July 25, 2026
South Carolina bars and restaurants continue to face significant challenges related to the cost and availability of liquor liability insurance. A newly announced partnership between the South Carolina Bar & Tavern Association and Ragnar Hospitality aims to provide hospitality businesses with another option for obtaining coverage designed around their actual operations.
The partnership was recently highlighted by WIS News 10, a television news station serving Columbia and the Midlands region of South Carolina. According to the WIS report, Ragnar’s insurance program already provides coverage for nearly 40 establishments across the state.
Readers can view the full WIS report here:
SC hospitality industry looks to new insurance program amid liquor liability crisis
Rather than evaluating businesses primarily according to the percentage of revenue generated from alcohol sales, Ragnar representatives said the program examines how each establishment actually operates. This may include visiting the premises and evaluating the business’s procedures, service practices, and overall operations before offering coverage.
Hospitality businesses throughout South Carolina have experienced substantial increases in liquor liability insurance premiums in recent years. As insurance companies have left the state’s market, reduced competition has left many bars and restaurants with fewer coverage options and considerably higher costs.
In its report on the new insurance initiative, WIS spoke with Doug Aylard, founder of Columbia-based Vino Garage. Aylard said his annual insurance costs increased from approximately $5,800 when the business opened in 2019 to as much as $41,400 in a later year.
Through Ragnar’s program, Aylard said his annual premium was reduced to approximately $25,000. Although this remains significantly higher than his original insurance cost, it represents substantial savings compared with the more recent premium.
For hospitality businesses already managing rising food, labor, rent, and operating expenses, liquor liability insurance premiums can significantly affect their ability to remain open, hire additional employees, or expand.
Ragnar Hospitality’s approach appears to focus more closely on how a business operates rather than relying mainly on alcohol sales percentages.
In the WIS report, Ragnar Group CEO Andrew Reina explained that the company visits establishments before agreeing to insure them. The company evaluates the business’s actual operations instead of treating the percentage of alcohol sales as the primary factor.
This type of individualized evaluation may benefit responsible operators whose management procedures, employee training, identification policies, incident reporting, and service practices are not adequately reflected by sales figures alone.
The South Carolina Bar & Tavern Association hopes the new program will also encourage additional insurers to enter the state and create a more competitive liquor liability insurance market.
South Carolina lawmakers previously approved reforms intended to address the state’s liquor liability insurance crisis. However, many hospitality operators say the cost and availability of coverage remain serious concerns.
Industry representatives have argued that rising premiums have forced some smaller businesses to close and have prevented others from investing in employees, improvements, or expansion.
The new partnership demonstrates how members of the hospitality and business communities are working to develop additional solutions while waiting for broader changes in the insurance market.
Insurance coverage is only one part of protecting a hospitality business. Bars, restaurants, hotels, event venues, and other alcohol-serving establishments should also maintain effective policies for:
Employee training helps staff understand their legal responsibilities and gives them practical tools for handling situations involving minors, intoxicated patrons, questionable identification, and service refusal.
Consistent policies and training can also help a business demonstrate that it has taken reasonable steps to promote responsible alcohol service and reduce alcohol-related risks.
South Carolina requires certain alcohol servers and managers to complete a recognized alcohol server training program. Hospitality employers must understand which employees are subject to the requirement and maintain access to applicable training records and certificates.
Choosing a recognized online training provider can make training more accessible by allowing employees to complete the required course from a computer, tablet, or mobile device.
Businesses with multiple employees may also benefit from a corporate training account that allows management to assign courses, monitor progress, and maintain employee training records in one location.
LIQUORexam.com offers South Carolina alcohol server training for employees and managers who need to satisfy the state’s training requirements.
The online course covers important responsible-service topics, including:
Individual employees may enroll directly through LIQUORexam.com. Businesses may also establish corporate accounts to purchase training, assign courses to employees, and monitor completion.
South Carolina hospitality businesses play an important role in their local communities by providing jobs, supporting tourism, generating tax revenue, and creating places for residents and visitors to gather.
The partnership between the South Carolina Bar & Tavern Association and Ragnar Hospitality represents another effort to help these businesses manage the continuing liquor liability insurance crisis.
Combining more accessible insurance options with effective employee training and responsible-service policies may help South Carolina hospitality operators reduce risk, strengthen their operations, and protect their businesses.
For information about South Carolina alcohol server training or corporate account options, contact:
LIQUORexam.com
Email: contact@LIQUORexam.com
Website: www.LIQUORexam.com
