Restaurant Insurance in Connecticut
The policies a Connecticut restaurant, bar, food truck, or catering operation needs — what the state requires, what's strongly advised, and what it costs.
Reviewed by J. Robert Smith, Licensed Insurance Agent (NPN 10378680). Last updated .
In Connecticut, a restaurant's core program is general liability, a property or business-owner's policy (BOP), and commercial auto for any delivery. Workers' compensation is mandatory once you hire staff, and dram-shop law exposes any alcohol-serving business, so liquor liability is strongly advised. This hub compares Connecticut's workers' comp and liquor-liability rules and cost alongside the coverages every restaurant and bar should carry.
- Workers’ comp
- Required once you hire staff
- Liquor liability
- Dram-shop law applies — strongly advised
- Dram-shop law
- Yes
- Suggested liquor limits
- $500K–$1M+ per occurrence (statutory cap is $250K/person); $1M/$2M advisable
Workers’ compensation in Connecticut
Yes. Connecticut mandates workers' compensation for any restaurant with even one employee, including a single part-time worker, under the Workers' Compensation Act. Owners, partners, and single-member-LLC members are excluded but may opt in. Knowingly operating uninsured is a class D felony, plus civil penalties of $500 per employee and $100 for each additional day.
Full Connecticut workers’ comp guide — thresholds, exemptions, and rates →
Liquor liability & dram-shop law in Connecticut
Connecticut’s Dram Shop Act (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-102) makes a seller liable when it sells alcohol to an intoxicated person who then injures someone. Recovery is capped at $250,000 per injured person (and $250,000 aggregate), and the injured party must serve written notice of intent to sue within 120 days.
Full Connecticut liquor-liability guide — the statute, limits, and cost →
Coverages every Connecticut restaurant should weigh
- General liability
Third-party slip-and-fall and property-damage claims — the foundation policy.
- Business owner’s policy (BOP)
Bundles general liability with property coverage for your building, equipment, and contents.
- Commercial property
Kitchen equipment, tenant improvements, signage, and inventory.
- Commercial & hired/non-owned auto
Delivery, catering runs, and errands in owned or employee vehicles.
- Employment practices (EPLI)
Harassment, discrimination, and wrongful-termination claims from staff.
- Umbrella
Extra limits above your liquor, auto, and general liability policies.
Connecticut regulators
Talk to an agent who insures food & beverage every day
A licensed commercial-lines agent who specializes in restaurants and bars will review your coverage, close the gaps that catch owners, and show you what a program actually costs — before anything is bound.