# Cafe Insurance Melbourne | Coffee Shop Cover > Cafe and coffee shop insurance from a Melbourne broker. Cover for liability, equipment breakdown, stock, glass and business interruption. Request a quote. Source: https://wjinsurance.com.au/cafe-insurance/ (en-AU) **Café insurance built around how you actually trade.** Get a tailored review for your café or coffee shop from a Melbourne broker who understands espresso machines, display fridges, footpath seating and early starts. Clear advice in English, Mandarin or Cantonese. - **230+** insurers & underwriters on our panel - **3 languages** English, Mandarin & Cantonese - **Direct help** from quote through to claim ## Cover for the way a café actually works. A café runs on a few expensive pieces of equipment, fresh stock, a busy shopfront and a small team. When one of those fails, trade stops quickly. We start with how you trade before comparing products. ### Public & product liability Public liability is for third-party injury and property damage on or arising from your premises, such as a customer tripping on a step or being scalded by a hot drink. Product liability is designed for claims arising from the food and drink you sell. Many landlords and councils ask for $20 million and a certificate of currency. ### Property, contents & fit-out Your fit-out, espresso machine, grinders, ovens, furniture and point of sale equipment are insured at replacement value. If you lease the premises, we check which parts of the fit-out are yours to insure under the lease. ### Equipment breakdown Mechanical and electrical breakdown of espresso machines, grinders, dishwashers and fridges is generally not part of standard property cover and needs to be added as its own section. For a café, a failed machine can stop most of the day's trade. ### Stock & refrigeration Milk, food and baked goods can be lost quickly when a fridge fails or the power goes out. Deterioration of stock cover is designed for spoilage following breakdown or power failure. ### Glass & signage Shopfront windows, glass doors, display cabinets and illuminated signs are insured under the glass section. Standard sub-limits can fall short for a wide frontage, so we match the limit to the replacement cost. ### Business interruption If a fire, flood or other insured event closes the café, business interruption is designed to cover your loss of gross profit and ongoing fixed costs such as rent and wages while you repair and reopen. The indemnity period and the gross profit figure need to be set with care. ### Theft & money Theft cover usually sits in its own section with its own limit and security conditions. Money cover is designed for cash on the premises, in a safe and on the way to the bank. ### Workers compensation WorkCover insurance is compulsory for Victorian employers once annual remuneration passes the WorkSafe threshold, or if you employ apprentices or trainees. It is arranged separately from your business policy. #### Policy review Already insured? Send us your current schedule and we will benchmark it against a wider market, line by line. No review fee. **0478 978 888** [info@wjinsurance.com.au](mailto:info@wjinsurance.com.au) If you choose to place cover through us, we may earn commission from the insurer as set out in our [Financial Services Guide](https://wjinsurance.com.au/WJ%20Insurance%20-%20FSG.pdf). ## Where cafés get caught out. Patterns we see when reviewing existing café policies. Any of these familiar? ### What is usually fine (Standard) - $20M public liability, which meets most landlord and council requirements - Property and contents cover for fit-out and equipment - Glass cover up to a standard sub-limit - Fire and storm damage to stock at the premises - Tax audit cover, where added \*Subject to policy terms and conditions. ### Where cafés fall short (Frequent gap) - Espresso machine and fridge breakdown not added - Stock spoilage cover missing or set too low - Business interruption left off to save on premium - Fit-out sum insured based on what it cost years ago, not what it costs to rebuild now - Footpath tables, umbrellas and outdoor heaters not specified - Glass sub-limit too low for a full-width shopfront - Catering, market stalls or a coffee cart not disclosed to the insurer - No cover for cyber events, including POS compromise ## Across the spectrum of Melbourne cafés. - **Independent cafés**: owner-operated cafés and brunch venues on suburban shopping strips and in the CBD. - **Coffee shops and espresso bars**: small-footprint and takeaway-focused coffee businesses. - **Multi-site café groups**: operators who want one programme and one renewal date across several sites. - **Bakeries and patisseries**: bakery cafés, cake shops and dessert bars with production on site. - **Bubble tea and juice bars**: counter-service drink businesses in shopping centres and on high streets. - **Coffee carts and market stalls**: mobile coffee vans, carts and regular market traders. - **Roasteries**: cafés that roast on site or supply beans wholesale. - **Licensed cafés**: cafés that serve alcohol or trade into the evening. See also [restaurant insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/restaurant-insurance/) and [bar and pub insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/bar-pub-insurance/). #### Bilingual café service We work with many Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking café owners across Melbourne. Communication is in your strongest language, every time. 