# Restaurant Insurance Broker Melbourne > Restaurant insurance from a Melbourne broker. Cover for kitchen fire, public and liquor liability, stock, glass and business interruption. Request a quote. Source: https://wjinsurance.com.au/restaurant-insurance/ (en-AU) **Restaurant insurance built around your kitchen and your trade.** 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. - **230+** insurers & underwriters on our panel - **3 languages** English, Mandarin & Cantonese - **Direct help** from quote through to claim ## Cover for the way a restaurant actually runs. 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 & product liability 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. ### Fire, property & fit-out 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. ### Stock & refrigeration 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. ### Liquor liability 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. ### Business interruption 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. ### Equipment breakdown 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. ### Glass & signage 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. ### 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, and we can help you check that your staff and industry classification are recorded correctly. #### 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 restaurants get caught out. Patterns we see when reviewing existing restaurant 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 - Theft and money cover within sub-limits - Tax audit cover, where added \*Subject to policy terms and conditions. ### Where restaurants fall short (Frequent gap) - Cooking methods described incorrectly, such as wok, charcoal or deep frying left off the proposal - Exhaust and duct cleaning conditions that are not being met in practice - Business interruption indemnity period of only 6 months - Gross profit figure understated, which caps a real claim - Coolroom breakdown and stock spoilage not added - Liability wording that excludes or limits alcohol-related claims - Delivery, catering and off-site events not disclosed to the insurer - No cover for cyber events, including POS and booking system compromise ## Across the spectrum of Melbourne restaurants. - **Independent restaurants**: owner-operated and family-run venues across the CBD and suburbs. - **Asian restaurants**: Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian and Indian kitchens, including wok, charcoal and hot pot cooking. - **Licensed and BYO restaurants**: venues serving alcohol with meals. For venues where drinks are the main trade, see [bar and pub insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/bar-pub-insurance/). - **Takeaway shops**: fish and chip shops, pizza, kebab, burger and noodle shops, with or without seating. - **Restaurant groups**: multi-site operators who want one programme and one renewal date. - **Caterers and commercial kitchens**: catering businesses, production kitchens and dark kitchens supplying delivery platforms. - **Pop-ups and food trucks**: short-term sites, market stalls and mobile kitchens. See our [hospitality insurance](https://wjinsurance.com.au/hospitality-insurance/) page for more. #### Bilingual restaurant service We work with many Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking restaurant owners across Melbourne. Communication is in your strongest language, every time. 墨尔本众多华人餐厅业主选择我们，沟通、报价、理赔都使用您熟悉的语言。 ## Restaurant insurance, in plain language. ### What insurance does a restaurant need? 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. ### How much does restaurant insurance cost? 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. ### Do restaurants need public liability insurance? 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. ### Does restaurant insurance cover a kitchen fire? 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. ### What happens if a customer is injured or becomes ill? 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. ### Is food delivery or catering covered by my restaurant policy? 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](https://wjinsurance.com.au/motor-vehicle/). ### Can you insure a takeaway shop? 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. ## Related services. - [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. - [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 restaurant'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 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](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.