The Best Restaurant Insurance & How To Get It

Choosing insurance for your business can be complicated. But it doesn’t have to be — especially if you use NEXT insurance. NEXT delivers instant quotes online, and instant coverage, too. That means you can quit thinking about insurance and focus on running your restaurant instead.

Enter some basic information about your restaurant or food service business online (location, number of employees, and so on) and you’ll receive an instant recommendation from NEXT. You can go with the recommended policies or add more coverage, then enter your contact information and you’ll receive a price quote online right away.

The price you’ll pay for restaurant insurance through NEXT will depend on a number of factors, such as your business size and location as well as any additional coverage you choose. NEXT says that 82% of its customers pay $75 or less per month for basic professional liability coverage. The average cost of NEXT professional liability coverage for restaurants is $54.

Customers who purchase two or more policies from NEXT receive a 10% discount.

While NEXT insures all types of small businesses, it offers some features that are particularly appealing to small and mid-sized restaurants. Here’s a sampling:

• General liability
• Workers’ compensation
• Business owner’s policy
• Commercial auto
• Professional liability
• Liquor liability
• Commercial property
• Protection against food poisoning claims
• Flexible billing plans

Let’s face it: Knowing what insurance to buy can be confusing. We like that The Hartford takes some of the stress from the process by offering a comprehensive business owners policy (BOP) that combines three critical policies: general liability, commercial property, and business income. You can add workers’ compensation coverage easily, as well as restaurant-specific coverage such as liquor liability and even drinkable water coverage. That means you can cover all your bases with one fast, free quote.

Like almost all insurance companies, The Hartford offers custom quotes to insurance customers. However, the company says that its BOPs start at around $261/month. That includes general liability, commercial property, and business income coverage.

You can request your personal quote online or on the phone. It should take about 10 minutes, and you’ll have a quote the same day.

In addition to its business owners policy, The Hartford offers an exceptional number of additional policies aimed squarely at restaurants.

Start with The Hartford’s BOP, then choose from these additional coverage options:

• Commercial auto insurance
• Workers’ compensation
• Employment practices liability
• Drinkable water coverage
• Liquor liability

You can also explore insurance packages aimed at bakeries and catering businesses.

Thimble offers a business owners policy (BOP) tailored to small and mid-sized restaurants. Unlike some other insurance providers, Thimble offers flexible coverage that allows you to adjust your coverage as your insurance needs changes throughout the year. That’s perfect for caterers and other non-restaurant food service providers.

You can purchase Thimble insurance coverage by the job, by the month, or annually. And you can pause, modify, or cancel your coverage as needed.

Thimble offers policies starting around $17/month. The amount you’ll pay depends on factors such as your building occupancy, location, number of employees, and more. You can get an instant quote online.

You’ll find a number of friendly features with Thimble Insurance. Here is a sampling:

• Month-to-month payments with no added fees
• Business owners policy (BOP) combines general liability and commercial property. You can also purchase these policies separately.
• Business contents insurance covers everything inside your restaurant, including cook stations, tables, and chairs
• Business interruption insurance
• Business equipment protection (typically known as inland marine insurance)
• Hired and non-owned auto insurance
• Liquor liability
• Event liability insurance
• Workers’ compensation coverage (including for independent contractors)

THREE is a subsidiary company of Berkshire Hathaway, a towering figure in the finance and insurance worlds, with top-tier stability and ratings from financial watchdogs. And THREE has a unique and straightforward approach to restaurant insurance. A THREE restaurant insurance package includes all the coverage you’ll need for your restaurant, pub, doughnut shop, catering company, or any type of food service business.

You can request a personalized quote online or by phone. Online, the first thing you’ll do is choose your business type, with options available for a huge variety of food service establishments, from fine dining with alcoholic beverages to fast and casual food service to beverage service only. You’ll also have to enter your name, business name, and email and phone number.

To complete your quote, you’ll share information about your restaurant, including your employees, your property, and your vehicles. THREE says its coverage is designed to cost 20% less than comparable coverage from competitors.

THREE’s restaurant insurance delivers comprehensive coverage in one policy. Your coverage will be tailored for your precise needs. For example, if you don’t serve alcohol or use company vehicles, your policy won’t include liquor liability or commercial auto insurance. THREE offers the following types of coverage bundled into one policy:

• General liability
• Commercial property
• Liquor liability
• Workers’ compensation
• Commercial auto
• Garage
• Equipment breakdown and spoilage
• Employment practices liability
• Employee dishonesty
• Data breach and cyber liability
• Earthquake
• Flood

You’ll also find downloadable posters you can print and display in your staff areas. Topics include relevant first aid techniques, information on preventing foodborne illness, and effective cleaning.

If you’re running a restaurant with multiple locations, or any large and complicated business, you will appreciate the comprehensive coverage and financial stability Nationwide offers. Available in 40+ states, Nationwide offers special consideration to customers looking for restaurant insurance.

Compared to some other insurance providers on this list, Nationwide takes a little longer to provide personalized price quotes. You’ll have to provide some relatively detailed information about your restaurant or food service business, and you should have your pricing information within a half hour or so. You can also phone in for a price quote.

Nationwide insurance coverage for restaurants starts with a solid business owners policy (BOP) that includes business property, general liability, business income, and equipment breakdown coverage. You’ll also find these welcome features:

• Custom solutions for middle market food service businesses with 50+ employees
• Commercial auto
• Workers’ compensation
• Employment practices protection against charges of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination
• Property and sewer coverage to protect your restaurant from damage from backed up drains
• Utility services coverage to protect against inventory losses resulting from utility interruptions
• Employee dishonesty coverage
• Cyber risk insurance
• Umbrella coverage for additional protection above policy limits
• Loss control services to review your restaurant operations, procedures, and programs

FLIP is all about insurance for food business. In fact, the letter in this company’s name stand for Food Liability Insurance Program, and that’s what it has to offer. It doesn’t matter what kind of food you’re serving, or how and where you’re serving it. From home cooks working under their state’s cottage laws to food trucks and trailers, FLIP has the insurance protection you need.

FLIP is licensed in all 50 states.

FLIP provides custom quotes built around your needs, with general liability coverage starting at $25.92/month for food trucks, food vendors, caterers, and all kinds of food-based businesses. FLIP also allows you to pay for coverage monthly, instead of annually, which is a budget-friendly feature small businesses should appreciate.

Apply for FLIP insurance online to receive an instant quote, and you can be covered within minutes.

FLIP offers policies fine-tuned for an impressive variety of food-based businesses. This includes bakers, bartenders, caterers, commercial kitchens, cottage-law cooks, food carts, restaurants, personal chefs, and other types of cooks and sellers. You’ll also find some additional coverage options, like the following:

• Liquor liability
• Assault and battery coverage
• Inland marine (covers your business equipment)
• Trailer endorsement
• Professional liability
• Excess liability
• Cyber coverage (data breach)

However, FLIP may not offer the right coverage for larger businesses. If your gross annual sales are higher than $500,000, you may need a different insurer.