Insurance for Restaurants Cafes

Certain types of insurance are commonly required to run a restaurant. Commercial landlords often require tenants to have Public Liability insurance to lease commercial space. Commercial lease may also require you to have Glass cover (an option available through a Business Insurance Package).

Commercial restaurant insurance can cover many common risk scenarios, depending on the policy types you choose. Common risks for restaurants include:
• A customer slips on a wet mopped floor and is injured
• A kitchen fire damages essential equipment, forcing you to close until it is replaced or repaired
• A window is broken
• Waitstaff drops food on a customer’s coat and damages it

In most cases, yes. Related businesses (such as a café and takeaway shop) can be covered under the same Public Liability policy if they are run by the same legal entity.

Every restaurant is different, and the amount of Public Liability insurance that each may need will vary. Factors that can impact the amount of Public Liability your restaurant may need include:
• Annual turnover
• Number of staff
• Restaurant location
• Minimums required by a commercial lease agreement

Yes, Public Liability insurance protects against claims related to the service of alcohol (subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions in the policy wording).

Yes. Public Liability insurance protects against claims related to food or water contamination (subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions in the policy wording). Most policies designed for restaurants, cafes, and other hospitality businesses cover food poisoning. While your legal liability to injured customers and third parties is generally covered, the cost of recalling contaminated products is not covered.

Yes. Insurance covers restaurants and cafes that use deep fryers and wok cooking (subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions in the relevant policy wording). You will be asked questions about your fryer set up, such as the total litres of oil used and whether your premises has an exhaust extraction system. These answers help match you to the right insurer and can affect pricing.

Yes, restaurant insurance can cover bars and pubs (subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions in the policy wording). Bars and pubs may need more specialist cover that requires us to work with our insurance partners to create a policy for your business.

With BizCover, getting a certificate of currency for your restaurant is easy. A copy is emailed to you after purchasing a policy, and you can download additional copies any time by logging in to our customer portal.