Restaurant Insurance Authority
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For restaurant, bar & food-service owners

The coverage that keeps a bar open when one drink goes wrong.

Restaurant Insurance Authority explains liquor liability, workers’ comp, and the gaps general liability quietly excludes — then connects you with a licensed agent who insures restaurants, bars, and food trucks every day.

Get a QuoteCall (855) 480-1410

No-obligation quote from a licensed commercial-lines agent who specializes in hospitality.

What we help owners get right

The right coverage, not the cheapest quote.

A BOP alone leaves a full-service restaurant exposed on workers’ comp, liquor liability, and auto. We start from what your operation actually risks — the kitchen fire, the over-served patron, the injured line cook — and build the program around it, not around a headline price.

Liquor liability, done right.

General liability excludes every alcohol claim, and the assault-and-battery exclusion can leave a bar with no coverage after a fight. We make sure the crown-jewel exposure — the one that closes businesses — is actually covered.

An agent who speaks food and beverage.

Commercial lines are not personal lines. The agent we connect you with knows restaurant class codes, dram shop laws, and what a venue’s certificate of insurance really has to say — and can compare carriers in a single sitting.

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Liquor liability, explained

Dram shop laws by state, the assault-and-battery gap, and what it costs to cover alcohol.

What a restaurant actually needs

The BOP core, the lines that stack on top, and where owners under-budget.

Insuring a bar or tavern

Why liquor liability dominates the premium and the coverage owners forget.

The BOP: your starter policy

What the bundle covers, what it leaves out, and what a restaurant BOP costs.

Food truck coverage

Why commercial auto — not general liability — is the biggest line on wheels.

Workers’ comp for restaurants

Which states require it, the class codes that set your rate, and the audit trap.

Restaurant & bar insurance questions, answered

What insurance does a restaurant need?

A restaurant’s core is a business owner’s policy, which bundles general liability and commercial property. On top of that, most restaurants add workers’ compensation once they have employees and liquor liability if they serve alcohol. Delivery vehicles need commercial auto, and refrigeration risk is covered by an equipment-breakdown endorsement.

Think of it in layers. The business owner’s policy (BOP) is the foundation — it handles customer-injury claims and damage to your building, equipment, and contents. It does not, however, include workers’ comp, liquor liability, or commercial auto, and those are where owners most often under-budget.

Which layers you add depends on your concept: a full-service restaurant with a bar and a delivery service needs all of them, while a small counter-service cafe with no alcohol may need only a BOP and workers’ comp.

How much does restaurant insurance cost per year?

A business owner’s policy for a restaurant runs about $251 a month, or roughly $3,010 a year, at Insureon’s median with $1M/$2M limits. Adding workers’ comp near $1,359 a year and liquor liability pushes a full program higher — commonly $5,000 to $8,000 or more annually once every line is stacked on.

The single most common budgeting mistake is pricing the BOP and stopping. Workers’ comp and liquor liability are separate policies, and for a full-service restaurant they are not optional.

Do I need liquor liability insurance if I serve alcohol?

Yes. Any alcohol service creates dram-shop exposure, and general liability specifically excludes alcohol-related claims. Liquor liability is also commonly required to obtain a liquor license and by many landlords. Even in the eight states without a dram shop law, an over-service lawsuit is still possible and defense costs alone can be severe.

General liability covers a customer who slips, but not a customer you over-served who then causes a crash. That gap is exactly what liquor liability fills, which is why serving even beer and wine calls for it.

What is the difference between liquor liability and general liability?

General liability covers ordinary third-party claims like a customer slipping, but excludes anything alcohol-related. Liquor liability covers exactly what general liability leaves out: injuries and damage caused by a patron you over-served or served underage. A restaurant that serves alcohol needs both, because neither policy covers the other’s claims.

A useful mental model: general liability is about your premises and operations, liquor liability is about what happens because someone drank. The two together are the baseline for any business that serves alcohol.

What does a restaurant BOP include?

A business owner’s policy bundles general liability and commercial property — covering customer-injury claims and damage to your building, equipment, and contents — usually with business interruption. It does not include workers’ compensation, liquor liability, or commercial auto, which are bought separately. That is why the BOP is the core of a program, not the whole thing.

Bundling liability and property in a BOP is generally cheaper than buying the two standalone, which makes it the standard starting point for a small restaurant or bar.

Is workers’ comp required for a small restaurant?

In 48 states and Washington, D.C., yes — once you reach the state’s employee threshold, which ranges from one to five workers and often counts part-timers. Texas is the only state where private employers can opt out. Because kitchens injure staff so often, most restaurants with any employees should assume they need it.

Thresholds vary: Florida requires coverage at four employees, Georgia at three, and New York and Colorado at one. Check your specific state, and remember that opting out where it is allowed strips away important legal protections.

How many states have dram shop laws?

Forty-two states and the District of Columbia have dram shop laws that make a business liable for serving a visibly intoxicated or underage patron who then causes harm. Eight states have none: Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Virginia. The scope of these laws still varies significantly from state to state.

Some states limit liability to serving minors or the "obviously intoxicated," and damage caps differ. That per-state variation is why liquor liability underwriting — and pricing — changes so much depending on where you operate.

See all questions →

Talk to an agent who insures food & beverage every day

Tell us about your business — your concept, whether you serve alcohol, how many people you employ. We will connect you with a licensed commercial-lines agent who closes the gaps that catch owners and shows you what a real program costs.

Get a QuoteCall (855) 480-1410