Who asks a concession stand for what
| Who | What they usually want to see |
|---|---|
| Event venues & caterers' clients | General liability naming the venue, and liquor liability where you pour |
| Cities, counties & permits | General liability, auto and workers' compensation at the limits in the permit or contract |
| Leagues, sanctioning bodies & field owners | General liability with participant coverage naming the league or facility, abuse and molestation, and accident medical for participants |
Each of them wants a certificate, and most want it again at every renewal. A live certificate link from the wallet shows today's coverage to every holder and tells them when it changes.
How to check what you already have
- General liability declarations page. Three liability numbers matter: each occurrence, general aggregate and the products–completed operations aggregate. Then the forms list: blanket additional insured, waiver of subrogation and primary and non-contributory wording satisfy every contract; scheduled forms satisfy one.
- Products–completed operations. The aggregate, any vendors endorsement naming buyers as additional insureds, and exclusions for specific products or markets.
- Property section. Limits for building, business personal property and tenant improvements against replacement cost, the coinsurance percentage, the deductible, and whether flood and earthquake are excluded (they usually are).
- Workers' compensation information page. Item 3.A must list every state you work in, item 4 must carry the right class codes, and the employers' liability limits should meet what contracts ask. Check that the estimated payroll is close to this year's.
- Liquor liability declarations and forms. The limit, and the forms list checked for an assault-and-battery exclusion, which removes the most common claim.
- Equipment schedule. Owned items scheduled above the per-item threshold, a blanket limit for small tools, leased or rented equipment included, and the valuation (replacement cost or actual cash value).
- Business owner's policy declarations. Liability limits on the first page, then the property section: building (if you own), business personal property, business income and the named extras such as spoilage, equipment breakdown or employee dishonesty. Confirm the property values are current.
- Special events coverage. Whether the annual policy already covers your events or each needs a separate policy, and the additional-insured wording venues ask for.
- Employment practices declarations. Limit and retention, third-party coverage for claims by customers, and whether wage-and-hour claims carry any defence sublimit.
- Directors and officers declarations. Entity coverage, employment practices if packaged, the retention, and the exclusions for prior and pending matters.
- Participant accident. The medical limit per injury, the deductible, whether it pays primary or excess of the family's health plan, and the activities covered.
What usually goes wrong for concession stands
- A concession agreement that makes the operator responsible for the whole concourse.
- Fryers and propane in a structure the operator does not own.
- A hood-cleaning or suppression-service condition in the property policy with no record it was met.
- Employees delivering in their own cars with no hired and non-owned auto.
- Every venue wanting its own certificate with different wording, on a deadline.
- Damage to the exact thing you are working on is excluded on most general liability forms; installation floaters and care, custody and control endorsements fill that hole.
What underwriters will ask a concession stand
- Where the stands operate and under what agreements, whether alcohol is served, and whether staff or volunteers run them
- Seating, hours, cooking methods and the hood and suppression system's last service
- Delivery: your own drivers, third-party platforms or both
- Attendance, alcohol, amusement devices and whether events are indoors or out
- Residential versus commercial split of the work
- Whether any work is done above three stories or below grade
Have the answers in the wallet before the renewal and the quote request fills itself in; CoverMatch sends one application to every eligible carrier and lines the quotes up against what you have.
Renewal timing
Audits at year end compare payroll, receipts and subcontractor costs with the estimate, so keep the wallet's size figures and the subcontractor certificates current. Start comparing sixty days before expiration, and ask for the limits the next contract will need rather than the ones the last one did.