Every restaurant has its own style and flair, but one thing they all have in common is the need for the right insurance.
Sure, you must have culinary creativity, passion and a lot of hustle to succeed in the restaurant business, but one thing you don’t need is a hassle with your business insurance.
That’s where Public Liability Australia comes in. We do the shopping around for you, so you can get the right cover at the right price, as fast as you can say, “daily special”.
Why do Restaurant Owners Need Public and Product Liability Insurance?
Public Liability insurance is like the main course of insurance for restaurant owners and is one of the most important types of cover. It offers financial protection if a customer, supplier or any third-party is injured at your restaurant. But not your employees – they will need to be covered by a Workers Compensation policy. Public Liability also covers damage caused to other people’s property as a result of your business activites.
There is no end to the types of accidents that can occur in a restaurant, café or any other food business. A customer could slip or trip over something, a waiter could spill hot food or drink over a customer, or a kitchen fire could cause major damage to the premises you lease. Food poisoning presents another huge risks for food based businesses.
Without the protection of a Public Liability policy in place, the repercussions could be devastating. Even if you are not found guilty of negligence, the costs of defending such claims can run into thousands of dollars just to prove your innocence.
In short, Public Liability is peace of mind – meaning you don’t have to lay awake at night worry about what will happen if something was to go wrong at your restaurant.
What does it cover?
Public Liability insurance for restaurants provides cover for:
- Compensation to third parties if the actions of your restaurant cause physical injury, illness or death, whether on your business premises or at another location
- Compensation to third parties for loss or damage to other people’s property as a result of your business activities
- Your legal defence and court attendance costs incurred as a result of defending a claim
Other Types of Insurance for Restaurants
Business Insurance
Besides your staff and the great food you serve, your business assets are what makes your restaurant unique. Without them, you wouldn’t have a business to operate, so it’s important to protect the heart and soul of your restaurant with a tailored Business Insurance policy.
The most common cover taken out by restaurants are:
Building cover, if you own the building that houses your restaurant. It helps to pay for repairs or the cost of rebuilding if it is damaged or destroyed by unexpected events, such as fire or storm damage.
Contents Cover to protect everything from your tables, chairs and kitchen equipment, right down to your cutlery and even the artwork on your walls. Contents cover also provides protection for your stock if it is destroyed by an insurable event.
Glass Cover provides financial protection for the costs of replacing internal or external glass that is accidentally damaged or broken.
Machinery Breakdown Cover is critical for any restaurant. If your refrigerator, cool room, coffee machine or other essential equipment breaks down or suffers motor burns out, could you afford to fork out the cost or repairs or replacement? This type of cover can also extend to cover loss of stock due to your refrigerator or cool room breaking down.
Business Interruption Cover is often overlooked, yet is an important form of cover. If your restaurant is unable to operate due to an insured event, where would that leave your business financially? Business Interruption cover works to keep some of your income flowing if a catastrophe happens and you can’t open your doors.
Management Liability
Management Liability cover protects your business against risks involving employees, waste management and other operations. Here are just a few benefits of Management Liability coverage:
Employment Liability – this cover protects you from claims of harassment, discrimination or unfair termination. Employee turnover can be high in some restaurants and it’s important to protect yourself from allegations of wrongdoing.
Employee Theft – no one likes to think their employees could be capable of theft, but it can happen – especially in small businesses. Often, by the time it is uncovered the damage has been done.
Occupational Health and Safety Management (OH&S) – there are many workplace risks and hazards in restaurants – hot ovens, slippery floors, and sharp appliances. Coming up short on your OH&S programs could land you in some hot water.
Cyber Insurance
In today’s world, cyber-attacks don’t just happen to online businesses. Cyber attacks are on the rise. All businesses are at risk of cyber crime occurring. An online attack can affect your record keeping, point-of-sale machines, and even your restaurant’s website and online booking system.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Buying Restaurant Insurance
When purchasing insurance for your restaurant or cafe, you need to think carefully about your individual risks as well as the assets you want to protect.
Consider the following:
- Do you have a landlord or commercial lender that requires you to carry a minimum amount of Public Liability insurance?
- Could you afford to be out of pocket for liability costs if somebody injured themselves or fell ill as a result of your business?
- How much would it cost to replace your kitchen equipment, POS machines or cash register if there was a fire?
Getting the Right Public Liability Insurance for Restaurant Owners
Deciding on insurance for your restaurant doesn’t have to be a chore. Public Liability Australia makes it easy by doing the shopping around for you. We’ll do our best to get you’re the right cover at the right price.
With just a few clicks or a quick call to one of our insurance specialists and you’ll be covered in minutes.
