Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Hotels
Restaurant & Hospitality Insurance NZ
Hospitality operators sit at the intersection of high public exposure, food-safety liability, licensed-premises obligations and asset-intensive fit-outs. A structured programme addresses each of these without duplication.
Why Hospitality Businesses Need Specialist Cover
Restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels combine high public footfall, commercial kitchens, licensed-premises obligations and significant fit-out investment — a mix that standard business packages rarely address well. Fire, slips and food-borne-illness claims are frequent, business-interruption periods tend to run longer than operators expect, and licensed venues carry additional liability under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. We structure a programme that reflects how the venue actually trades.
What We Cover
Our hospitality programmes bring the property, liability, people and income exposures of a venue into a single considered arrangement.
Cover Types
Who Is This For?
Why Exclusive Insurance Services?
Talk to an Adviser
Get specialist advice tailored to your situation. No obligation, no pressure.
What Insurers Typically Need
Information an insurer may require
Underwriters generally ask for the following when quoting or renewing this class of risk. Providing accurate information helps underwriters assess the risk and determine appropriate terms.
Type of operation: restaurant, cafe, bar, function venue, hotel, takeaway, food truck
Turnover, seating capacity, trading hours and licensed status
Fit-out value, kitchen equipment, wine/spirits inventory
Cooking methods and equipment (deep fryers, solid-fuel, flambé) and flue/extraction cleaning schedule
Delivery, off-site catering or event activity (locations and vehicles used)
Food-safety programme, HACCP or MPI verification
Alcohol licence class and manager on-duty arrangements
Prior claims history including slips, food-borne illness and property damage
When Something Happens
Claims considerations
We help manage the claims process from notification through to settlement, coordinating with you, the insurer and other parties involved and advocating for your interests throughout. Things that commonly affect a claim in this area:
Slip-and-fall and food-borne-illness claims turn on timely incident logs and CCTV — retain footage promptly.
Kitchen-fire claims involve both material damage and business interruption; the two must be coordinated.
Licensed-premises incidents (assaults, over-service) can trigger both liability and Sale & Supply of Alcohol Act consequences.
Business-interruption periods in hospitality are typically longer than expected; ensure the indemnity period reflects reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance does a restaurant or café need in NZ?
Most venues combine material damage (fit-out, kitchen plant and contents), business interruption, public and products liability, and statutory liability for food-safety and health-and-safety obligations. Licensed premises usually add liquor liability. The right mix depends on the operation, the premises and the lease.
Does hospitality insurance cover food-borne illness claims?
Products liability typically responds to third-party illness or injury alleged to arise from food or drink served, subject to the policy terms and your food-safety compliance. Timely incident records and retained CCTV materially help these claims.
Is liquor liability separate from public liability?
Licensed premises carry additional exposures under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act that general public liability may not fully address. We review whether a specific liquor-liability extension or wording is appropriate for your venue.
Can refrigeration breakdown and spoiled stock be insured?
Refrigerated and frozen stock can usually be insured against deterioration following plant breakdown or an insured power failure, as a spoilage / deterioration-of-stock section. The triggering events, limits and excesses vary by insurer, so cover is subject to the policy terms and the equipment being maintained.
How does a flue and extraction-cleaning warranty affect cover?
Insurers commonly apply a warranty requiring commercial kitchen flues, ducting and extraction canopies to be professionally cleaned at set intervals. If that warranty is not met, a fire claim connected to grease build-up may be reduced or declined — keeping dated cleaning certificates helps preserve cover.
How should a venue set its business-interruption indemnity period?
The indemnity period should reflect how long it would realistically take to reinstate the fit-out and kitchen and return to pre-loss trading — in hospitality this is often longer than 12 months once consents, specialist equipment and lost bookings are considered. We help set a period that reflects the venue rather than a default figure, subject to the policy terms.
Related
You may also find these pages useful
About this page
Reviewed by Adi Sehgal
Verified adviserDirector & Principal Adviser
This page is general information about the class of cover. Actual cover, terms, premiums, limits, exclusions and eligibility vary by insurer, policy wording, underwriting decision and individual client circumstances. Nothing on this page constitutes personalised financial advice.