As the holidays approach, restaurants and bars may find themselves busier as people celebrate with friends and family, and with companies hosting end of year celebrations. Many of these festive gatherings often involve alcohol, so the liability risk for bars and restaurants may increase during the season. To help keep customers safer while also lowering liability risks, today's Aegis blog post offers a few helpful hints for restaurants and bars this holiday season.

Avoid Over-serving Alcohol

One of the biggest risks for any restaurant or bar that serves alcohol is the possibility of over-serving alcohol to a customer, or serving a customer who is clearly intoxicated upon arrival. An inebriated customer could easily injure themselves or others, whether inside the establishment or somewhere else. While having Liquor Liability Coverage can help businesses with these liability risks, it is much better to prevent these issues before they even happen with thorough employee training to avoid over-serving issues.

Increase Security Presence

Another way to help improve safety for bar and restaurant customers this holiday season is through an increased security presence. This might mean hiring extra security guards or off-duty police officers to patrol the inside and outside of the premises, as well as helping deal with any potential aggressive or volatile situations with belligerent or inebriated customers. Female customers may also appreciate the additional security presence when walking alone to their vehicles or nearby parking garages to avoid any dangerous encounters.

Offer Ride-Sharing or Taxi Promotions

Finally, bars and restaurants can also help customers by offering or promoting ride-sharing or taxi services to and from their establishment. This can significantly reduce the possibility of people driving home tipsy or intoxicated, which keeps them, their passengers, and other drivers safe this holiday season. Customers will appreciate having a safer option to get home if they've had too much to drink, and will likely be repeat customers because of the care and concern shown for their safety.

If your restaurant or bar is looking for more ways to improve safety this holiday season, consider one of these options above, and also contact Aegis Insurance & Financial Services to discuss your commercial insurance options. Our team of Commercial Insurance experts can help you identify potential safety risks and can suggest insurance solutions that help mitigate those risks to keep your company safe and protected, along with your customers. Contact our office at 713-850-7622 or fill out our online form to request a free quote!