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Prepare your Hospitality business for COVID Normal Outdoor Eating…
With the warmer months approaching and COVID-19 cases coming down in Victoria, we look forward to Hotels re-opening albeit in a different world.
The following provides you with some tips in preparing your Hotel business for COVID normal outdoor eating.
Check your Public Liability Insurance
Contact your Hotel business insurance provider to review your current Public Liability insurance policy and make sure your insurance policy includes outdoor dining as business activity.
Also check with your insurer provider that your Hotel Public Liability Insurance will cover any area you are wanting to expand your outdoor dining space into. Once you have done this, make sure you have your Certificate of Currency ready to submit with your application for a temporary outdoor dining permit.
Adroit Insurance & Risk have been approaching many insurers requesting extensions to policies covering new or extended outdoor dining areas. Provided the correct permits are in place, insurers are extending the Public Liability insurance to outdoor dining activities provided there is a council permit in place.
Readjust or Reinstate insurance coverage
It is important that you review your current insurance program. During the shutdown, where your income may have ceased or been severely reduced, you may have reduced or removed coverage.
For example, if you have removed or reduced your Business Interruption insurance coverage, it is important to reinstate it or adjust the income figure back to a future projected level as income increases over the coming year and beyond to avoid under-insurance.
Preparation of outdoor dining areas
While local council are working hard to prepare information surrounding the Temporary Outdoor Dining Permits, there are a few things you can do to make sure your Hotel business is ready to welcome back outdoor diners:
- Have a COVID Safe Plan in place The COVID – Safe Plan has been developed to support businesses to safely reopen, maintain a COVID Safe workplace and prepare for a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the workplace.
- Temporary Outdoor Dining Permits Temporary outdoor dining permits are available to provide hospitality venues with more options to trade safely.
- Apply for State Government funding (Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package) Eligible businesses (Hotels with payroll < $3.0M) can apply for a grant of $5,000. Funds can be used to pay for practical things like umbrellas, outdoor furniture, screens and other equipment. This will help move the indoor dining and café experiences Victorians love, outdoors.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of your Hotel insurance program, please contact our specialist Hotel risk advisers at Adroit Insurance & Risk on 1300 6923 7648 for a free health check on your Hotel insurance program.