Best Commercial Insurance Carriers for Restaurants (2026)

Restaurants are among the most common small commercial accounts, but they are far from simple. A single restaurant account can involve a business owners policy (BOP), general liability, liquor liability, workers compensation, equipment breakdown, food spoilage, EPLI, and sometimes commercial auto and umbrella. The coverage stack is wide, and the carrier you choose determines how much of it you can bundle cleanly versus how many separate policies you need to piece together.

This matters because not every carrier wants restaurant business, and among those that do, appetite varies enormously by restaurant type. A carrier that writes fast-casual all day may decline a full-service restaurant with 60% liquor revenue. Another carrier may have a strong restaurant program but exclude any account that serves alcohol past midnight. Knowing which carriers fit which restaurant segments saves you from wasted submissions and gives your clients better coverage at better pricing.

For the full coverage breakdown by restaurant type, see our restaurant insurance guide. For the step-by-step quoting workflow, see how to quote restaurant insurance.

TLDR: Hartford and Travelers offer the broadest standard-market appetite for restaurants. Society Insurance and Westfield are strong regional options with competitive pricing. AmTrust and EMPLOYERS are solid for workers comp-heavy accounts. For high-liquor-revenue or late-night operations, you will likely need a specialty market like USLI or a surplus lines carrier. The single biggest differentiator across carriers is how they handle liquor liability — bundled in the BOP, available as an endorsement, or requiring a standalone policy.

What Restaurant Insurance Needs to Cover

Before comparing carriers, it helps to understand the full coverage stack a restaurant account requires. Most restaurant programs include six to eight coverage layers:

• BOP (GL + Property + Business Income) — the foundation. Covers slip-and-fall claims, property damage, equipment, inventory, and business interruption.
• Liquor Liability — required for any restaurant that serves alcohol. The standard CGL excludes liquor liability for businesses in the business of selling or serving alcohol.
• Workers Compensation — mandatory in nearly every state. Restaurants have high employee injury rates from burns, cuts, slips, and repetitive motion.
• Food Spoilage — covers loss of perishable inventory from equipment failure or power outage. Standard BOP sublimits ($2,500–$5,000) are usually inadequate for restaurants with walk-in coolers.
• Equipment Breakdown — commercial kitchen equipment is expensive and fails mechanically. Standard property policies exclude mechanical and electrical breakdown.
• EPLI — employment practices liability. Restaurants have high turnover and significant exposure to wage-and-hour claims, harassment claims, and wrongful termination suits.

The carrier you select needs to handle at least the BOP and GL well, with clean options for liquor liability and food spoilage endorsements. Workers comp may go to a separate carrier depending on the state and the account's loss history.

Carrier Comparison: Restaurant Appetite at a Glance

Top Carriers for Restaurant Insurance

The Hartford

The Hartford is the most commonly appointed carrier for independent agents writing restaurant business, and for good reason. Their restaurant appetite is broad — they will write fast-casual, full-service, pizzerias, delis, bakeries, and most ethnic restaurants. Their BOP includes equipment breakdown coverage as a standard inclusion rather than an optional endorsement, which simplifies the coverage stack.

Hartford offers liquor liability as a BOP endorsement for restaurants where alcohol is 50% or less of total revenue. Once liquor revenue exceeds 50%, or the establishment operates primarily as a bar, the account falls outside their standard appetite. Food spoilage is available as an endorsement with limits up to $25,000 — adequate for most single-location restaurants but potentially tight for larger operations with multiple walk-in coolers.

Strengths: Easy to get appointed, broad appetite, equipment breakdown included in BOP, strong online portal for quoting. Limitations: Liquor revenue cap at 50%, food spoilage sublimits can be low for larger restaurants, pricing can be higher than regional competitors.

Travelers

Travelers writes restaurant accounts across most segments and is particularly strong for larger and multi-location restaurant groups. Their underwriting appetite is comparable to Hartford's, but they tend to be more flexible on account size and complexity. Travelers will often write accounts that Hartford declines due to revenue size or loss history nuances.

Travelers offers liquor liability either as a BOP endorsement or as a separate policy, depending on the account. Their food spoilage endorsement goes up to $50,000, which is meaningfully higher than Hartford and appropriate for restaurants with significant perishable inventory. Workers comp is available in all states.

Strengths: Flexible on larger and more complex accounts, higher food spoilage limits, strong claims handling, multi-location capability. Limitations: Can be slower to quote than Hartford, pricing is not always competitive on small accounts, underwriting can be more conservative on newer restaurants without operating history.

