Sports fans love to visit their local restaurants and bars to cheer for their favorite football, baseball, basketball, or soccer teams, or watch special events such as pay-per-view boxing or mixed martial art fights. While bar and restaurant owners enjoy the uptick in food and drink sales, these larger and sometimes rowdy crowds can pose a risk for owners.

In today's Aegis blog post, we'll discuss some ways your restaurant or sports bar can be safer for patrons and employees during pay-per-view sporting events, playoff games, and big sports weekends.

Have Security Guards or Off-Duty Police On-Site

One of the most significant ways your bar or restaurant can boost safety is by hiring security guards or off-duty police officers to patrol the property and handle rowdy patrons during busy events. If your business is expecting a crowd and you serve alcohol, it's important to have trained security there to break up any possible skirmishes or escort out any intoxicated patrons.

This proactive step can keep both customers and employees safer, and it can reduce the likelihood for injuries, accidents, property damage, or other liability issues that could put your business in a negative light. In addition, the presence of security guards or off-duty police can make customers feel safer during sporting events and make them more likely to return to upcoming events.

Install Interior and Exterior Video Cameras

At major sporting events like playoff games or pay-per-view fights, crowds may get agitated or hostile, especially when alcohol is involved. Your business can improve security by having interior and exterior cameras installed in your restaurant or bar to capture all activity among patrons and employees.

Cameras help deter people who might be tempted to steal property from the restaurant or other customers, or can be used to help identify people involved in any type of altercation inside or outside the property. A good camera system will catch an act of theft, vandalism, assault, or harassment that might otherwise go unnoticed during a busy sports night.

Improve Employee Training to Avoid Overserving Alcohol

A key priority for any bar or restaurant that sells alcohol is to make sure all bartenders and waitstaff are properly trained in how to avoid overserving beer, wine, cocktails, or mixed drinks to patrons. Not only can an inebriated customer pose a danger to themselves and others, but your restaurant or bar could be held liable if it's determined your staff staff overserved intoxicated customers who later cause damages or injuries.

Your waitstaff and bartenders should know the proper amounts of alcohol to use for making mixed drinks and cocktails, and should know the warning signs for intoxicated customers and how to handle them safely.

Offer Ride-Sharing Discounts or Specials

Finally, ride-sharing companies have grown in popularity in recent years, especially for people who have too much to drink and can't safely drive home. Your restaurant or bar can partner with ride-sharing providers or taxi companies to offer free or discounted rides to encourage more people to get home safely and not drive drunk.

These discounts or free ride offers help keep customers safer by preventing potential drunk driving incidents, and may also boost your company's reputation within the local community. Employees will be safer since intoxicated or aggressive customers can quickly get a ride and leave their property without issue.

Improve Your Restaurant and Bar Safety with Aegis

Aegis Insurance & Financial Services is a leading provider of top-quality Commercial Insurance policies tailored to the restaurant and bar industry, including General Liability coverage, Commercial Property Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance, Liquor Liability Insurance, and more. Our team of Commercial Insurance agents can create a customized insurance portfolio that meets your specific business needs and goals while offering reliable coverage at competitive rates.

Contact Aegis today at 713-850-7622 for more information about our full range of insurance policies for your bar or restaurant, or fill out our online form to request a free quote.