What Is Restaurant Insurance?
Restaurant insurance is a tailored policy consisting of a range of necessary covers to help protect a restaurant against unexpected events when they occur. A typical policy may include cover for damage, theft, loss of earnings or injury to employees and the public.
Restaurant Insurance Comparison
If you run a restaurant, you will know how much work goes into making it happen – dealing with stock, premises, customers, bookings, menu changes, equipment, employing staff, and much more. In light of this, our service aims to make it as easy as possible to find a suitable insurance policy by comparing quotes from multiple providers. To get started, click the quote button above, fill out your details and let restaurant insurers compete over winning your business.
Every restaurant is unique, from independent family-run operations to national food chains. It’s, therefore, essential to discuss your requirements over the phone with an experienced insurance provider to ensure you have a policy that is suitable for your business.
Features of Restaurant Insurance
Public liability cover
Running a restaurant gives rise to the potential of a customer/member of the public claiming you, including accidents at your restaurants, slips and trips or even poor health due to food/drink problems.
Public liability protects you against claims of this nature which could otherwise leave you having to make substantial compensation payments, something that restaurant owners would like to avoid at all costs.
Employers’ liability insurance
Employers’ Liability insurance covers you for any staff you may employ and comes into action if an employee is hurt or falls ill due to employer negligence. If you employ anyone, this part of your restaurant insurance is required by law. Please remember this relates to anyone involved in helping your restaurant to function. You do not need to be paying a person for the requirement to be in place, nor does that person have to have a written contract. Employers’ liability insurance is required if you have volunteers, students, and PT or FT staff. Equally, it is essential to remember that you must keep on top of your H&S regulations; failure to do so can invalidate your insurance.
The minimum legal level of employers’ liability insurance required by a business is £5 million.
Buildings insurance
Buildings insurance covers damage to the structure of your restaurant, including the roof, walls, ceilings, floors, doors and windows. It also includes the cover of underground pipes and damage to cables.
Business interruption/loss of income
One thing you might like to consider is loss of income insurance. Running a restaurant can be costly, but that’s not a problem as long as the customers are coming in. If you’re unable to open for a while because of a fire or some other incident, you’ll lose that revenue. However, your overheads probably won’t stop, which could put you in a tricky position.
Products liability
Similar to public liability, product liability protects your restaurant against damage and injury caused by the products you have sold.
Accidental damage cover
Provides cover for one-off accidents that may occur. As they are one-off, an example is not particularly helpful here, but we are sure you can use your imagination!
Loss of licence
Insures restaurants against financial losses due to losing an alcohol or music license, which prevents a restaurant from carrying out regular business.
Restaurant Insurance Exclusions
Below is a potential set of insurance exclusions that you might see in your restaurant insurance policy:
- Policy excess
- Clauses around deep fat fryer equipment
- A warranty to keep all stock on pallets or racking, making sure goods are a certain height from the ground
The above exclusions highlight the importance of reading through the restaurant insurance agreement to ensure you are aware of them.
Other Advice
Regarding employers’ liability insurance for your restaurant, it is essential to note there is a risk of a fine for not having it. Depending on your restaurant, more cover may be required, and if you don’t have adequate cover, you are risking a hefty fine. At the time of writing, fines for failure to have valid employers’ liability insurance can be up to £2,500 a day. It is also a requirement to display your certificate of employers’ liability insurance, failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £1000. So, make sure you have the right employers’ liability insurance in place and avoid the risk of a heavy fine.
Restaurant Insurance FAQs
Getting the right advice for your specific requirements is essential and we therefore recommend that you direct any questions to one of the experienced insurance providers during your no-obligation quote, however, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
Is this product suitable for cafes?
Yes. In the quote form you will see a dropdown to select the type of business you have, this includes cafes, coffee shops and takeaway businesses.
Can premiums be paid for in monthly instalments?
Yes, policy holders are able to pay for their insurance annually or monthly. Please be aware that monthly premiums are more expensive due to the addition of interest.
How do I know what cover to include in my policy?
You can discuss what covers you may need to include directly with one of the experienced insurance providers who will call you after you submit your details via the quote form.