The Insurance Family Blog

Are your Employees Stealing from you? Are you sure?

Posted by Susie Scherff on July 28, 2011 at 9:37 AM

Did you know that one of the largest threats to small businesses is employee theft?

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Topics: Building Insurance, restaurant insurance

Workers’ Compensation Insurance FAQ for California Restaurants

Posted by Susie Scherff on July 27, 2011 at 9:50 AM

A restaurant is a minefield for workers’ compensation claims.  In the kitchen alone, cooks, dishwashers, and other employees are particularly at risk for sustaining burn injuries from hot food or grease burns from pans or fryers. In a busy restaurant, wet or greasy floors are particularly hazardous. Consider all the boiling water, churning oil, and sharp blades that are part of a restaurant’s daily life. Employees in a hurry can easily slip and fall on a wet or greasy floor. If your restaurant isn’t covered with workers’ compensation insurance, one employee’s mishap can become a financial burden on the business.

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Topics: Business Insurance, restaurant insurance

Does your Restaurant have Food Spoilage Prevention and Coverage?

Posted by Susie Scherff on July 26, 2011 at 10:42 AM

In order to maintain a great reputation, California restaurant owners pride themselves on high standards of food, hygiene and safety. Ensuring that the business has insurance coverage for disasters such as food spoilage is prudent.  No restaurant owner wants to have to deal with that, so how can restaurants avoid food spoilage in the first place?

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Topics: Business Insurance, restaurant insurance

As A Restaurant Owner, How Can You Reduce Liquor Liability Risk?

Posted by Susie Scherff on July 18, 2011 at 10:19 AM

Liquor liability in California can be a difficult issue, and it makes sense to protect your restaurant with liquor liability insurance. This kind of insurance can be included in your overall restaurant insurance package to protect against any charges of negligence related to the service of alcohol on your premises and it will also indemnify the insured for any financial loss if legal liability is found. Even if you have already protected your restaurant business in this way, the experience of dealing with a liquor liability claim can be an unpleasant one, so you will want to put into place some risk management strategies to further decrease your chances of having to deal with a liquor liability claim.

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Topics: Business Insurance, restaurant insurance

6 Simple Ways To Reduce Your CA Restaurant Insurance Costs

Posted by Susie Scherff on November 19, 2010 at 9:45 AM

In today’s economy we are all taking a closer look at our expenses.   Restaurant insurance costs are no exception.  Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce the expense of your CA restaurant insurance.

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Topics: Business Insurance, restaurant insurance, Liquor Liability

If You Have Employees You Are at Risk of Having an EPLI Claim

Posted by Susie Scherff on November 9, 2010 at 12:09 PM

If you own a business, with even just one employee, you need Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI).  As part of a series of articles addressing restaurant insurance, we are going to discuss this coverage from the stand point of the restaurant owner.   However, the information applies to any California business owner.

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Topics: restaurant insurance, General Liability Insurance, Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

Why is Restaurant Insurance Important?

Posted by Susie Scherff on October 14, 2010 at 10:11 AM

If outside power fails, what damage can that cause and to what extent can that potential financial loss be protected? Is your food covered for spoilage? Do you have adequate protection in the event of a liquor liability claim? Are you properly protected from a claim arising from a delivery of food? These are just a few of the questions you should think about.

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Topics: Business Insurance, restaurant insurance

C.R.A. Offers Advice on California Restaurant Insurance

Posted by Susie Scherff on August 19, 2010 at 4:04 PM

California restaurant owners have many resources at their food-serving fingertips, just by becoming a member of the California Restaurant Association.

Becoming a member is easy, and once you are a member you have their web services available 24 hours a day in addition to other useful tools. The California Restaurant Association acts as an advocate, legal advisor, information source and networking tool for their members. The Restaurant Membership provides a wealth of resources to run and grow your business and will promote your success both on a daily basis and over the long-term.

The CRA website has links to experts sharing professional expertise and a hotline available for any industry related question, or during a crisis. They also supply labor law advice, along with links to helpful documents and websites related to the industry.

Additionally, CRA members have access to discounts on several industry products and services after becoming a member. From natural gas, to email marketing solutions, to payroll options, there is a list with links ready for you to start saving on.

ServSafe education is always important for your new employees. The CRA offers education, tips, and seminars to keep your staff up to date on the most current rules and regulations while working in a restaurant.

They also offer California Restaurant Insurance Services. They know essential ingredients including yourself, your business, your employees and your customers can be protected and benefit with the correct coverage.
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Topics: restaurant insurance, California Restaurant Association

Restaurant Insurance – Customer Feedback and Reviews

Posted by Susie Scherff on July 29, 2010 at 3:51 PM

The decent restaurateur knows that his life and reputation are in the hands of what the customer spreads – no man can directly control how the public discusses his restaurant. His lifeblood lies in the words spoken to friends and family, and peer reference is stronger than ever these days. But for the social media-minded, there are new avenues that are in place to discuss one’s favorite venues, whether a Los Angeles restaurant or a San Marino disco club.

Search engines offer a valuable contribution to aiding customers find the restaurants they long for, and now offer a review system to aid in the ranking of such a venue. Even insurance agencies like the good folks at Sutherland-Scherff are utilizing Google Reviews, Bing Reviews, and Yahoo Reviews, and trust me—we’re not the only ones asking customers to become Raving Fans. Take time to visit these sites—is your restaurant listed? Have you been reviewed? Are you addressing any negative feedback you’ve received? Are you thanking customers for their loyalty? No place of business can ignore feedback for long, and the restaurant industry is no different. Digital feedback is just as valid and is now more favored in the customer’s eye than phone calls or written surveys.



We encourage you to keep your restaurant business on the cutting-edge with the best of the tech world at your disposal. We like our clients (past, present, and potential) to be successful business owners, and to that end, we’ve crafted a business partners page to aid in generating inbound traffic to our customers’ businesses. For more information on how to aid in the growth of your business, feel free to call us at 888-424-7044, or visit our Virtual Insurance Office.
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Topics: restaurant insurance

Employee Dishonesty Coverage Concerns

Posted by Susie Scherff on July 27, 2010 at 4:13 PM

One day a client called me and asked, “Did I ever buy that employee dishonesty coverage you told me about?” Unfortunately I had to tell him no. My client ran a small wholesale business. He just found out that over a few years one employee had stolen about $500,000 from him with the help of his CPA

Such scenarios unfortunately are common among small- and medium-sized businesses. The median loss suffered by businesses with fewer than 100 employees was $200,000, says a 2008 study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Check tampering and fraudulent billings were the most common small business fraud schemes.

All businesses need to be concerned with employee dishonesty. Because employee dishonesty losses are not typically covered by most property insurance policies, or they include a low limit, most businesses are not covered properly when a loss occurs.

Call Sutherland-Scherff Insurance and we can help you determine the limit that is best for you at a price you can afford.
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Topics: Business Owners Insurance, restaurant insurance, Employee Dishonesty Coverage