Restaurant Delivery insurance in Chicago
Build a Chicago quote around the menu, equipment, service model, people, property, and off-premises work your restaurant with delivery actually has.
For restaurants adding or running their own delivery.
Prefer to talk? Call (929) 594-5450
What restaurant with delivery insurance costs in Chicago
The lowest food-service general liability policy we have bound is $597/yr, a policy we wrote for a caterer in New York, and our lowest restaurant workers' comp policy is $509/yr. Liability and property together start at $1,153/yr on a bound businessowners policy. A restaurant with delivery lands above or near those depending on cooking, alcohol, sales, payroll, property, and claims.
In Illinois, our lowest restaurant quote so far is $1,485 a year for liability + property.
A useful restaurant with delivery quote starts with the real operation: own drivers, personal vehicles, business-owned vehicles, delivery radius, and third-party apps. Business-owned delivery vehicles need a commercial auto policy; the restaurant policy doesn't cover them.
| Coverage | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General liability (bound) | from $597/yr | Our lowest bound food-service liability policy, for a caterer in New York. Cooking, alcohol, sales, and claims move it up from there. |
| Workers' compensation (bound) | from $509/yr | Our lowest bound restaurant workers' comp policy, for a sandwich shop. Priced on payroll, so staff size drives it. |
| Illinois restaurant quote (instant quote, bindable) | from $1,485/yr | Our lowest Illinois restaurant quote, for liability + property, out of 5 we have written there as of 2026-09-26. The carrier issued it ready to bind, with no underwriter referral. |
| Liability + property BOP (bound) | from $1,153/yr | Our lowest bound businessowners policy, for a full-service restaurant in New York. Building, equipment and contents values set this one. |
| Liquor, auto, and umbrella | As applicable | Each is priced on its own exposure; a restaurant package does not automatically include every line. |
These are the lowest premiums we have actually bound for restaurants, as of 2026-09-26, plus the lowest instant quotes a carrier issued ready to bind (marked "instant quote, bindable"; those are real quotes, not bound policies) and, where marked "quote", an ordinary carrier quote. Each is labelled by line of business. Your price depends on your menu, cooking, alcohol, sales, payroll, property, location, and claims. They are not an offer of insurance.
What moves your price
- ✓Annual sales, payroll, seating, square footage, hours, years in business, and loss history
- ✓Menu, cooking equipment, fuel, hood and suppression, cleaning, and fire inspection details
- ✓Own drivers versus apps
- ✓Personal versus business vehicles
- ✓Delivery share of sales
- ✓Building or tenant-property values, refrigeration, equipment, spoilage, and requested deductibles
The coverage a Chicago restaurant with delivery needs
When staff deliver in their own cars, their personal policy may exclude business use. Hired and non-owned auto liability covers the restaurant if a driver causes a crash.
A car or van the business owns needs a commercial auto policy; the restaurant policy doesn't cover it.
App-based delivery shifts driver risk to the platform, but the food liability stays with you.
Hired and non-owned auto covers the business when staff deliver in their own cars.
Customer injury, foodborne illness, allergens, premises, delivery and catering, checked against what you actually do.
Equipment, contents, stock, improvements and lost income after a covered loss. Compare valuation, deductibles, spoilage and restoration time.
What to check in Chicago
State resources checked . Confirm current requirements with the linked agencies.
Who permits restaurants in Chicago
Chicago requires a Retail Food Establishment license whenever perishable food is prepared or served, and the premises must pass a Chicago Department of Public Health inspection before the license is issued. Someone holding a City of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate has to be on the premises at all times.
City of Chicago: Retail Food Establishment license →Opening or renewing in Chicago
The Retail Food Establishment license runs for two years and must be renewed before it expires. Inspection frequency follows your risk category: the highest-risk restaurants are inspected twice a year, the lowest every other year. A priority violation that can't be fixed on the spot suspends the license until it is.
City of Chicago: Retail Food Establishment license →What an underwriter will ask a restaurant with delivery in Chicago
Own drivers, apps, or both? Do drivers use personal vehicles? Any business-owned vehicles? Delivery radius and share of sales? Current restaurant policy?
Illinois rules that also apply
Workers' comp, liquor licensing and the state food code are set at the Illinois level. See the Illinois restaurant with delivery insurance page for those, and for what we've quoted restaurants across Illinois.
Prefer to talk? Call (929) 594-5450
Frequently asked questions
Who issues restaurant permits in Chicago?
Chicago requires a Retail Food Establishment license whenever perishable food is prepared or served, and the premises must pass a Chicago Department of Public Health inspection before the license is issued. Someone holding a City of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate has to be on the premises at all times.
How much does restaurant with delivery insurance cost in Chicago?
The lowest food-service general liability policy we have bound is $597/yr, a policy we wrote for a caterer in New York, and our lowest restaurant workers' comp policy is $509/yr. Liability and property together start at $1,153/yr on a bound businessowners policy. A restaurant with delivery lands above or near those depending on cooking, alcohol, sales, payroll, property, and claims.
Does my restaurant insurance cover delivery drivers?
Not by default. Hired and non-owned auto, usually an inexpensive add-on, covers the business when employees drive their own cars. Business-owned vehicles need commercial auto.
Does restaurant insurance cover delivery?
Not the vehicles. Add hired and non-owned auto, and commercial auto for any vehicle the business owns.
What information should a restaurant with delivery gather for a quote?
Start with the current policy if handy, loss runs, menu, equipment list, sales split, payroll, hours, seating, square footage, alcohol and delivery details, property values, hood and suppression records, lease requirements, and requested effective date. Estimates are fine when labeled as estimates.
Will the policy meet my landlord's lease requirements?
Usually, for the most common request: $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate in general liability, the landlord named as an additional insured, and a certificate of insurance. Send the insurance section of your lease with the quote request so the limits, additional insured wording, damage to rented premises, liquor and umbrella limits can be checked against it before you buy.
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Opening a restaurant?
Plan the steps before your first service, from the opening budget to approvals and lease requirements.
Read the restaurant opening guide →What your landlord's lease will ask for, with real examples →