What insurance does a ghost kitchen need?

General liability, commercial property on your equipment, and workers’ compensation once you hire — the same core as any restaurant. Because a ghost kitchen is delivery-only, prioritize commercial and hired-and-non-owned auto plus food-contamination coverage. A shared commissary will also require you to name it as an additional insured on a certificate.

Do I need liability insurance without a dining room?

Yes. A delivery-only kitchen removes slip-and-fall exposure from guests but keeps the big risks: fire, employee injuries, foodborne illness, and delivery crashes. General liability answers a customer-sickness claim, and a landlord or commissary will still require proof of coverage before you can operate in their space.

Can I run a ghost kitchen on the commissary’s insurance?

No. The commissary’s policy covers the commissary, not your food business. You need your own general liability and, typically, to name the commissary as an additional insured on a certificate of insurance. Their coverage will not defend a claim arising from your operation or your food.

By Business

Ghost Kitchen Insurance: What a Delivery-Only Kitchen Needs

No dining room doesn’t mean no liability — it just moves the risk onto the road and into the kitchen.

By Restaurant Insurance Authority Editorial Team · Reviewed by J. Robert Smith · September 11, 2026

Ghost kitchens — delivery-only, no dining room, sometimes several brands out of one space — feel lighter than a full restaurant. The insurance need is not.

A ghost kitchen — delivery-only, no dining room — still carries most restaurant risks and a few of its own. You need general liability, commercial property on your equipment, workers’ compensation, and, because everything ships out, strong commercial and hired-and-non-owned auto plus product and food-contamination coverage. Shared commissary kitchens add contract and additional-insured requirements.

Same kitchen risks, minus the dining room

Dropping the dining room removes customer slip-and-fall exposure, but the expensive risks stay: a cooking fire, an employee burn, a foodborne-illness claim, and now every order leaving by car. If anything, the delivery and food-safety exposures grow because volume runs entirely off-premises.

Coverage a ghost kitchen needs

[General liability](/general-liability-insurance/) — foodborne-illness and third-party claims; still required by landlords and platforms.
[Commercial property](/commercial-property-insurance/) — your cook line, refrigeration, and build-out.
Workers’ compensation — required in almost every state once you hire.
[Commercial auto](/commercial-auto-insurance/) and hired-and-non-owned auto — the core exposure for a delivery-only model.
Product / food-contamination coverage — spoilage, contamination, and recall costs.

If you cook in a shared commissary

Renting space in a commissary or cloud-kitchen facility almost always means a contract requiring you to carry your own general liability and to name the facility as an additional insured on a certificate of insurance. Their policy covers them, not your food business.

Getting covered

Bundle general liability and property into a BOP where it fits.
Prioritize commercial and hired-and-non-owned auto for the delivery model.
Add food-contamination coverage for the off-premises volume.
Have certificates ready to name your commissary or landlord as additional insured.

Launching a delivery-only brand? Get a quote and a licensed agent will build coverage around the way a ghost kitchen actually operates.

Frequently asked

What insurance does a ghost kitchen need?: General liability, commercial property on your equipment, and workers’ compensation once you hire — the same core as any restaurant. Because a ghost kitchen is delivery-only, prioritize commercial and hired-and-non-owned auto plus food-contamination coverage. A shared commissary will also require you to name it as an additional insured on a certificate.
Do I need liability insurance without a dining room?: Yes. A delivery-only kitchen removes slip-and-fall exposure from guests but keeps the big risks: fire, employee injuries, foodborne illness, and delivery crashes. General liability answers a customer-sickness claim, and a landlord or commissary will still require proof of coverage before you can operate in their space.
Can I run a ghost kitchen on the commissary’s insurance?: No. The commissary’s policy covers the commissary, not your food business. You need your own general liability and, typically, to name the commissary as an additional insured on a certificate of insurance. Their coverage will not defend a claim arising from your operation or your food.

Sources

Insureon: Restaurant Insuranceindustryretrieved 2026-09-11
NEXT Insurance: Restaurant Insuranceindustryretrieved 2026-09-11

Insure a delivery-only kitchen right

Ghost kitchens live and die on delivery and food safety. A licensed agent can build coverage around that reality — and any commissary requirements.

Talk to an agent who insures food & beverage every day

A licensed commercial-lines agent who specializes in restaurants and bars will review your coverage, close the gaps that catch owners, and show you what a program actually costs — before anything is bound.

Get a Quote Call (855) 480-1410