Industry Guide
Commercial Insurance for Restaurants
Restaurants are among the most complex small business insurance accounts. They combine high employee counts, significant premises exposure, alcohol liability, valuable kitchen equipment, and business income risk — all in one account. Understanding how to collect the right information and package a complete restaurant submission is one of the most valuable commercial skills an agent can develop.
Coverage a restaurant typically needs
Commercial General LiabilityCovers slip-and-fall claims, food contamination incidents, and third-party property damage. The foundation of every restaurant account.
Liquor LiabilityRequired for any restaurant that serves alcohol. Covers claims arising from serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated customers. Often excluded from standard GL.
Workers' CompensationRestaurants have high employee counts and significant WC exposure — kitchen burns, slip-and-fall injuries, and repetitive stress are common.
Commercial PropertyCovers the building, kitchen equipment, furniture, and inventory. Equipment breakdown coverage is important for commercial kitchens.
Business IncomeReplaces lost revenue if the restaurant must close due to a covered loss — fire, flood, or major equipment failure.
Commercial AutoRequired if the restaurant operates delivery vehicles or catering vans.
Key underwriting questions for restaurants
→Annual gross sales (total, and broken down by food vs. alcohol)
→Percentage of sales from alcohol
→Type of restaurant (fast food, casual dining, fine dining, bar, food truck)
→Seating capacity and hours of operation
→Whether live entertainment or dancing is permitted
→Delivery operations — owned vehicles or third-party
→Number of employees (full-time and part-time)
→Kitchen type — open flame, deep fryers, wood-fired
→Prior claims in the last 5 years
→Whether a liquor license is in place
How AgencyAssist helps with restaurant submissions
Restaurant submissions require detailed information across multiple coverage lines. AgencyAssist sends restaurant owners a plain-English intake link that collects sales data, employee count, alcohol percentage, equipment details, and prior claims history. The completed ACORD 125, 126, 130, and 140 are generated automatically and ready to submit.
Complete restaurant submissions in one workflow
One intake link. All required ACORD forms generated automatically.