Restaurant Insurance

Who we cover

• Full-service restaurants and bar-and-grills
• Fast casual and quick-service restaurants (QSR)
• Fine dining and chef-driven concepts
• Food trucks and mobile catering
• Ghost kitchens and delivery-only operations
• Bars and taverns (with or without limited food service)
• Pizzerias, sandwich shops, ice cream shops, breakfast/brunch concepts

Coverage built for restaurants

• General liability — slip-and-fall, foodborne illness third-party claims, premises liability.
• Commercial property — building, contents, kitchen equipment, inventory. Florida named-storm deductibles handled.
• Business income — revenue replacement during covered closure (named storm, fire, equipment breakdown).
• Workers compensation — required in Florida for non-construction businesses with 4+ employees.
• Liquor liability — dram-shop coverage when alcohol is served (see the dedicated liquor liability page).
• Food spoilage — endorsement for spoilage from covered loss including (in some policies) extended power outage from named storms.
• Commercial auto — delivery vehicles and food truck.
• EPLI (optional) — wage-and-hour and harassment claim defense.

Liquor liability

If you serve alcohol, liquor liability is its own line — separate from general liability — that responds when an intoxicated customer harms themselves or others. Most Florida landlords, franchisors, and corporate clients require liquor liability as a contract condition. Visit the restaurant liquor liability page for the deeper breakdown of dram-shop, BYOB, and host-liquor exposure.

Food spoilage and contamination

Food spoilage from a covered cause of loss is added by endorsement. The endorsement covers loss of refrigerated, frozen, and dry inventory when (a) refrigeration fails due to internal mechanical breakdown, (b) power is interrupted by a covered external cause (lightning, named-storm wind), or (c) contamination is identified. Rules vary by carrier — we structure the coverage to match your supply chain and storage profile.

Hurricane and named-storm property exposure

Florida and Gulf-state restaurant operators face named-storm exposure from June through November. The named-storm deductible is typically a percentage of insured value (2-5% is common, sometimes higher) rather than a flat dollar amount. Business income coverage is essential — a 1-week closure during peak season can cost tens of thousands in lost revenue. We offer named-storm deductible buy-down options and structure the BI period long enough for realistic recovery timelines. See the Florida named-storm deductibles guide for the deeper explanation.

Workers compensation for restaurant staff

Florida requires workers compensation for non-construction businesses with 4+ regular employees. Most full-service restaurants exceed that threshold once front-of-house and kitchen staff are counted. Workers comp covers employee injury (slips, burns, cuts), medical care, and lost wages. We schedule cooks, servers, and managers on the policy with the right NCCI class codes so the premium reflects actual exposure.

Delivery and food truck auto

Delivery vehicles and food trucks need commercial auto. Personal auto policies exclude business use, and most third-party delivery platforms (DoorDash, UberEats) shift liability back to the restaurant for in-house drivers. We schedule each vehicle on a commercial auto policy with hired-and-non-owned coverage for contracted drivers.

Frequently asked questions