Restaurant Insurance: Protecting You From the Dangers of the Kitchen

While most people think of restaurant insurance as protecting against food poisoning and providing protection from possible lawsuits, restaurant insurance can also protect you from some of the more subtle dangers of running a restaurant such as kitchen fires and floods, equipment breakdowns, and employee theft.

Although none of these things are common occurrences in restaurants, they do happen from time to time, and it’s better to be prepared than to not have any type of coverage at all.

Here’s an overview of restaurant insurance and the services it can provide you with to keep your business safe and running smoothly.

Foodborne Illness Foodborne illness insurance covers restaurants

The most common types of foodborne illness are salmonella, E. coli and listeria. And while restaurant insurance can’t protect against these, it does cover other risks like fire damage and accidents in your kitchen.

While some policies include limited coverage for intentional contamination and injury to employees, others will not cover any crimes committed on or near your property. It is important that you read your policy carefully before purchasing a plan to make sure you are getting what you need from an insurance company.

Your contract should spell out what is covered, exclusions and limitations in detail. For example, if you have claims outside the time frame of your policy period (such as a claim for equipment stolen outside of regular business hours) many policies won't offer coverage at all.

Some tips to stay safe when running a restaurant are keeping knives sharpened so they don't dull quickly; thoroughly washing vegetables; cleaning pots and pans after use with hot water and soap; avoiding contact with raw meat without gloves; cooking food at proper temperatures; storing leftovers correctly; training employees how to handle perishable items safely before they enter into contact with them and taking care when handling dairy products.

Property Damage Restaurant insurance protects

Protect your restaurant, employees, and customers with property damage insurance. It will help you rebuild after a disaster or if a fire causes damage to your building.

Property damage insurance can also provide coverage if thieves steal equipment or cause harm with their actions. This type of insurance is especially important for restaurants that rely on costly equipment to prepare food.

If an employee damages one of these items, or if a customer vandalizes your kitchen by throwing something at it, this type of insurance will cover the cost for repairs. The last thing you want when trying to run a successful business is expensive repairs because someone else's negligence caused the accident.

A common mistake owners make when opening a new restaurant is not having enough insurance coverage in case of emergency. You should purchase property damage insurance as soon as possible so you're not scrambling to find coverage later on when things go wrong and all options have been exhausted.

Some types of property damage like water damage are covered under standard home insurance policies, but that won't protect your business from other hazards like theft and vandalism. Having property damage insurance will safeguard your most valuable assets while giving you peace of mind in case something goes wrong.

Personal Injury Restaurant insurance protects

*It's not just about protecting your business from lawsuits.

*If you are sued by a customer and lose, you may be required to pay for the customer's medical bills and other damages.

*You might also be liable for punitive damages if it can be proven that you were negligent in some way.

*For example, if someone is injured because they tripped over a loose rug, you could be sued for compensation for their medical bills, loss of wages and emotional distress even if there was no evidence that you were at fault.

*Punitive damages are awarded when the court feels it would serve as a deterrent to other negligent people and businesses who could have foreseen similar dangers but didn't take action.

* If a person suffers harm because he or she is disabled and unable to escape from danger on his or her own, then the disabled person has grounds for a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

* For example, say an able-bodied person trips and falls on a wet floor in an ice cream shop. The owner of the shop should have been aware that wet floors create hazards for everyone visiting his establishment.

But what if it was a disabled person? That would change things dramatically.

* There's nothing more dangerous than cooking food with oil over 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 180 degrees Celsius). It only takes seconds before grease can ignite into flames, trapping those nearby with little chance of escape.

Business Interruption Restaurant insurance protects

In today's society, there are so many risky factors in a restaurant. There is the risk that food can go bad, the risk that kitchens can be dangerous, and the risk of large numbers of people coming to frequent restaurants. In order to protect your business from these risks you should invest in restaurant insurance.

With restaurant insurance you are able to plan for expenses related to fire and theft. It also covers damages caused by kitchen accidents or food-borne illnesses from customers who have eaten at your establishment.

In addition to covering property damage, injury and death, it will provide funds if you need time off work after an accident. For example, if someone slips on a spilled soup on your tile floor, falls down, breaks their arm and needs surgery--it will pay for those costs.

If someone dies because they had a heart attack while eating one of your dishes--it will cover funeral arrangements and more.

If you want to know more about restaurant insurance, please visit our website at . We would love to help you get set up with a great policy! Our experts have all sorts of information to share with you. Give us a call or shoot us an email today and we'll chat!

Workers' Compensation restaurant insurance

Workers' Compensation is a type of insurance that provides compensation to employees who are injured on the job. Workers' Compensation covers medical bills and lost wages. There's also coverage for some types of occupational illnesses, but not all. Injuries incurred off-the-job are not covered by workers' comp.

There are two types of Workers' Comp coverage: employer liability and employee choice. Employer Liability coverage is mandatory in many states, even if you're running a small business with just a few employees - like a restaurant with just five or ten employees.

Employee Choice coverage is often optional because it costs more than employer liability coverage - but it can make sense for those who want to take on more risk themselves (like self-employed restaurant owners). Employees have an opportunity to waive their rights under employer liability coverage by signing an authorization form.

Employees are usually given time to consider their decision before they have to sign it, but may only be given seven days before they have no right to opt out of these benefits without having paid into them first.

An employee's responsibility for payment will depend on how long he or she has worked for the company before being offered Worker's Comp benefits as well as his or her previous work history.

restaurant insurance broker

A restaurant insurance broker works with a variety of insurance companies, so they can find you the best coverage for your restaurant.

They can also help you figure out what type of coverage is best for you based on your specific needs and budget.

For example, if your business has a lot of customers with allergies or dietary restrictions, you might want to look into purchasing food liability insurance. Food liability insurance will protect you in cases where someone gets sick from eating your food or there is an allergic reaction.

Some people mistakenly think that their general liability policy covers this - it doesn't. Be sure to ask your restaurant insurance broker about this and all other aspects of risk management at your establishment before making any decisions about how to best cover yourself as a restaurateur.