# Bar, Pub & Nightclub Insurance | Melbourne > Insurance for bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs and breweries from a Melbourne broker. Liquor liability, property, glass, money and business interruption. Source: https://wjinsurance.com.au/bar-pub-insurance/ (en-AU) **Bar and pub insurance built around licensed, late-night trade.** Get a tailored review for your bar, pub, nightclub or brewery from a Melbourne broker who understands liquor liability, late trading, crowd management and what underwriters ask of licensed venues. Clear advice in English, Mandarin or Cantonese. - **230+** insurers & underwriters on our panel - **3 languages** English, Mandarin & Cantonese - **Direct help** from quote through to claim ## Cover for the way a licensed venue actually works. Alcohol service, late hours, crowds, cash and entertainment make licensed venues one of the harder risks to place. Fewer insurers will quote, and the detail in the liability wording matters more than it does for most businesses. We start with how your venue trades before comparing products. ### Public & product liability Public liability is for third-party injury and property damage on or arising from your premises, such as a patron falling on a stairway. Product liability is designed for claims arising from the food and drink you serve. Landlords and licensing conditions commonly call for $20 million. ### Liquor liability Some public liability policies exclude or limit claims connected to the service of alcohol, such as a claim alleging that an intoxicated patron was served and later caused injury. For a venue whose main trade is alcohol, this wording is the first thing we review. ### Security & crowd control Venues with door staff or crowd controllers need to know how the policy treats assault and the actions of security, whether they are employees or contractors. Many wordings limit or exclude these claims, and insurers usually ask to see the security contractor's own insurance. ### Property, fit-out & stock Fit-out, bar equipment, furniture, audio and lighting, kegs, spirits and wine are insured at replacement value. Stock levels often rise before major events and holiday periods, so the sum insured should reflect your busiest weeks. ### Theft & money Licensed venues hold more cash and portable stock than most businesses. Theft and money cover usually sit in their own sections, each with a limit and security conditions that need to suit how the venue runs after close. ### Glass & signage Windows, glass doors, mirrors, back-bar displays and illuminated signs are insured under the glass section, with a limit matched to the replacement cost. ### Business interruption If a fire, flood or other insured event closes the venue, business interruption is designed to cover your loss of gross profit and ongoing fixed costs such as rent and wages while you rebuild. The indemnity period and the gross profit figure need to be set with care. ### Equipment breakdown Mechanical and electrical breakdown of coolrooms, beer systems, glycol chillers, glass washers and brewing plant is generally not part of standard property cover and needs to be added as its own section. #### Policy review Already insured? Send us your current schedule and we will benchmark it against a wider market, line by line. No review fee. **0478 978 888** [info@wjinsurance.com.au](mailto:info@wjinsurance.com.au) If you choose to place cover through us, we may earn commission from the insurer as set out in our [Financial Services Guide](https://wjinsurance.com.au/WJ%20Insurance%20-%20FSG.pdf). ## Where licensed venues get caught out. Patterns we see when reviewing existing bar and pub policies. Any of these familiar? ### What is usually fine (Standard) - $20M public liability for general slips, trips and property damage - Property and contents cover for fit-out and equipment - Glass cover up to a standard sub-limit - Fire and storm damage to stock at the premises - Tax audit cover, where added \*Subject to policy terms and conditions. ### Where venues fall short (Frequent gap) - Liability wording that excludes or limits alcohol-related claims - Assault and security contractor exclusions the owner did not know about - Trading hours, capacity or entertainment that differ from what the insurer was told - Live music, DJs, dance floors or private functions not disclosed - Stock sum insured set at quiet-season levels - Money limit below the cash held after a busy weekend - Business interruption indemnity period of only 6 months - Beer system, coolroom and brewing plant breakdown not added ## Across the spectrum of licensed venues. - **Bars**: wine bars, cocktail bars, small bars and rooftop bars. - **Pubs, hotels and taverns**: neighbourhood pubs, gastropubs and hotels with a bistro, gaming room or accommodation. - **Nightclubs and late-night venues**: clubs, karaoke venues and bars trading under a late licence. - **Breweries and distilleries**: craft breweries, taprooms, brewpubs and distilleries, including production plant and stock in process. - **Live music and entertainment venues**: band rooms, comedy venues and venues hosting regular ticketed events. - **Clubs**: sporting, social and community clubs with a licensed bar. - **Function venues**: licensed function rooms and event spaces. See our [hospitality insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/hospitality-insurance/) page for more. - **Attached bottle shops**: drive-through and takeaway outlets connected to a pub or hotel. See [liquor store insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/liquor-store-insurance/). #### Bilingual service We work with many Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking venue owners across Melbourne. Communication is in your strongest language, every time. 