How We Chose the Best Restaurant Insurance Programs in 2026
To make this list genuinely useful for brokers, we focused on carriers and programs that meet the demands of today’s restaurant market. Our evaluation looked at:
- Coverage breadth: Availability of core protections like property, general liability, liquor liability, and business interruption, along with optional add-ons for specialized risks.
- Financial strength: AM Best ratings and carrier stability to ensure claims can be paid promptly.
- Broker experience: Speed and ease of quoting and binding, plus access to knowledgeable underwriters.
- Hospitality expertise: A proven track record of serving restaurants and understanding their unique risks.
- Program flexibility: Customizable limits, deductibles, and coverages to match client needs.
Based on these metrics, four restaurant insurance programs rose to the top: Distinguished, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, and Farmers.
All of these programs earned a place here by offering the kind of reliability and market fit that can help brokers grow and retain their restaurant accounts.
Best Restaurant Insurance Programs in 2026
The following carriers offer restaurant insurance programs designed to address today’s evolving risks while keeping the placement process manageable for brokers.
Distinguished leads the way with specialized hospitality expertise and flexible coverage options, followed by other established carriers that bring their own strengths to the table.
Distinguished
Distinguished offers nationwide restaurant insurance with over 30 years of hospitality experience, covering property, general liability, liquor liability, EPLI, cyber, and BOP. Both the restaurant package and BOP are backed by an admitted AM Best A+ XV-rated carrier.
Another benefit of Distinguished is that you get access to our market-leading Restaurant Umbrella coverage with limits from $5M to $125M, provided by admitted AM Best A-rated carriers, to satisfy even the most complex accounts, featuring competitive pricing, low minimum premiums, and 24-hour direct-to-issue binding confirmation.
Our program is perfect for a broad swath of the restaurant industry, from fine dining to fast casual, wine bars, and off-premises caterers. We also consider new ventures with prior experience and welcome unique exposures such as sushi and raw bars, hibachi-style cooking, and incidental bakery or retail operations.
Distinguished’s Restaurant Insurance program is supported by experienced underwriters who understand the nuances of hospitality risks. Brokers benefit from a streamlined online submission process for BOP, quick turnaround times, and flexible options for tailoring coverage and deductibles.
Whether you’re placing coverage for an established multi-location group or a high-end fine dining establishment, Distinguished delivers the expertise and service that help brokers win and retain accounts.
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual provides restaurant insurance solutions that can include commercial property, general liability, commercial auto, and workers’ compensation.
Its program is designed to serve a mix of dining operations, from upscale restaurants to fast-casual concepts, with options to adjust limits and customize endorsements. Brokers can tap into digital submission tools, a broad underwriting appetite, and the financial strength of an AM Best A rating.
Nationwide
Nationwide’s restaurant insurance offerings cover core protections such as BOP, business auto, cyber risk, workers’ compensation, and more. This makes this program suitable for a variety of restaurant types and sizes.
One drawback of Nationwide is that it only offers restaurant insurance in 46 states plus D.C. Brokers should confirm that their state is eligible before moving forward.
Farmers
Farmers offers restaurant insurance designed to address common risks such as kitchen fires, foodborne illness, theft, and employee injuries. Core coverages include property, liability, crime, workers’ compensation, and business auto, with additional options like equipment breakdown, spoilage, and food contamination shutdown coverage.
Backed by an AM Best A-rated carrier, Farmers provides brokers with customizable solutions and responsive claims support tailored to restaurant operations.
Key Trends in Restaurant Insurance for 2026
Restaurant insurance is facing mounting pressure as a convergence of cost, climate, and cyber risks reshapes the landscape. Rising operational expenses from food to labor have driven broader price inflation for restaurants, which consequently reflects in higher insurance costs. Meanwhile, claims severity is increasing significantly: 2025 marked a tipping point with payouts for high-value or “nuclear” claims — those exceeding $10 million — on the rise.
Climate risks are also becoming increasingly tangible. Over a rolling six-month window in 2024, an average of 15.6% of restaurants reported monetary losses due to extreme weather, with some regions experiencing nearly 19% in that period.
