Bloomington, IN coffee shop insurance

Bloomington (79,986 people) belongs to Monroe County, where County Business Patterns counted 35 coffee shops and snack bars with employees in 2023, 2.7% of Indiana's total.

Monroe County coffee and bakery figures

County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 722515 (snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars), 311811, 445299, 311920. Employer establishments only.

Annual payroll per employee at Monroe County coffee shops averaged about $18,787 in 2023, against $18,495 statewide. With 16.8 employees per shop on average, most local cafes are small teams of part-timers.

Beyond cafes, Monroe County has 3 retail bakeries. A cafe that starts baking or roasting in-house moves into those categories, and its insurance needs change with it.

Bloomington routines and cafe traffic

Solo drivers make up 56% of Bloomington commuters, while 48% get to work in under 15 minutes. Short commutes mean customers who stop in on foot or park briefly, so curb, entrance, and parking lot conditions matter.

Public transit carries 3.6% of Bloomington's workers (Indiana: 0.6%). Transit riders walk past storefronts at the same hours every day, which favors walk-up windows and fast counter service.

Work-from-home share in Bloomington stands at 18%, higher than Indiana's 11%. That points to steady weekday afternoons and long laptop stays.

12% of Bloomington households have no vehicle, while 2% have three or more. Car-free households walk to neighborhood cafes and favor places close to home.

Renters head 65% of Bloomington's households. Across 38,407.0 homes, renters tend to move often and try new places, while owners become long-term regulars.

The median Bloomington home dates to 1985. Newer retail centers generally have modern plumbing and electrical, but leases there often carry detailed insurance requirements.

American Community Survey 2020–2024 (commuting mode and time, vehicles, tenure, structure, year built); Census 2024 population estimates.

In May 2025, BLS counted 97,290 counter workers and 3,600 bakers on Indiana payrolls, with counter workers at a median $28,790. Many cafe owners also work the bar and are not counted.

With 2.7% of Indiana's coffee shops, 17% of them run by fewer than five employees, Monroe County is a smaller part of the state's cafe market. Landlords will still want a certificate of insurance before a new cafe opens.

Habits that protect Bloomington cafes

• Purge and wipe steam wands between dairy and plant milks.
• Put non-slip mats at the entrance and behind the bar.
• Keep self-serve hot water out of children's reach.
• Use carriers for orders of three or more drinks.

A cafe day, hour by hour walks through the risks a Bloomington coffee shop faces from opening to close.

Nearby cafe markets

Marion County, home to Indianapolis, counts 177 employer coffee shops. Allen County, home to Fort Wayne, counts 86 employer coffee shops. By transit commuting, Bloomington ranks 2nd of 25 Indiana cities on this site.

What insurers ask Bloomington coffee shops

• Seating: Seats, patio, and square footage
• Equipment: Espresso machine and other values
• Claims history: Any prior claims
• Alcohol: Beer, wine, or coffee cocktails
• Events: Music, classes, rentals, catering
• Payroll: Employees and estimated payroll

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Cafe pages near Bloomington

• Hammond
• South Bend
• Indianapolis
• Evansville
• Fort Wayne
• Noblesville
• Carmel
• Fishers

Cafe insurance in Indiana · Coverage

Last updated October 15, 2026 · How we research