Drawing the Line: Guidelines for Refusing Alcohol Service

Restaurants face unique risks and responsibilities when serving alcohol. As an alcohol-serving establishment, your business can be especially vulnerable to legal challenges. Do your servers know when to stop serving patrons? Are they trained to recognize the warning signs of intoxication before a situation gets out of hand? Society Insurance shares valuable tips and resources to help your team stay prepared, reduce risk, and maintain a safe environment for everyone. 

When Does a Server Have the Right to Refuse Service? At some point, a restaurant server, bartender, or manager, may need to make the difficult–but necessary–decision to stop serving alcohol to a guest. Below are several valid reasons to refuse alcohol service:

● The guest is underage 

● The guest shows visible signs of intoxication or has clearly over-consumed 

● The guest is behaving in a disruptive, aggressive, or inappropriate manner 

● The guest is harassing staff or other customers 

● The…