Resource · Restaurants
California Restaurant Insurance Checklist.
Restaurants carry more overlapping exposures than almost any small business — the public, alcohol, employees, perishable inventory, kitchens, and delivery. Here's the coverage stack to review before you open or renew.
The coverage stack
What a California restaurant typically needs
- General liability — slips, foodborne illness, customer injury
- Liquor liability — required if you serve alcohol; often demanded by your landlord and lender
- Commercial property — building, equipment, tenant improvements
- Spoilage / food contamination — perishable inventory after equipment or power failure
- Workers' compensation — required from your first employee in California
- EPLI — wage-and-hour and harassment claims are common in food service
- Commercial auto / hired-and-non-owned — if you deliver or use staff vehicles
- Commercial umbrella — excess limits over GL, liquor, and auto
California specifics
What's different in California
California's wage-and-hour rules (meal and rest breaks, tip handling, scheduling) make EPLI and HR practices especially important for restaurants. Liquor liability is effectively non-negotiable if you pour. And kitchen fire, equipment breakdown, and spoilage exposures mean property terms deserve a close read — not just a cheap base policy.
Questions
Restaurant Insurance Checklist FAQ
Is liquor liability required in California?
If you serve alcohol, your lease and lender almost always require it, and it protects you from dram-shop style claims arising from over-service. Even beer-and-wine service warrants it.
Does property insurance cover spoiled food?
Only if you have spoilage / food-contamination coverage, which responds when equipment or power failure ruins perishable inventory. Standard property often excludes or sublimits it — confirm the terms.
What about delivery drivers?
If employees deliver — in their cars or yours — you need hired-and-non-owned or commercial auto. Personal auto policies typically exclude business delivery use, leaving a serious gap.
Do food trucks need different coverage?
Yes — mobile operations add auto, equipment, and commissary considerations on top of the standard stack. We quote both brick-and-mortar and mobile food operations.
Ready when you are
Talk to a licensed California broker.
Same-day quotes are often available for standard accounts. No spam, no obligation — we shop multiple carriers to compare your options.