Restaurant insurance in District of Columbia
Build a District of Columbia quote around the menu, equipment, service model, people, property, and off-premises work your restaurant actually has.
For full-service, quick-service, counter, café, and takeout restaurants.
Prefer to talk? Call (929) 594-5450
What restaurant insurance costs in District of Columbia
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 lands above or near those depending on cooking, alcohol, sales, payroll, property, and claims.
A useful restaurant quote starts with the real operation: the menu and cooking line, seating and hours, alcohol, delivery, catering, and staff. Kitchen equipment, refrigeration, furniture, tenant improvements and stock should be valued at replacement cost.
| 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. |
| 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
- ✓Cooking class: fryers and open flame versus limited cooking
- ✓Alcohol share of sales
- ✓Delivery and catering
- ✓Building or tenant-property values, refrigeration, equipment, spoilage, and requested deductibles
The coverage a District of Columbia restaurant needs
If you serve alcohol, liquor liability is priced off your share of alcohol sales and is required by most leases.
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 District of Columbia
State resources checked . Confirm current requirements with the linked agencies.
Confirm the food-establishment route in District of Columbia
DC Health inspects restaurants, delicatessens, bakeries, ice cream businesses, mobile vendors, and other food establishments and provides plan-review, food-manager, and inspection resources. Confirm the establishment category and current licensing path before opening or changing the operation.
DC Health: food establishments →Restaurant details to send with the request
For a District of Columbia quote, describe the menu and cooking line, seating and hours, alcohol, delivery, catering, and staff. Include the menu, equipment and fuel, sales split, protection records, property values, staffing, claims, and requested effective date.
Prefer to talk? Call (929) 594-5450
Frequently asked questions
What information is needed for restaurant insurance in District of Columbia?
Prepare the current policy if handy, loss runs, menu, cooking and refrigeration equipment, District of Columbia location, sales and payroll, seating and hours, alcohol and delivery details, property values, protection records, lease requirements, and requested effective date.
How much does restaurant insurance cost?
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 lands above or near those depending on cooking, alcohol, sales, payroll, property, and claims.
What insurance does a restaurant need?
Most need general liability and property (often together as a businessowners policy), workers' comp once they have employees, liquor liability if they serve alcohol, and hired and non-owned auto if staff deliver.
What information should a restaurant 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 →