You take great pride in the ice cream shop business that you’ve built in Florida. 

But what would happen if a customer had an allergic reaction to ice cream sold in your shop because you failed to properly label it? What if you had a fire on your premises that destroyed all of your equipment, freezers, booths and tables, and your cash registers? What if someone vandalized your property, leaving seating areas damaged and unavailable for customers?

For these and many other scenarios, you need a financial backup plan that helps you repair and replace damaged property, or helps you pay for an attorney and any other costs related to a lawsuit. Ice cream shop insurance is the financial backup.

What Is Ice Cream Shop Insurance?

Ice cream shop insurance is a specific type of Florida business insurance that is designed to meet the unique needs of ice cream shops in Florida. It is typically a package of several policies that cover property damage and lawsuits, allowing you to focus on running your business and serving your customers.

Most ice cream shops in Florida need commercial Florida property insurance and commercial Florida liability insurance at a minimum. But not every risk you face is covered by these basic policies. You’ll likely need to purchase a variety of additional Florida business insurance policies to make sure that your ice cream shop is protected from the numerous property losses and claims of negligence that can arise as a result of your operations. 

What Does Ice Cream Shop Insurance Cover in Florida?

Ice cream shop insurance should cover the unique risks you face in your shop. This includes physical damage to your building or property, as well as your responsibility to financially compensate any customers or members of the public who get injured on your property or as a result of buying something from you.

With a few commercial insurance policies, you can begin to build a comprehensive Florida ice cream shop insurance program.  

Commercial Property Insurance

• Covers your building (if you own it), as well as its contents, including all of your furniture, computers, office furniture and supplies, kitchen equipment, ingredients, paper products, indoor signage, and even outdoor tables, umbrellas, and lighting.
• Responds when there is a fire, storm, theft, or vandalism in your shop and your commercial property is damaged or destroyed.

Business Interruption Insurance

• Part of your commercial property insurance.
• Pays for loss of income and certain fixed expenses (e.g., rent, salaries, temporary relocation expenses, etc.) if your business must close due to a covered loss.

Utility Interruption Coverage

• Business interruption coverage for the specific circumstances surrounding an interruption in your utility services, such as power or water. 

Employee Dishonesty and Crime Coverage

• Protects your ice cream shop if an employee or a group of employees engage in theft, forgery, or fraud that damages your business.
• Also offers coverage in cases of shoplifting and vandalism.

Equipment Breakdown Coverage

• If your freezers, commercial mixers, refrigerators, or other essential equipment breaks down, you could face a loss of income during the downtime, as well as costly repairs or replacement costs. 
• Protects against costs associated with the sudden and accidental breakdown of machinery and equipment. Pays to repair or replace the equipment as well as any business interruption costs that accompany it.

Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance

• Protects your business when you are considered to be negligent or blamed for causing harm to an individual or another business. 
• Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance provides broad protection for third-party bodily injury and property damage claims. 
• Also provides coverage for product liability, advertising liability, slander, and libel claims against your ice cream shop.
• Covers you if a guest has an allergic reaction to something consumed from your shop, or if someone becomes sick due to a foodborne illness or contamination related to your shop.
• Pays for direct costs (medical bills, etc.) as well as attorney fees, court costs, settlements, and judgments if you are sued.

Contamination and Spoilage Coverage

• Pays for certain losses if ingredients or menu items (ice cream, eggs, cream, butter, etc.) are spoiled or contaminated due to refrigeration breakdown, utility interruption, or some other type of foreign substance contamination. 
• If your local board of health or other agency forced you to close because of food contamination, your contamination and spoilage insurance may cover you for lost income during the shutdown period, as well as costs related to cleaning contaminated equipment, and disposing of and replacing spoiled food. 

What Does Ice Cream Shop Insurance Not Cover in Florida?

Your basic commercial property and commercial liability policies offer very broad coverage that protects you in a wide range of circumstances. But they don’t cover anything, and in fact, both exclude coverage in certain areas where you may have serious exposures. 

If, for example, you have business-owned autos, your general liability policy will not cover any injuries or damage caused by an auto accident involving one of your vehicles. You’ll also need to purchase coverage for worker injuries and employment-related lawsuits. 

Fortunately, you can purchase a wide range of additional stand-alone policies or policy endorsements (coverage add-ons) to make sure you get coverage for situations that are excluded from coverage or not sufficiently covered under your basic property and liability policies. 

• Commercial auto insurance protects any vehicles owned by your ice cream shop. In addition, if employees drive personal vehicles for business use — like picking up supplies or making occasional deliveries — you need hired and non-owned auto liability insurance.
• Florida Workers’ Compensation Insurance is required for any Florida business that has four or more employees. It protects your workers — including store managers, servers, and cashiers — from the costs of work-related injuries and illnesses. This coverage pays for medical bills and lost wages for employees who sustain cuts, burns, slip and fall injuries, repetitive motion injuries, or any other injuries or illnesses related to their work. 
• Cyber liability insurance protects your ice cream shop if you are the victim of a cyber breach. If your computer network or website is hacked and confidential customer or vendor information is exposed, the damage to your reputation and bottom line can be insurmountable. 
• Employment practices liability coverage protects you if a current or former employee sues you for discriminatory employment practices. Employment related claims are typically excluded from CGL policies. 

Be aware that flood damage is not covered under any of your Florida ice cream shop insurance policies, but if you are located in an area that is prone to floods, purchasing flood insurance is highly recommended.

You can purchase business flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program. It covers property damage caused by flooding, including flooding caused by hurricanes.

What Are the Benefits of Insuring an Ice Cream Shop in Florida?

Ice cream shop owners spend a great deal of time and money in order to get the business up and running. After you’ve hired employees, rented or bought equipment, purchased furnishings and décor, procured your ingredients and supplies, and perfected your menu, it’s finally time to open your doors. 

And that’s when things can go wrong. 

Your ice cream shop insurance offers numerous benefits, the most important of which is simply protecting the investment in your business when the unexpected happens. 

Here are just a few things that can go wrong that can be mitigated with ice cream shop insurance:

• A customer or supplier slips and falls in your shop
• Patrons become ill after eating contaminated or tainted ice cream from your shop
• Ice cream or other foods or beverages spoil and are destroyed due to an equipment breakdown or a utility interruption
• Guests in your shop damage furniture, bathrooms, display cases, or equipment
• Breakdown of freezers, refrigerators, commercial mixers, and any other kitchen equipment
• Worker injuries and illnesses
• Fire, extreme weather, or a natural disaster
• Theft or vandalism by customers or employees

Can I Afford Ice Cream Shop Insurance in Florida?

The cost of ice cream shop insurance in Florida depends on the policies you choose, the unique risks your business faces, the value of your inventory and equipment, and other factors like your location, number of employees, and the size of your establishment. 

An independent agent can work with you one-on-one to determine the types and amounts of coverage you need. Your agent can get quotes from multiple insurance companies so you can evaluate the cost and coverage options and make the best choice. 

Do I Need an Agent to Purchase Ice Cream Shop Insurance in Florida?

A Florida independent insurance agent can work with you one-on-one to determine the types and amounts of coverage you need for your Florida ice cream shop. Your insurance agent can get quotes from multiple insurance companies so you can evaluate the cost and coverage options and make the best choice. 

Isn’t that better than going it alone or shopping online? Our agents simplify the search process for finding the right coverage for your Florida ice cream shop. They’ll walk you through the handpicked policy options and explain the details and options.

Most importantly, they’ll be there for you when claim time comes. They know the ins and outs of the process and will make sure your claim is handled appropriately.