Key takeaways
- Most restaurants build a program from general liability plus commercial property (often bundled as a BOP).
- Serving alcohol? General liability excludes it — you need separate liquor liability.
- Equipment breakdown and food spoilage protect your kitchen and inventory.
- Workers’ comp is required once you have employees in Oregon and Washington.
Restaurants carry more moving parts than almost any small business: open flame, expensive equipment, alcohol, and a steady stream of guests. Good restaurant insurance bundles the essentials and closes the gaps that trip owners up — especially around alcohol.
The core: liability + property
General liability covers guest injuries and property damage — the classic slip-and-fall. Commercial property covers your build-out, furniture, and kitchen equipment. For most restaurants these are bundled into a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP), which is usually cheaper than buying them separately.
The gap that surprises owners: liquor liability
Here’s the one almost everyone misses: a standard general liability policy specifically excludes alcohol-related claims. If a guest is overserved and later causes harm, only a separate liquor liability policy responds. In Oregon and Washington, any establishment serving alcohol also needs a license from the OLCC or the WSLCB — and the insurance requirement goes hand in hand with the license.
If you serve alcohol
Don’t assume your general liability has you covered — it almost certainly doesn’t. Liquor liability is a separate policy, and it’s essential for bars, breweries, taprooms, and any restaurant with a full bar.
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Start my free quote →Protecting the kitchen
- Equipment breakdown: repairs when a walk-in cooler, oven, or HVAC system fails
- Food spoilage: replaces inventory lost to a covered breakdown or outage
- Business interruption: replaces income while you’re closed for covered repairs
Don’t forget workers’ comp
Kitchens are injury-prone — burns, cuts, slips — and both Oregon and Washington require workers’ compensation once you have employees. It’s coverage you want anyway, and we’ll set it up correctly for whichever state (or both) you operate in.
Every restaurant is a little different — a food truck, a full-service bistro, and a brewery taproom all need slightly different programs. We’ll tailor coverage to how and where you actually operate.