Get a tailored review for your restaurant or takeaway shop from a Melbourne broker who understands commercial kitchens, liquor service, perishable stock and what a closure really costs. Clear advice in English, Mandarin or Cantonese.
No-obligation review · Melbourne-based broker · Australia-wide cover
A restaurant combines open flame, hot oil, perishable stock, alcohol service and a room full of the public. A generic business pack is rarely set up for all of that at once. We start with how your kitchen and your floor operate before comparing products.
Public liability is for third-party injury and property damage on or arising from your premises, such as a diner slipping on a wet floor. Product liability is designed for claims arising from the food and drink you serve, including food poisoning and allergic reactions. Many landlords and councils ask for $20 million and a certificate of currency.
Kitchen fire is the loss most restaurant owners worry about. Property cover insures your fit-out, cooking equipment, furniture and contents at replacement value. Insurers will ask about your cooking methods, exhaust canopy and duct cleaning, and fire suppression, so we present those details properly.
Perishable stock can be lost in a few hours when a coolroom or freezer fails. Deterioration of stock cover is designed for spoilage following breakdown or power failure, and it usually needs to be added as its own section with a limit that reflects a full coolroom.
Some public liability policies exclude or limit claims connected to the service of alcohol. If your restaurant is licensed or BYO, the liability wording needs to be reviewed so that it reflects how alcohol is served at your venue.
If a fire, flood or other insured event closes the restaurant, business interruption is designed to cover your loss of gross profit and ongoing fixed costs such as rent and wages while you rebuild. The indemnity period and the gross profit figure need to be set with care, because a kitchen rebuild often takes longer than owners expect.
Mechanical and electrical breakdown of ovens, combi steamers, dishwashers, fridges and freezers is generally not part of standard property cover and needs to be added as its own section.
Shopfront windows, glass doors, internal partitions, mirrors 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.
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, and we can help you check that your staff and industry classification are recorded correctly.
Patterns we see when reviewing existing restaurant policies. Any of these familiar?
*Subject to policy terms and conditions.
A restaurant will commonly consider public and product liability, property and contents, stock, glass, theft, money, equipment breakdown and business interruption cover. Licensed venues also need the liability wording checked for alcohol-related claims.
Workers compensation is arranged separately and is compulsory for most Victorian employers. The right mix depends on your premises, your menu and how you trade, and cover remains subject to underwriting and the policy terms selected.
Premiums depend on your turnover, location, cooking methods, trading hours, whether you serve alcohol, your claims history and the limits you select.
Kitchens that deep fry, use woks or cook over charcoal are generally rated higher than those that do not, and a well maintained exhaust system and fire suppression are viewed favourably by underwriters. Pricing is set by the insurer and confirmed at quotation.
Public liability is not required by a single law in Victoria, but in practice most restaurants cannot trade without it. Commercial leases usually require it, and councils commonly ask for a certificate of currency for footpath dining permits.
It is designed for claims where a customer or other third party is injured, or their property is damaged, in connection with your business.
Fire damage to your fit-out, equipment and stock is insured under the property section, and the income you lose while closed is insured under business interruption, provided both sections are on the policy.
Insurers usually set conditions around exhaust canopy and duct cleaning. We check that those conditions are ones your kitchen actually meets, because a breach can affect a claim.
A claim from a customer who slips, is burnt or becomes ill after eating is the kind of claim public and product liability is designed for. The insurer generally manages the claim and any legal defence on your behalf, subject to the policy terms.
Tell us as soon as an incident happens, even if no claim has been made, so the insurer can be notified in time.
Not automatically. A policy is written around the activities you disclose, so catering at other venues, delivery by your own drivers and supply to delivery platforms should be declared.
Stock away from the premises may need transit cover, and vehicles used for delivery need a motor policy that allows business use.
Yes. A takeaway shop has many of the same exposures as a restaurant, often with more deep frying and longer trading hours. We arrange cover for fish and chip shops, pizza, kebab, burger and noodle shops, with or without seating.
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 site 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.
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