Grocery Store Insurance in Tennessee

Common risks for grocery stores

• Customer slip-and-falls in aisles
• Spoiled stock after a power outage or cooler failure
• Food recalls and product claims
• Shoplifting and employee theft
• Lifting injuries for staff

Coverages grocery stores often consider

• Business owner’s policy (BOP) Bundles general liability with coverage for your business property, and often business income, for many smaller businesses.
• General liability Helps if your business is blamed for injuring someone or damaging their property, and usually pays for a legal defense.
• Spoilage Covers food or other perishable stock lost to a power outage or equipment breakdown.
• Equipment breakdown Covers sudden mechanical or electrical breakdown of things like coolers, compressors, and HVAC.
• Products liability Covers injury or damage caused by products you make, sell, or distribute. Usually part of general liability.
• Crime and employee dishonesty Covers theft of money or property by employees, and in some forms, fraud by outsiders.
• Workers’ compensation Pays medical bills and lost wages if an employee is hurt on the job, and includes employer’s liability.

Not every business needs every coverage. The right mix depends on your work, your contracts, and your budget. All coverage is subject to underwriting and the terms of the policy.

What a claim could look like

For example, imagine a storm knocks out power to your Gallatin market overnight, and a walk-in cooler full of meat and dairy spoils. Spoilage and equipment breakdown coverage may help, subject to policy terms.

This is a hypothetical example for education only. Whether any claim is covered depends on the facts and your policy terms.

Tennessee rules to know

Workers’ comp. Most Tennessee employers outside construction and coal mining must carry workers’ compensation once they have five or more employees, full- or part-time, per the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Even below that number, many owners choose to carry it.

We can review your requirements and help you shop workers’ compensation and the other coverages above with carriers that write grocery stores, subject to underwriting.

Certificates of insurance

Landlords and suppliers may ask for certificates. Check your lease for required limits and named insureds.

A certificate of insurance shows your coverage on the day it’s issued. If a contract asks for additional insured status or a waiver of subrogation, the policy usually needs an endorsement, not just a line on the certificate. Our certificate of insurance checklist walks through what to check.

What affects the cost

• The type of work you do and how it’s classified
• Annual revenue and payroll
• Number of employees and any subcontractors
• Where you work and the value of your equipment or property
• The limits and deductibles you choose
• Your claims history and years in business

We can’t promise a price ahead of time, but we can compare options and explain the trade-offs in plain English.

How Eric can help grocery stores

Restaurants, trucks, and caterers serving Nashville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and Mt. Juliet often need certificates for festivals, venues, and landlords. As an independent agent affiliated with Hutsenpiller Insurance, Eric can review what you have, read your contract requirements with you, and help you shop options with more than one carrier. See how an independent agent works for you.

Related guides

• Food and Beverage Business Insurance in Tennessee
• All business types we can help
• Business insurance in Middle Tennessee
• General liability insurance
• Business owner’s policy (BOP) 101
• Certificates and additional insureds explained
• Business interruption insurance
• Small business insurance checklist (PDF)
• Certificate of insurance checklist (PDF)