On the cyber front, restaurants remain frequent targets due to their heavy use of POS systems and data-rich operations. Hospitality data breaches are becoming costlier: The average data breach in this sector rose from $3.62 million in 2023 to $3.86 million in 2024. Additionally, in the wider business world, 49% of companies reported an increased frequency of cyberattacks throughout 2024.
These intertwined trends of rising claims costs, climate-driven disruptions, and evolving cyber threats are raising the floor for broker expectations. It’s more essential than ever for brokers to work with carriers that anticipate these risks, offer strong limits, and deliver fast, reliable service when claims hit.
Why Distinguished Is the Right Partner for Brokers in 2026
In a market where rising claims costs, climate-driven disruptions, and evolving risks are challenging even seasoned brokers, partnering with the right carrier is critical. Distinguished combines specialized hospitality expertise with nationwide reach and high-limit capacity, giving brokers the tools they need to protect clients and grow their books.
Here’s what you can expect when you partner with Distinguished:
- Nationwide reach: Ability to place restaurant accounts in all 50 states with consistent underwriting standards (Restaurant Package not available in AK, BOP not available in AK, FL, HI, NY).
- 30+ years of hospitality expertise: Deep industry knowledge for underwriting complex risks and advising brokers.
- Comprehensive coverage portfolio: A one-stop shop for property insurance, general liability, liquor liability, EPLI, umbrella, cyber, and more.
- High-limit umbrella policies: Market-leading limits from $5M to $125M with competitive pricing and low minimum premiums.
- Broad appetite: Eligible for a wide range of restaurant types, including fine dining, fast casual, wine bars, and unique exposures like sushi bars and hibachi cooking.
- New venture friendly: Consideration for startups with experienced ownership or management.
- Responsive service: Quick turnaround on submissions.
- AM Best A+ rated admitted carriers: Financial strength and reliability your clients can trust.
With Distinguished, brokers get a partner who understands the hospitality industry inside and out, delivers on service promises, and helps them win and retain valuable accounts.
How to Get Started With Distinguished
Getting appointed with Distinguished is straightforward, so you can start placing restaurant business quickly. If you’re not already registered, begin by creating a broker account. Once registered, you can submit applications, receive quotes, and bind coverage.
Here is a quick overview of the kinds of insurance we can offer your restaurant clients.
Restaurant Package Insurance
The Distinguished Restaurant Package combines core protections, including property, general liability, liquor liability, EPLI, and cyber, into one streamlined policy designed to meet the full range of restaurant coverage needs.
Submission Instructions
Please include ACORDs, a completed Restaurant Supplemental Application, and four years of currently valued loss runs. Submit the completed application to [email protected].
Restaurant Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
The Distinguished Restaurant BOP is tailored specifically for smaller restaurant owners, combining key coverages such as property, general liability, liquor liability, and hired and non-owned auto coverages into one convenient policy.
Submission Instructions
Submit a BOP application directly on the Broker Connect portal. We’ll review and respond within 24 to 48 hours. If you haven’t registered as a broker, you’ll need to do that first.
Cyber Liability Insurance
Distinguished’s Cyber Liability Insurance policy protects restaurants against the financial and reputational damage of data breaches and cyberattacks. Coverage can include liability for compromised customer data, notification expenses outside the liability limit, 24/7 breach response, and access to industry-leading cyber risk management tools.
Submission Instructions
Submit a completed Cyber Liability Application to [email protected]. If the account includes multiple locations, provide an SOV listing entity names, DBAs, addresses, and revenue breakdown. Have questions? Email [email protected] for guidance.
Restaurant Umbrella Insurance
Distinguished’s Restaurant Umbrella insurance delivers high-limit excess protection for restaurant clients, with limits available from $5M to $125M.
Submission Instructions
Download and complete the Restaurant Umbrella Application, then submit it to [email protected] along with five years of currently valued loss runs.
If you have questions about eligibility, appetite, or documentation, our underwriting team is available to walk through details and provide guidance. Please reach out at [email protected].
