Any business comes with its own risks. You never know when your clients or customers will start neglecting your business, or that competition from other businesses will put yours in jeopardy. These and many other risks are a part and parcel of running a business that any business owner should be prepared to deal with. In this article, we talk about the risks that liquor license holders face.
At Liquor License Outlet, we are experienced in the liquor license application process and help our clients accomplish their goals through strict accuracy and efficiency standards. We are a full-service liquor licensing company. Our team can help you in obtaining, sell, or finance a liquor license. Located in Florida, our experienced staff members can help you navigate through the challenging process of getting your liquor license application approved.
This article talks about a Florida 4Cop License and the risks faced by liquor license holders.
What is a Florida 4Cop Liquor License?
The Florida Department of Professional Regulation issues licenses to businesses to be able to sell alcoholic beverages. These licenses are of different types depending on whether you intend to sell drinks with liquor in them, and whether your customers will consume liquor on-site or will purchase bottles for off-site consumption. A 4COP license is necessary for an establishment to both sell liquor drinks and offer package sales. So establishments such as bars, lounges, and restaurants that wish to sell liquor drinks in addition to beer and wine must apply for a 4COP license.
Some considerations to keep in mind
While applying for a license may sound easy enough, there are some things that you may need to consider. 4COP licenses are difficult to obtain and are also expensive. So if you are planning to open a business, keep ample time in hand for obtaining your liquor license prior to your opening. Also be aware that since there are a limited number of liquor licenses available in each county, Florida holds a yearly drawing for awarding available liquor licenses. If you are a winner in this drawing, you must complete a license application and pay the annual fee to receive your 4COP license.
Risks for liquor license holders
The biggest risk in owning a liquor license is the additional liability that comes with it. As the license holder, you are legally responsible for the actions of not just your employees, but also your patrons.
Laws such as dram-shop laws (laws that make establishments that serve alcohol responsible for the actions of their guests) and social-host laws (laws that make private event establishments, such as catering companies, liable for the actions of their intoxicated patrons) seek to hold establishments liable for intoxicated guests causing damage to property or to other individuals. Governments also enforce the dram-shop laws for drunk driving incidents where intoxicated drivers are allowed to leave the premises in their own vehicles. Three of the most common liability issues faced by bar and restaurant owners are DUI, underage drinkers, and accidents due to intoxicated patrons.
Some states do not have the dram-shop and social-host laws enacted, but the licenses still come with a great amount of personal liability. Depending upon any incidents that liquor license holders may be held responsible for, courts can seize the license holder’s personal assets.
It should come as no surprise that along with greater liability, come high insurance premiums. This is because there is a much greater risk of being sued if something goes wrong. So many of your insurance policies will carry higher premiums because of your ownership of a liquor license. While all businesses need to carry basic as well as umbrella policies, liquor license owners also need to carry liquor liability business insurance in addition to these. All this can be very costly.
Even though all this information can be very stressful if you are planning to dive into the process of purchasing, financing, or even selling a liquor license, rest assured that with help from the right professionals, the process will become much less daunting. Just contact us at Liquor License Outlet at 561-827-1111 0r toll-free at (844) LIQUOR4 and our dedicated, professional, and experienced staff will be happy to assist you.