Best General Liability Insurance for Restaurants in 2026

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Restaurants face a specific liability profile: high customer foot traffic, hot surfaces and liquids, alcohol service in some cases, and food safety exposure. A single slip-and-fall on a wet floor can generate a $50,000 to $150,000 claim. A foodborne illness incident affecting multiple customers can run significantly higher. GL is the foundational policy every restaurant needs before opening the doors.

The right GL carrier for a restaurant depends on your type (quick service, full service, bar and grill, food truck), whether you serve alcohol, and your seating capacity.

Quick Summary

Provider	Best For	Monthly Cost
Next Insurance	Quick-service restaurants and small full-service operations	$55/mo
The Hartford	Full-service restaurants and operations with higher limits	$80/mo
biBerk	Budget-conscious restaurants with clean loss histories	$50/mo
Simply Business	Comparing multiple carrier quotes at once	Varies
Hiscox	Restaurant groups and multi-location operations	$70/mo

Cost estimates for a 40-seat full-service restaurant in Texas with $500,000 annual revenue, $1M/$2M GL limits. Rates vary by location, alcohol service, and claims history.

Why We Picked These Providers

Restaurant GL is a competitive market with many carriers writing it. These five represent the range of restaurant types from quick-service and food trucks to full-service operations with liquor service. We excluded carriers that require commercial brokers for all restaurant accounts and carriers that decline alcohol-serving establishments outright.

Provider Reviews

Next Insurance

Next Insurance writes restaurant GL through a fast digital application that covers most restaurant formats: full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, cafes, bakeries, catering operations, and food businesses without alcohol service.

Best for: Quick-service restaurants, cafes, and small full-service operations (under $1M revenue) that do not serve alcohol as a primary business focus. Restaurants that need fast coverage and digital certificate issuance.

What it costs: $55 to $110 per month for most small restaurant operations. Restaurants with alcohol service or above $1M in revenue price higher.

One thing to watch: Next Insurance may not offer liquor liability as a standalone endorsement for all restaurant types. If your restaurant serves alcohol and it is a significant portion of your revenue, confirm liquor liability coverage availability before purchasing.

Affiliate link: Get a GL quote from Next Insurance

The Hartford

The Hartford has long-standing restaurant insurance programs covering full-service restaurants, bars and grills, fast casual, and similar operations. Their BOP option for restaurants includes property, GL, and business interruption in a combined package suited to operations with significant physical assets.

Best for: Full-service restaurants and bar-and-grill operations with $1M or more in revenue. Restaurants that need a combined GL and property policy. Operations with liquor service that need liquor liability bundled into their coverage.

What it costs: $80 to $180 per month for most restaurant operations. Higher for alcohol-serving establishments and operations with significant kitchen equipment and leasehold improvements.

One thing to watch: The Hartford's restaurant programs are competitive for mid-sized operations but may price above Next Insurance and biBerk for smaller quick-service and cafe operations without alcohol service.

biBerk (Berkshire Hathaway)

biBerk writes restaurant GL at competitive rates for most restaurant formats, backed by Berkshire Hathaway's financial strength. Their digital application handles restaurants and food service businesses efficiently.

Best for: Budget-conscious restaurant owners with clean loss histories who want strong financial backing. Quick-service, cafes, and food businesses with straightforward operations.

What it costs: $50 to $100 per month for most restaurant operations in their appetite. biBerk tends to price 15 to 20 percent below The Hartford for comparable coverage on lower-complexity restaurant operations.

One thing to watch: biBerk's restaurant appetite has some limitations on operations with heavy bar service or very high revenue. Confirm your specific restaurant format is in their appetite before completing the application.

Simply Business

Simply Business aggregates restaurant GL quotes from multiple carriers on a single application. For a restaurant owner shopping on price, it shows options from Hiscox, Markel, and others without separate applications.

Best for: Restaurant owners comparing prices across multiple carriers before committing. Useful as a benchmark to confirm whether a direct carrier quote is competitive.

What it costs: No additional fee. You pay the carrier rate selected.

