include:
 
  • Bar stools
  • Beer, wine and liquor
  • Sodas
  • Shakers and strainers
  • Glasses
  • Computers
Business income insurance helps replace lost wages if you can’t operate because of covered property damage caused by fire, wind or theft.
 
It’s important to remember that a BOP won’t cover every kind of claim your bar faces. You’ll need to get other types of insurance to give your bar comprehensive protection, such as:
 
Workers’ compensation insurance to help support your bartenders and other employees if they get a work-related injury or illness. It can help pay their medical bills or replace their lost wages if they can’t work.
 
Commercial auto insurance to help cover property damage and bodily injury claims from an accident that your business causes while driving a company-owned vehicle for work.
Make Every Hour Happy Hour
Find protection for the good days, the long days and everything in between. Tivly can help you get the coverage you need.

How Much Does Bar Insurance Cost? 

The cost of insurance for a bar varies because every business has unique risks. Insurance companies may consider several factors when determining your coverage cost, including:
 
  • Number of employees
  • Location of your business
  • Type of coverage
  • Your claims history
  • The limits you select for your coverage
Although The Hartford doesn’t offer coverage for bar owners, here are the average costs our small business customers pay for common types of insurance. You can use this to help estimate your coverage costs:**
 
  • BOP: $1,687 a year, or about $141 a month
  • Stand-alone general liability insurance: $810 a year, or about $68 a month
  • Workers’ compensation insurance: $1,032 a year, or $86 a month
  • Professional liability insurance: $744 a year, or $62 a month1
The Hartford knows how important insurance coverage is for small business owners. That’s why we connect you with Tivly, so you can get a quote for coverage.

Covering Your Operations

Imagine your point-of-sale (POS) system crashes mid-shift during the Friday night rush, or the kitchen floods from a broken pipe. Maybe a customer claims their friend was overserved, leading to legal action. As the owner of a bar, insurance coverage can help protect you from these kinds of risks and many others. 
Non-fatal injuries from falls caused 35% of emergency room visits in 2023.2
general liability for bars

General Liability Insurance

“Someone spilled a drink, and a patron slipped and hit their head on a bar stool.”
 
General liability helps cover claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else.
liquor liability insurance for bars

Liquor Liability Insurance

“After a customer was in a car accident, his family claimed it was because we overserved him.”
 
Liquor liability insurance helps protect businesses that sell, serve or distribute alcohol. This type of insurance can help cover bodily injury or property damage caused by an intoxicated customer after your business serves them alcohol.

Taking Care of Your Team

Your employees work hard and fast in a high-pressure environment. Having the right type of insurance can help give your employees peace of mind, so they can focus on your customers.
$665 million was awarded in workplace discrimination lawsuits in 2023.3
workers compensation for bars

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

“One of my bartenders developed a wrist injury, and she had to take weeks off for physical therapy.”
 
Workers’ compensation insurance gives your team benefits to help them recover from work-related injuries or illnesses. It can help pay their medical bills and replace lost wages.
commercial auto liability insurance for bars

Commercial Auto Insurance

“My restaurant manager was using our company truck to pick up supplies when he accidentally backed into a building.”
 
Commercial auto insurance can help protect your employees on the road when using company-owned vehicles for work.

Protecting Your Property

Your bar is packed with valuable tools and equipment, from commercial fridges and taps to lighting rigs and audio gear. The right type of insurance can help protect your essentials, whether it’s the bottles in the back or the booths by the window.
Accidental discharge from HVAC systems, plumbing and appliances caused 75% of commercial water damage claims.4
commercial property insurance for bars

Commercial Property Insurance

“Our HVAC system leaked, damaging our ceiling and furniture.”
 
Commercial property insurance helps protect your business's equipment, furniture and inventory from loss or damage caused by events like storms, fires or vandalism.
business income insurance for bars

Business Income Insurance

“A fire broke out in our bar, destroying our equipment and inventory. We had to close while we waited for repairs to finish and new equipment to arrive.”
 
Business income insurance helps replace lost income if you can’t operate temporarily because of covered property damage.

Bar Insurance Made for Businesses Like Yours

With more than 200 years of insurance experience, The Hartford understands the unique industry risks bar owners face. Tivly can help small businesses like yours get the coverage you need.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bar Business Insurance

Running a bar comes with unique risks, so without the right insurance, a single incident could impact your finances. For example, if a patron slips on the ice in your parking lot and gets injured, you could be liable for their medical bills and legal fees. If a fight breaks out and someone gets hurt or property gets damaged, your bar could be sued for negligence. Serving alcohol also increases your liability risk. For example, if a customer gets overserved and causes an accident after leaving, you could be held partially responsible under dram shop laws. Bars also face risks like fire damage to the building, theft of cash or inventory, or equipment failure that spoils perishable stock. Without coverage, you’d be paying for these losses out of pocket.
Bar insurance is made up of different coverages designed to help protect you from a range of risks, including injuries, property damage, equipment loss and business interruptions. For example, if a power outage ruins your entire weekend food supply, business income insurance can help make up for the lost revenue, so you can get back on track sooner. Every bar owner faces unique risks, so it’s important to create an insurance plan that addresses your specific needs.
The Hartford understands how important insurance is to small business owners. That’s why we connect you with Tivly, so you can get a quote. They make it easy for you to get a fast and free insurance quote online.
business protected by insurance for bars

Get a Quote for Bar Insurance Options

Stay open, stay confident and stay covered. Tivly can help you get the coverage you need.
 
 
 
Last Updated: November 7, 2025
 
1 What you pay for professional liability insurance will vary by product, limits chosen and risk class or hazard group associated with your business.
 
2 National Safety Council, “Top 10 Preventable Injuries”
 
3 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “2023 Annual Performance Report”
 
4 Risk & Insurance, “Water Damage Is a Leading Cause of Commercial Real Estate Claims. How Sensor Technologies Help Mitigate These Claims”
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
The Hartford does not currently have a product available to provide the coverage described on this page. You are being referred to Tivly in an effort to connect you with a carrier who may provide this coverage. This link will redirect you to a third-party website, owned and operated by an independent party ("Tivly"). Any link you make to or from the Tivly website will be at your own risk. Any use of the Tivly website will be subject to and any information you provide will be governed by the terms of the Tivly website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy and security. The Hartford and its affiliates (collectively "The Hartford") do not endorse or approve and make no warranties, representations or undertakings relating to the content of the Tivly website. The Hartford assumes no liability for loss, damage and any other consequence resulting directly or indirectly from your access to the Tivly website or any information that you may provide on the Tivly website.
 
Additional disclosures below.
The Hartford shall not be liable for any damages in connection with the use of any information provided on this page. Please consult with your insurance agent/broker or insurance company to determine specific coverage needs as this information is intended to be educational in nature.
 
The information contained on this page should not be construed as specific legal, HR, financial, or insurance advice and is not a guarantee of coverage. In the event of a loss or claim, coverage determinations will be subject to the policy language, and any potential claim payment will be determined following a claim investigation.
 
Certain coverages vary by state and may not be available to all businesses. All Hartford coverages and services described on this page may be offered by one or more of the property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. listed in the Legal Notice.
 
The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, CT. For additional details, please read The Hartford’s Legal Notice.
 
* Customer reviews are collected and tabulated by The Hartford and not representative of all customers.