Society Insurance

Society Insurance is a Midwest regional carrier that has built one of the strongest restaurant-specific programs in the market. They have built a large book of restaurant business and have tailored their policy forms specifically for food service operations. Their restaurant BOP includes liquor liability, equipment breakdown, food spoilage, and employment practices liability as standard inclusions — not optional endorsements.

The catch is territorial: Society operates in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas. If the restaurant is in their footprint, Society should be one of the first markets you quote. Their pricing is often competitive with or below Hartford and Travelers on comparable accounts, and their restaurant-specific claims handling is well regarded by agents.

Strengths: Restaurant specialist with tailored forms, liquor liability included in BOP, competitive pricing, strong claims handling. Limitations: Limited territory (primarily Midwest), less name recognition with restaurant owners, no commercial auto.

AmTrust Financial

AmTrust is primarily known as a workers compensation carrier, and that is where they add the most value for restaurant accounts. Restaurants carry significant workers comp exposure — kitchen burns, knife injuries, slips on wet floors, and repetitive motion from prep work all contribute to higher-than-average frequency. AmTrust's restaurant workers comp program offers competitive pricing, particularly for smaller restaurants (under $500K annual revenue) where larger carriers may not compete aggressively.

AmTrust also writes restaurant BOPs for smaller accounts, with liquor liability available as an endorsement. Their BOP is serviceable but not as feature-rich as Hartford's or Society's. The play here is usually pairing AmTrust workers comp with another carrier's BOP.

Strengths: Competitive workers comp pricing for restaurants, strong small-account appetite, fast quoting. Limitations: BOP is basic compared to restaurant specialists, limited endorsement options, less competitive on larger accounts.

Westfield Insurance

Westfield is a regional carrier operating in roughly 30 states, concentrated in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of the South. Their restaurant appetite is moderate — they will write most fast-casual and full-service restaurants with less than 50% liquor revenue. Like Society, they are often more competitively priced than national carriers on restaurant accounts within their territory.

Westfield offers liquor liability as a BOP endorsement and includes food spoilage coverage with limits up to $25,000. Equipment breakdown is available as an endorsement. Their underwriting process is straightforward and their portal is reasonably efficient for agents who are appointed.

Strengths: Competitive pricing in their territory, solid restaurant appetite, good agent relationships. Limitations: Regional footprint limits availability, less flexible than Hartford or Travelers on complex accounts.

RLI Corp (Specialty/High-Risk)

For restaurants where liquor revenue exceeds 50%, where the operation stays open past midnight, or where the establishment is functionally a bar or nightclub, the standard markets above will decline. RLI operates in the specialty and surplus lines space through its subsidiary Mt. Hawley Insurance Company, and offers excess liability coverage that can attach over primary liquor liability policies. For primary standalone liquor liability, specialty carriers like USLI, Prime Insurance Company, and Admiral Insurance Group write policies for high-risk hospitality accounts that standard carriers will not touch.

These specialty liquor liability policies can cover assault and battery (often excluded elsewhere) and handle late-night operations. Pricing is higher than what you would pay through a BOP endorsement, but for accounts that cannot get liquor liability bundled, a specialty or surplus lines carrier is often the only option available.

Strengths: Specialty carriers write high-risk liquor liability, cover late-night operations, assault and battery available. RLI provides excess liability layering over primary liquor policies. Limitations: Standalone liquor liability only (no BOP), higher pricing, limited to accounts that genuinely need specialty placement.

Liquor Liability: Which Carriers Include It?

Liquor liability is the single biggest coverage differentiator when choosing a carrier for restaurant accounts. Every restaurant that serves alcohol needs it, but how carriers provide it varies widely:

Included in the BOP as standard:

• Society Insurance (for restaurants in their territory)

Available as a BOP endorsement (most common):

• The Hartford (up to 50% liquor revenue)
• Travelers (up to 50% liquor revenue, or separate policy)
• Westfield (up to 50% liquor revenue)
• EMC Insurance (up to 40–50% liquor revenue, varies by state)
• Erie Insurance (up to 50% liquor revenue)
• AmTrust (up to 25% liquor revenue for BOP; higher thresholds may apply under package programs)

Standalone policy required (specialty/surplus lines):

• USLI, Prime Insurance, Admiral Insurance (primary standalone liquor liability)
• RLI Corp / Mt. Hawley (excess liability over primary liquor policies)
• Markel (E&S market, hard-to-place)

The revenue threshold matters. Most standard carriers draw the line at 50% of total revenue from alcohol. Once the account crosses that threshold — or if the restaurant is functionally a bar, tavern, or nightclub — you are into specialty or surplus lines territory. The premium difference between a BOP endorsement ($500–$2,000/year) and a standalone liquor liability policy ($3,000–$10,000/year) is significant, so accurately capturing the food-to-alcohol revenue split is one of the most important steps in the quoting process.