One thing to watch: Restaurant GL pricing varies significantly by carrier based on their restaurant claims experience. A lower quote may reflect a carrier with less experience writing restaurant risk, which matters at claims time.

Hiscox

Hiscox writes restaurant GL for independent restaurants and small restaurant groups. They are well-suited for multi-location operations and restaurants with more complex ownership structures.

Best for: Restaurant groups with 2 to 10 locations. Operations that need higher per-occurrence limits due to lease or lender requirements. Restaurants with catering operations alongside their main dining business.

What it costs: $70 to $140 per month for most Hiscox restaurant accounts. Competitive on multi-location operations where bundled pricing applies.

One thing to watch: Hiscox's application for restaurant groups with multiple locations may require additional underwriting information and take longer than a single-location quote.

How We Evaluated These Providers

Restaurant-specific coverage provisions. We reviewed each carrier's policy for food-related illness coverage, liquor liability availability, and coverage for product liability from food served or sold.

Financial strength. AM Best ratings: Next Insurance (A-), The Hartford (A+), biBerk/Berkshire Hathaway (A++), Hiscox (A), Simply Business varies.

Liquor liability availability. Restaurants serving alcohol need liquor liability coverage either as a GL endorsement or a separate policy. We evaluated which carriers include or offer this for restaurant accounts.

Claims experience. Restaurant claims often involve multiple claimants in foodborne illness incidents. We evaluated each carrier's reputation for handling restaurant-specific claims.

Cost benchmarks. We benchmarked a 40-seat full-service restaurant in Texas with $500,000 annual revenue across carriers for comparable $1M/$2M limits.

Additional Coverage to Consider

Liquor liability. If your restaurant serves alcohol, liquor liability coverage is essential and typically required by your lease or local permit. Standard GL policies typically exclude liquor liability or provide minimal coverage. Confirm with your carrier whether liquor liability is included or must be added as an endorsement.

Food contamination coverage. A foodborne illness event can require closing the restaurant for deep cleaning, destroying inventory, and covering the claims of affected customers. Some carriers offer food contamination endorsements that cover these costs. Ask your carrier whether this is available.

Workers comp. Restaurant employees face injuries from hot surfaces, slippery floors, and repetitive motion. If you have employees, workers comp is required in most states. Next Insurance, The Hartford, and biBerk all offer restaurant workers comp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does restaurant GL cover a customer who gets sick from my food?

Food-related illness claims are generally covered under standard GL as "products and completed operations" coverage. However, the scope varies by policy and there are sometimes sublimits on products liability. Confirm with your carrier that food-related illness claims are covered without a separate endorsement.

Do I need liquor liability if I only serve beer and wine?

Yes. Dram shop laws in most states create liability for businesses that serve alcohol to visibly intoxicated customers who then injure others. This liability applies to beer and wine service as much as spirits. Liquor liability is separate from GL and most leases and local permits require it for any alcohol-serving establishment.

How much GL does a restaurant need?

Most commercial leases require $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate at minimum. For restaurants with higher customer volume or alcohol service, $2M per occurrence with a $4M aggregate is more appropriate. Your landlord's requirements should be your floor, not your ceiling.

What is the difference between GL and product liability for restaurants?

GL covers bodily injury and property damage that happens on your premises (a slip and fall, a customer injured by a chair). Products liability (typically included in the GL policy as "products and completed operations") covers harm caused by food or products you sell. For restaurants, both are included in a standard GL policy.

Does my homeowner's insurance cover my restaurant?

No. A restaurant is a commercial operation and requires commercial insurance. Homeowner's policies exclude business operations, even if the restaurant is a small family-owned business.

Sources

• Next Insurance restaurant insurance: next.insurance/business-insurance/restaurant-insurance
• The Hartford restaurant insurance: thehartford.com/restaurant-insurance
• biBerk restaurant GL: biberk.com
• National Restaurant Association risk resources: restaurant.org
• AM Best ratings: ambest.com
• Insurance Information Institute: iii.org