墨尔本众多华人咖啡馆业主选择我们，沟通、报价、理赔都使用您熟悉的语言。 ## Café insurance, in plain language. ### What insurance does a café need? A café will commonly consider public and product liability, property and contents, equipment breakdown, stock, glass, theft, money and business interruption cover. Workers compensation is arranged separately and is compulsory for most Victorian employers. The right mix depends on your premises and how you trade, and cover remains subject to underwriting and the policy terms selected. ### How much does café insurance cost per year in Melbourne? There is no standard price. Premiums depend on your turnover, location, the value of your fit-out and equipment, how much cooking you do on site, your claims history and the sections and limits you select. A small coffee shop with limited cooking is generally rated lower than a café with a full kitchen. Pricing is set by the insurer and confirmed at quotation, and we can show you how each section affects the total. ### Does a small café need public liability insurance? Public liability is not required by a single law in Victoria, but most small cafés need it in practice. Commercial leases usually require it, and councils commonly ask for a certificate of currency before issuing a footpath trading permit. It is designed for claims where a customer or other third party is injured, or their property is damaged, in connection with your business. ### Is my coffee machine covered if it breaks down? Not under standard property cover, which is designed for events such as fire, storm and theft. Mechanical or electrical breakdown needs the equipment breakdown section to be added. If the machine is leased or on loan from your coffee supplier, check the agreement, because you may be responsible for insuring it. ### Are footpath tables and outdoor seating covered? Outdoor furniture, umbrellas and heaters are often subject to conditions or need to be specified, particularly if they are left outside overnight. Your public liability also needs to extend to the footpath area you trade on. Councils usually ask to be noted on the certificate of currency for a footpath trading permit. ### Can you insure a coffee cart or market stall? Yes. Mobile coffee businesses need liability cover that applies away from a fixed address, cover for equipment in transit, and a motor policy that reflects how the vehicle or trailer is used. Event organisers and markets usually ask for a certificate of currency before you trade. ## Related services. - [Restaurant Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/restaurant-insurance/): Kitchen fire, liability, liquor liability, stock, glass and business interruption for restaurants and takeaway shops. - [Bar & Pub Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/bar-pub-insurance/): Liquor liability, property, glass, money and business interruption for bars, pubs, nightclubs and breweries. - [Hospitality Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/hospitality-insurance/): Cover for function venues, food retail, caterers, food trucks, hotels and other hospitality businesses. ## Take a proper look at your café's cover. Send us your current schedule of insurance and a real broker will benchmark it against a wider market, line by line, with no review fee and no obligation. If you are opening a second café or expanding beyond Victoria, we can arrange cover there too. If you choose to place cover through us, we may earn commission from the insurer as set out in our [Financial Services Guide](https://wjinsurance.com.au/WJ%20Insurance%20-%20FSG.pdf). ## Contact WJ Insurance Phone 0478 978 888 (+61 478 978 888), email info@wjinsurance.com.au. Suite 46, 949 Burke Road, Camberwell VIC 3124, Australia. Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm Melbourne time. Service in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. ## Important information WJ Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 35 694 806 632) is a Corporate Authorised Representative (AR No. 001319710) of [NeedCover Group Pty Ltd](https://needcovergroup.com.au/) (ABN 28 005 729 831, AFSL 239911), which is responsible for any financial services provided through, or referred to on, this website. Any information on this website is of a general nature only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs, and obtain and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before deciding whether to acquire, vary or dispose of a financial product.