Dinner Theatre Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your dinner theater business is essential.
Dinner theater businesses need to be protected against things like claims of personal injury, contractual breaches, and copyright infringement.
For example, a performer claims that your theater violated terms of their contract, or a performance causes injury to performers and/or attendees.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Dinner Theatre
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for dinner theater businesses.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
There are several important insurance policies for dinner theater businesses in addition to general liability. Some of these include:
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Product liability insurance
- Commercial property insurance
- Commercial umbrella insurance
The places you are able to acquire coverage for your theater from are often divided into two general categories:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — Typically firms with long histories and a strong reputation, which commonly rely on physical stores and insurance agents to provide coverage to their customers.
- Online insurers — These firms are generally younger than their traditional counterparts. However, due to their almost entirely digital business structure, they are able to offer their services far more affordably.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, dinner theatres in America spend between $500 - $1,200 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a dinner theatre to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Dinner Theatre
Example 1: While entering your restroom, a diner slips on some wet tiling, breaks her tailbone in the resulting fall, and decides to sue your business. General liability insurance would cover your legal defense costs.
Example 2: A local business owner sues your company, claiming you slandered his company in your latest theater production. While you’re unsure what he considers slander, you know you need a lawyer. General liability insurance would pay for your legal defense costs.
Example 3: As an employee carries a large tray of drinks, he accidentally knocks a customer to the ground. The customer breaks a wrist in the fall and demands you pay for his medical treatment. General liability insurance would cover the injured customer’s medical care.
Other Types of Coverage Dinner Theatres Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Most states require businesses to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their part-time and full-time employees. This coverage protects your employees if they become injured at work or fall ill after a work-related accident. It not only covers an employee’s medical bills and lost wages if they need time to recover but also any disability or death benefits stemming from a work-related accident.
Product Liability Insurance
While you strive to provide quality meals for your customers, there’s always a chance someone might claim your product caused them harm. In the event of a lawsuit, product liability insurance would cover your legal fees and any required settlement.
Commercial Property Insurance
You made a major investment in your theater’s equipment, furnishings, and other supplies. In the event of a fire, theft, or natural disaster, commercial property insurance would cover the cost of repairing or replacing your business-related property. This includes structural damage to your building as well as the business materials you store there.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
While your general liability insurance policy covers most claims, some accidents or lawsuits may be so catastrophic that they threaten to exhaust the limits of your primary coverage. Commercial umbrella insurance protects you from paying out-of-pocket for any legal fees and awarded damages that exceed your primary policy.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your dinner theatre:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Dinner Theatre Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Yes. Your dinner theater business is likely to face a range of risks that threaten its financial assets. Without adequate business insurance before starting, it will be completely vulnerable to these threats.
Furthermore, neglecting insurance in some cases may lead to legal issues further down the line, as it is common for certain businesses to be legally required to carry specific types of insurance.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your dinner theatre insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.