# Hospitality Insurance Broker Melbourne > Hospitality insurance for cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, takeaway shops and caterers, arranged by a Melbourne broker across 230+ insurers. Request a quote. Source: https://wjinsurance.com.au/hospitality-insurance/ (en-AU) **Hospitality insurance built around how you actually trade.** Get a tailored review for your [café](https://wjinsurance.com.au/cafe-insurance/), [restaurant](https://wjinsurance.com.au/restaurant-insurance/), [bar or pub](https://wjinsurance.com.au/bar-pub-insurance/) from a Melbourne broker who understands hot kitchens, equipment breakdown, stock spoilage and liquor liability. 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 hospitality actually works. Hospitality businesses live with hot kitchens, alcohol service, late nights, casual staff and tight margins. Generic small business policies are not built for this — and the gaps show up at the worst possible time. ### Public & product liability Public liability is for third-party injury and property damage on or arising from your premises. For hospitality, $20 million is standard — many landlords, licensing authorities and councils require it. Product liability is designed for food poisoning, allergic reactions and other claims arising from food and drink served. ### Liquor liability If your venue is licensed, liquor liability is designed for claims arising from the responsible service of alcohol — for example, a patron causing injury after leaving the premises intoxicated. Most public liability policies exclude or sub-limit liquor claims, so this needs to be either added by extension or placed under a specialist policy. ### Property, contents & stock Fit-out, kitchen equipment, refrigeration, furniture, stock and consumables are insured at proper replacement value. We pay close attention to refrigeration spoilage and stock cover — a common claim in Melbourne hospitality whenever a power outage or fridge breakdown takes out a freezer or coolroom. ### Glass & signage For cafés and restaurants with shopfront glass, feature windows, mirrors or external signage, glass cover is essential. Standard sub-limits are often insufficient for large frontages and we increase them to match the actual replacement cost. ### Business interruption If a kitchen fire, flood or major equipment failure forces you to close, business interruption pays your loss of gross profit and ongoing fixed costs (rent, wages, loan repayments) until you reopen. Setting the right indemnity period and the correct gross profit figure is the single most important decision in a hospitality policy. ### Equipment breakdown & refrigeration Mechanical and electrical breakdown of ovens, dishwashers, coffee machines, fridges and freezers is excluded under standard property cover and needs equipment breakdown to be added — often combined with deterioration of stock cover for the contents of failed cool rooms. ### Workers compensation WorkCover is mandatory in Victoria once your annual remuneration exceeds the threshold or you employ an apprentice. Hospitality has higher WorkCover rates than most industries because of the frequency of cuts, burns and back injuries. We help with the classification and audit process so you do not pay more than you should. #### 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). ## Find the page for your kind of venue. - [Restaurant Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/restaurant-insurance/): Kitchen fire, liability, liquor liability, stock, glass and business interruption for restaurants and takeaway shops. - [Cafe Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/cafe-insurance/): Liability, coffee machine and fridge breakdown, stock, glass and business interruption for cafes and coffee 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. ## Where Melbourne hospitality businesses get caught out. Patterns we see when reviewing existing hospitality policies. Any of these familiar? ### What is usually fine (Standard) - $20M public liability — meets most landlord and council requirements - Property and contents cover for fit-out and equipment - Glass cover up to a standard sub-limit - Theft and money cover within sub-limits - Tax audit cover, where added \*Subject to policy terms and conditions. ### Where venues fall short (Frequent gap) - Liquor liability missing on a licensed venue - Business interruption indemnity period of only 6 months - Gross profit figure understated, capping a real claim - Refrigeration breakdown and spoilage not added - Glass sub-limit too low for large shopfront windows - Outdoor furniture and signage not separately specified - WorkCover rate based on incorrect industry classification - No cover for cyber events, including POS compromise ## Across the spectrum of Melbourne hospitality. - **Cafés**: single-site cafés, coffee shops, multi-site coffee groups and roasteries. See [cafe insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/cafe-insurance/). - **Restaurants and takeaway shops**: independent restaurants, family-run venues, takeaway shops and restaurant groups across Asian, European and modern Australian cuisine. See [restaurant insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/restaurant-insurance/). - **Bars, pubs and licensed venues**: wine bars, cocktail bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs, breweries and live music rooms. See [bar and pub insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/bar-pub-insurance/). - **Liquor stores**: bottle shops, specialty wine retailers and licensed alcohol retailers, including premises, stock and liability exposures. See [liquor store insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/liquor-store-insurance/). - **Function and event venues**: wedding venues, function rooms and event spaces. - **Caterers and commercial kitchens**: catering businesses, production kitchens and food manufacturers supplying venues and retailers. - **Food retail**: bakeries, patisseries, butchers, delis and specialty food retailers. - **Mobile and pop-up**: food trucks, market stalls and pop-up dining. - **Hotels and accommodation**: boutique hotels, serviced apartments and short-stay operations. #### Bilingual hospitality service We work with many Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking restaurant and café owners across Melbourne — from suburban shopping strips to the CBD. Communication is in your strongest language, every time. 墨尔本众多华人餐饮业主选择我们，因为沟通、报价、理赔都使用您熟悉的语言。 ## Hospitality insurance, in plain language. ### How much does café and restaurant insurance cost in Melbourne? Premiums depend on turnover, trading hours, cuisine type, claims history and the limits you select. Larger restaurants, licensed venues and bars typically sit higher than small cafés because of liquor liability, stock value and trading hours. Cuisine type also matters — cooking with naked flame or wok cooking attracts a higher rating from most insurers. Pricing is set by the underwriter and confirmed at quotation. ### Do I need liquor liability insurance for a restaurant? If your venue is licensed to sell or serve alcohol, liquor liability is a meaningful exposure. It is designed for claims arising from the service of alcohol — for example, an intoxicated patron causing injury after leaving the premises. Most public liability policies exclude or limit liquor-related claims, so a specific extension or specialist policy is required for licensed venues. ### What insurance do I need for a food truck or pop-up? Food trucks and pop-ups need public and product liability that can cover operations away from a fixed address, vehicle insurance with food preparation extensions, contents and stock cover for equipment carried inside the vehicle, and event-specific cover where the venue requires it. Many councils and event organisers require a certificate of currency confirming $20M public liability before granting a permit. ### What insurance does a liquor store need? A liquor store will commonly consider public and product liability, property and contents, glass, theft, stock, money and business interruption cover. The policy also needs to reflect alcohol sales, delivery services and any tastings held on the premises. Cover remains subject to underwriting and the policy terms selected. ### Does business interruption cover a kitchen fire shutdown? Yes, provided business interruption is on the policy and the trigger is an insured event. After a kitchen fire that closes the venue for repairs, business interruption pays your loss of gross profit and ongoing fixed costs for the indemnity period — typically 12 or 18 months. Setting the right indemnity period and the correct gross profit figure is the single biggest mistake we see in hospitality policies. ### Is glass cover automatic in a café policy? Most hospitality packages include glass cover for shopfront glass, internal partitions and signage as a standard inclusion, but with a sub-limit. For cafés and restaurants with large feature windows or extensive glazing, the standard sub-limit may be insufficient and we increase it to match the actual replacement cost. ### What about workers compensation for kitchen staff? WorkCover is mandatory in Victoria for any business with annual remuneration above the threshold or that employs an apprentice. Hospitality businesses typically have higher WorkCover rates because of the frequency of cuts, burns and back injuries. We help you classify staff correctly and challenge incorrect remuneration calculations at audit. ## Related services. - [Business Insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/business-insurance/): Public liability, professional indemnity, commercial property, business interruption and cyber. - [Home & Contents](https://wjinsurance.com.au/home-insurance/): Building, contents, landlord and strata insurance for Melbourne homes and apartments. - [High Net Worth](https://wjinsurance.com.au/high-net-worth/): One programme covering prestige homes, vehicles, valuables and worldwide assets. ## Take a proper look at your venue's cover. Send us your current schedule of insurance and a real broker will benchmark it against a wider hospitality market — line by line, with no review fee and no obligation. If you are moving interstate 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.