Restaurant Insurance
Tailored restaurant coverage that’s “made to order.”
Tailored restaurant coverage that’s “made to order.”
Practice leader Brian Schneider shares the critical nuances of business insurance within the restaurant industry and how Higginbotham can serve as your dedicated insurance partner in navigating these challenges.
At Higginbotham, we get to know you by name and nuance so we deliver an insurance program tailored to your restaurant’s needs.
Our experienced specialists understand the distinct risks of the restaurant business and take the headache our of managing your exposures.
So you get time back to focus on what’s truly important — growing your business, whether your focus today is on updating your menu or redesigning a string of kitchens, or anything in between.
Our transparent, values-driven approach to restaurant insurance puts you at the center of everything we do.
Because while insurance is our something, our customers are our everything.
Planning coverage that caters to the inherent risks in the hospitality industry can seem like a tall order. Not with Higginbotham on the line in your kitchen.
We start with listening and end with custom insurance solutions. By making policies personal, we help you accomplish more. Our deep industry experience and strong insurance carrier relationships help us get things done that others can’t.
Having the right insurance is an important key to success in the fast-paced restaurant environment.
While most businesses are required to carry general liability insurance by law, you may wonder if general liability is good enough to cover your particular risk exposure. Between food-borne illness, legal liabilities related to hiring and the looming potential of an on-premises injury, the restaurant industry is full of risks.
Restaurant insurance from Higginbotham is designed with your establishment in mind. We offer the best of both worlds: the on-demand policy documents you need and the restaurant industry experience you want. Whatever your restaurant insurance needs may be, Higginbotham has you covered.
Our seasoned specialists tailor insurance policies and risk management strategies for all types of food and hospitality services, including:
Beyond protecting your physical assets, it’s also important to protect your restaurant against financial loss from lawsuits or settlements.
Most restaurant owners would be wise to consider carrying general liability insurance.
If you have a smaller restaurant and want an insurance package that covers most of your basics, you may want to look into a business owners policy (BOP). It’s designed to protect your buildings, property and other business assets against unforeseen loss.
A restaurant BOP typically includes these four coverages:
General liability (GL) insurance is important coverage for all small businesses to consider carrying, including restaurants. It can help cover the costs of damages from lawsuits filed due to injuries or property damage sustained as a result of your business operation.
Commercial property insurance can help pay to replace or repair your restaurant’s property, store and equipment in the aftermath of a covered loss.
This restaurant insurance coverage can help protect you from a loss of income resulting from an interruption of your business operation.
If you own or operate vehicles as part of your business operation, you’ll likely want to consider commercial auto insurance. This coverage helps protect you against the risks created by vehicles owned by your business or driven for business purposes.
In almost every case, a restaurant owner should seriously consider the coverages included in a BOP.
Here’s some additional restaurant coverages that can help safeguard your business.
EPLI can help protect your restaurant against legal damages, court costs and other expenses related to wrongful termination or hiring, sexual harassment and workplace discrimination.
Required by law in some states, workers’ comp is important to consider even if it’s not. This coverage can protect your restaurant against legal liability for workplace injuries and help with the cost of wage replacement, medical bills and other expenses related to an injured employee.
A commercial umbrella policy is a supplementary coverage designed to protect your business beyond the general aggregate limits of your standard insurance coverage. While this coverage is not available as a standalone policy, it can help owners of high-value property or above-average risk better cover their exposures.
If you serve beer, wine, spirits or any other alcoholic beverage, you would be wise to consider liquor liability insurance. Designed for the risks associated with the consumption of alcohol, this coverage can help with legal costs, repair costs, medical bills, settlements and judgments in the aftermath of a covered incident.
Your equipment is vital to your ability to do business as a restauranteur. From your dish pit to your HVAC, walk-ins, ovens, fryers and cooktops, an unexpected mechanical breakdown can cripple your operation. Also commonly known as “boiler and machinery” (BM) coverage, equipment breakdown insurance can help with the costs of repairing or replacing lost or damaged equipment covered by your policy. In some cases, this insurance can even help replace revenue you lost as a result of the breakdown.
Employee theft is an unfortunate reality. From snacking on the job to more serious transgressions like supply theft, cash larceny and skimming, a recent survey estimates that around 75 percent of restaurant employees commit some form of theft at least once in their career.
With this considered, the importance of employee theft insurance cannot be overstated. This coverage can help reimburse you for inventory, cash and other covered property stolen by employees.
At Higginbotham, we understand your restaurant insurance needs may grow in scope and complexity over time. That’s why we offer fully customizable policies tailored to the specific needs of restaurant groups, chains and franchise owners. We offer a broad selection of coverage with options for almost every imaginable need.
Here are some of the specialized restaurant coverages we provide.
If you store sensitive photo or video files, or customers’ financial information, it’s important to consider cyber liability insurance to help cover costs incurred from a cyberattack. It can help pay the costs of data loss and subsequent restoration, legal settlements and extortion.
Most restaurants use computers to create, store, send and receive electronic documents. Some use electronic table ordering systems. Most property policies afford minimal coverage for electronic data and equipment losses, so you should consider buying electronic data processing coverage.
Is your restaurant decorated with paintings, statuary or other artwork? If so, you can help protect your investment with fine arts coverage.
You should consider this coverage if your restaurant generates a high volume of business at certain times of the year, such as the summer months or the holiday season. It can provide a higher limit for personal property coverage during a specified period. Many BOPs automatically include this coverage, offering a 25% seasonal increase.
At Higginbotham, we take a consultative approach to customer service and risk management.
Whether you have a single policy, a commercial package or many insurance policies covering multiple locations and risks, we take the time to understand your unique needs so we deliver the best coverage at the best price available.
But we don’t stop there.
Our work continues 365 days a year. We have a Day Two Services® team that works in tandem with our risk management specialists to deliver year-round value.
From help with compliance to safety audits and claims advocacy, our Day Two Services® team helps you mitigate risks, avoid costly claims and better position your operations so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business.
Brian Schneider, Managing Director in our Fort Worth office, began his career on the insurance carrier side. He transitioned to Higginbotham more than a decade ago when he recognized the need to provide broader market solutions and a consultative approach for his clients.
Brian and the Restaurant and Hospitality Team insure a wide variety of operators from a single location to operators throughout the United States and abroad. They have specialty coverage solutions unique to the restaurant and hospitality sector and a team of risk management professionals trained and ready to serve the client’s needs. Beyond the premium volume and placement of coverage, they bring numerous resources to their clients throughout the year.
Brian holds a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.
A great plan starts with a conversation. Let’s talk about what you need.