Insurance for Restaurants
Protect your restaurant from the risks that never close.
Get comprehensive insurance coverage built for food service—from slip-and-falls and foodborne illness to kitchen fires and liquor liability.
Licensed agents who understand restaurant operations deliver fast quotes, instant certificates, and specialized coverage for bars, cafés, and food service businesses.
Why Restaurant Insurance Matters
The coverage you need to keep serving
Running a restaurant, bar, café, or any food service business means juggling constant risks that can shut you down overnight—from slip-and-fall injuries and foodborne illness claims to kitchen fires and liquor liability lawsuits. Whether you're operating a fine dining restaurant, casual eatery, food truck, bar, or catering business, the right insurance coverage protects your business from the devastating financial impact of these risks while keeping you compliant with lease requirements and local regulations.
Restaurants face unique insurance challenges that most businesses never encounter. You need General Liability to cover customer slip-and-falls and injuries, Property coverage for your building, kitchen equipment, and inventory, Liquor Liability if you serve alcohol (required by most landlords and absolutely critical to avoid personally devastating lawsuits), Workers' Compensation for your staff, and Business Interruption coverage to replace lost income if you have to close temporarily due to a fire or equipment breakdown. Food contamination coverage, equipment breakdown protection for walk-ins and ovens, and employee dishonesty coverage are also critical for many restaurants.
The key to getting comprehensive restaurant insurance at competitive rates is working with agents who understand food service risks and can package a Business Owners Policy (BOP) or customized program that covers all your exposures. Your rates depend on factors like your type of cuisine, alcohol sales percentage, seating capacity, delivery operations, cooking methods (grilling creates more fire risk than salads), claims history, and safety measures. Most landlords require at least $1M in liability coverage, but many now mandate $2M. Restaurants with significant alcohol sales often need $2-5M in liquor liability coverage. Ready to protect your restaurant, meet lease requirements, and focus on serving great food?
Essential coverage for restaurants
The policies you need to protect your business, meet lease requirements, and keep your doors open
General Liability
Covers customer slip-and-falls, injuries on your premises, and property damage claims—protecting you from the lawsuits that can bankrupt restaurants.
Liquor Liability
Critical coverage if you serve alcohol. Protects you from devastating lawsuits when intoxicated patrons cause accidents or injuries after leaving your establishment.
Property & Equipment
Protects your building, kitchen equipment, furniture, inventory, and supplies from fire, theft, vandalism, and weather damage.
Workers' Compensation
Required in most states. Pays medical bills and lost wages when employees (cooks, servers, dishwashers) get injured on the job.
Business Interruption
Replaces lost income and covers ongoing expenses when fire, equipment breakdown, or disasters force you to close temporarily.
Food Contamination
Covers spoilage from equipment breakdown, power outages, and contamination—plus liability for foodborne illness claims.
Real risks restaurants face
See how the right insurance protects you when things go wrong in food service
Risk
A customer slips on a wet floor near the kitchen, breaks their wrist, and sues for medical bills and lost wages.
General Liability
Pays for medical costs, legal defense, and settlement—potentially saving you $25,000-$75,000+ in out-of-pocket expenses.
Risk
A customer slips on a wet floor near the kitchen, breaks their wrist, and sues for medical bills and lost wages.
General Liability
Pays for medical costs, legal defense, and settlement—potentially saving you $25,000-$75,000+ in out-of-pocket expenses.
Risk
A patron gets drunk at your bar, leaves, and causes a serious car accident. The victims sue you for over-serving.
Liquor Liability
Covers your legal defense and settlements up to your policy limits—lawsuits like this regularly reach $500,000-$2M+.
Risk
A patron gets drunk at your bar, leaves, and causes a serious car accident. The victims sue you for over-serving.
Liquor Liability
Covers your legal defense and settlements up to your policy limits—lawsuits like this regularly reach $500,000-$2M+.
Risk
A grease fire starts in your kitchen, destroying equipment and forcing you to close for repairs for 3 weeks.
Property + Business Interruption
Property pays to replace damaged equipment. Business Interruption replaces your lost income during the closure so you can pay rent, staff, and bills.
Risk
A grease fire starts in your kitchen, destroying equipment and forcing you to close for repairs for 3 weeks.
Property + Business Interruption
Property pays to replace damaged equipment. Business Interruption replaces your lost income during the closure so you can pay rent, staff, and bills.
Why restaurants choose 1-800-INSURANCE
- Agents who understand food service risks and restaurant operations
- Fast certificates for landlords, liquor license applications, and vendor requirements
- Access to carriers specializing in restaurants, bars, cafés, and food service
- Help with multi-location restaurants and franchise operations
- Guidance on liquor liability limits and coverage requirements
- 24/7 online policy access for certificates and proof of coverage
Ready to protect your restaurant business?
Get quotes from top carriers, instant certificates for landlords, and coverage that keeps you serving.
Common questions from restaurant owners
Do I really need liquor liability if I only serve beer and wine?+
Absolutely. Even if you only serve beer and wine, you're legally liable if an intoxicated patron causes a car accident, injury, or property damage after leaving your establishment. Liquor liability lawsuits can reach millions of dollars, and your General Liability policy specifically excludes alcohol-related claims. Most landlords and state regulations require liquor liability coverage if you serve any alcohol.
What's the difference between a BOP and separate policies?+
A Business Owners Policy (BOP) bundles General Liability, Commercial Property, and Business Interruption into one package at a discounted rate—typically saving 15-30% compared to buying separately. BOPs work well for many restaurants, though high-risk operations (large bars with mostly alcohol sales, nightclubs) may need customized programs instead.
How much does restaurant insurance cost?+
Costs vary dramatically by type, size, and risk factors. A small café with no alcohol might pay $1,500-$3,000 annually for a BOP. Full-service restaurants typically pay $3,000-$8,000 annually. Bars with high alcohol sales can pay $5,000-$15,000+ annually. Workers' Comp costs extra—typically $2-6 per $100 of payroll depending on job classifications.
Does my insurance cover food trucks or catering off-premises?+
Standard restaurant policies often exclude or limit coverage for operations outside your fixed location. Food trucks need specialized mobile food service coverage, and catering operations need endorsements that extend your GL and liquor liability to off-premises events. Your agent can add these coverages to your policy.