For a complete breakdown of liquor liability coverage, limits, and exclusions, see the liquor liability insurance glossary entry.

Fast-Casual vs Full-Service vs Fine Dining

Carrier appetite varies meaningfully across restaurant segments. Here is how the three main categories differ from an underwriting perspective:

Fast-Casual and Counter-Service

Fast-casual restaurants — think sandwich shops, burrito chains, poke bowls, pizza-by-the-slice — are the easiest restaurant segment to place. Most do not serve alcohol (or alcohol is minimal, under 15% of revenue). Employee counts are lower, kitchen equipment is simpler, and the premises liability exposure is more contained.

Best carriers: Hartford, Travelers, AmTrust, Westfield, EMC, Erie. Nearly every standard-market carrier with restaurant appetite will write fast-casual. This is where you will see the most carrier competition and the best pricing.

Full-Service Restaurants

Full-service restaurants with table service, a bar, and 30–50% liquor revenue are the core of the restaurant insurance market. These accounts need a complete coverage stack: BOP, liquor liability, workers comp, equipment breakdown, food spoilage, and often umbrella. Carrier selection matters more here because the liquor liability component creates divergence in both pricing and coverage terms.

Best carriers: Hartford, Travelers, Society Insurance (in their territory), Westfield. The key question is whether liquor liability can be endorsed onto the BOP or requires a separate policy. For accounts under 50% liquor revenue, all of these carriers can handle it. Quoting multiple carriers is essential — the pricing spread on full-service restaurant accounts can be significant from lowest to highest carrier.

Fine Dining and High-Liquor Operations

Fine dining restaurants with extensive wine programs, craft cocktail bars, late-night operations, and establishments where liquor revenue approaches or exceeds 50% are the hardest segment to place. Standard carriers become selective, and accounts with significant bar revenue or late-night hours may require surplus lines placement for the liquor liability component.

Best carriers: Society Insurance (if in territory and under 50% liquor), specialty carriers like USLI or Prime Insurance for standalone liquor liability, Markel for E&S placement. For the BOP itself, Hartford or Travelers can often still write the property and GL — you just need a separate liquor liability policy from a specialty or surplus lines market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which carrier is best for a restaurant that serves alcohol?

For restaurants where alcohol is under 50% of revenue, The Hartford and Travelers are the most reliable standard-market options — both offer liquor liability as a BOP endorsement. If the restaurant is in Society Insurance's territory (primarily Midwest states), Society is often the best option because liquor liability is included in their restaurant BOP at no additional cost. For bars or restaurants where alcohol exceeds 50% of revenue, you will need a specialty carrier (such as USLI, Prime Insurance, or Admiral Insurance) for the liquor liability component.

Do I need a separate workers comp carrier for restaurant accounts?

Not necessarily, but it often makes sense. Hartford, Travelers, and Society all write workers comp alongside their BOP for restaurants. However, if the restaurant has a challenging workers comp history (high experience modification factor, prior claims) or you want the most competitive workers comp pricing, consider quoting AmTrust or EMPLOYERS as a standalone workers comp option. Splitting the BOP and workers comp across two carriers is common in restaurant insurance.

What is the most commonly missed coverage on restaurant accounts?

Equipment breakdown and adequate food spoilage limits. Standard BOP food spoilage sublimits are often $2,500–$5,000, which will not cover the contents of a walk-in cooler and freezer at most full-service restaurants. A single compressor failure can destroy $15,000–$30,000 in perishable inventory. Make sure the food spoilage endorsement is in place with appropriate limits — $25,000 minimum for most full-service restaurants, $50,000 for larger operations. For more on the full coverage stack, see the restaurant insurance guide.

How many carriers should I quote for a restaurant account?

For fast-casual accounts without alcohol, three to five carriers is usually sufficient — most standard carriers will compete and the pricing spread is narrower. For full-service restaurants with liquor liability, quote six to ten carriers. The pricing spread on these accounts can be substantial from lowest to highest, and coverage terms (especially around liquor liability, food spoilage limits, and equipment breakdown) vary enough that comparing multiple options adds real value. QuoteSweep makes it straightforward to check carrier appetite across your full panel before submitting.