沟通、报价、理赔都使用您熟悉的语言。 ## Bar and pub insurance, in plain language. ### What insurance does a bar or pub need? A bar or pub will commonly consider public and product liability with suitable liquor liability wording, property and contents, stock, glass, theft, money, equipment breakdown and business interruption cover. Workers compensation is arranged separately and is compulsory for most Victorian employers. Cover remains subject to underwriting and the policy terms selected. ### What is liquor liability insurance? Liquor liability refers to cover for claims arising from the sale or service of alcohol, for example an allegation that a patron was served while intoxicated and later injured themselves or someone else. Some public liability policies exclude or limit these claims. For a licensed venue, the cover is arranged either by extension or under a specialist hospitality wording. ### How much does bar or pub insurance cost? Premiums depend on your turnover, the split between food and alcohol sales, trading hours, capacity, entertainment, security arrangements, claims history and the limits you select. Venues that trade late, run a dance floor or host live entertainment are generally rated higher than those that close earlier. Pricing is set by the insurer and confirmed at quotation. ### Are assaults and the actions of security staff covered? It depends on the wording. Many policies limit or exclude claims arising from assault, and the actions of contracted crowd controllers are often treated differently from those of your own employees. We review this part of the policy closely and ask your security contractor for evidence of their own liability insurance. ### Does the policy cover live music, DJs and private functions? Only if the insurer knows about them. Entertainment, dance floors, ticketed events and private functions change how a venue is rated, so they should be declared when the policy is arranged and whenever your offering changes. ### Can you insure a brewery, taproom or distillery? Yes. Alongside the venue covers, a producer needs to consider brewing or distilling plant, stock in process and finished stock, contamination and spoilage, and goods in transit to venues and retailers. If you also sell packaged product to the public, see our [liquor store insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/liquor-store-insurance/) page. ## Related services. - [Restaurant Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/restaurant-insurance/): Kitchen fire, liability, liquor liability, stock, glass and business interruption for restaurants and takeaway shops. - [Liquor Store Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/liquor-store-insurance/): Stock, theft, glass, liability, delivery and business interruption for bottle shops and liquor retailers. - [Hospitality Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/hospitality-insurance/): Cover for function venues, food retail, caterers, food trucks, hotels and other hospitality businesses. ## Take a proper look at your venue's cover. Send us your current schedule of insurance and a real broker will benchmark it against a wider market, line by line, with no review fee and no obligation. If you are opening another venue or expanding beyond Victoria, we can arrange cover there too. If you choose to place cover through us, we may earn commission from the insurer as set out in our [Financial Services Guide](https://wjinsurance.com.au/WJ%20Insurance%20-%20FSG.pdf). ## Contact WJ Insurance Phone 0478 978 888 (+61 478 978 888), email info@wjinsurance.com.au. Suite 46, 949 Burke Road, Camberwell VIC 3124, Australia. Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm Melbourne time. Service in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. ## Important information WJ Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 35 694 806 632) is a Corporate Authorised Representative (AR No. 001319710) of [NeedCover Group Pty Ltd](https://needcovergroup.com.au/) (ABN 28 005 729 831, AFSL 239911), which is responsible for any financial services provided through, or referred to on, this website. Any information on this website is of a general nature only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs, and obtain and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before deciding whether to acquire, vary or dispose of a financial product.