Franchise Restaurant Insurance
Insurance support for restaurant franchisees opening, acquiring, or operating franchise locations
Owning a restaurant franchise means meeting brand requirements while also managing the insurance needs of your location.
Your franchise agreement, lease, lender requirements, buildout, equipment, payroll, vehicles, and ownership structure can all affect the insurance program.
Concklin Insurance Agency helps restaurant franchisees review those requirements and build coverage around the restaurant, the location, and the way the business is structured.
Why Restaurant Franchisees Work With Concklin Insurance Agency
Franchise Requirement Review
Franchise restaurant insurance starts with the requirements you need to satisfy.
Concklin helps you review franchise insurance requirements, lease requirements, lender requirements, certificates of insurance, additional insured requests, waiver of subrogation requirements, coverage limits, and other policy details that may be required before opening, renewing, or adding a location.
Restaurant and Franchise Insurance Experience
Concklin works with restaurant owners, franchisees, and multi-location operators.
That experience helps our team understand the insurance questions that can come up around property, equipment, buildouts, business income, workers' compensation, commercial auto, hired and non-owned auto, cyber liability, employment practices liability, umbrella limits, and claims.
Support for New Locations and Existing Restaurants
You may need insurance support before a location opens, during an acquisition, after a remodel, at renewal, or when another location is added.
Concklin Insurance Agency helps keep the insurance process organized, including coverage reviews, quote requests, certificates of insurance, policy changes, renewal updates, and claims questions.
Multi-Location and Multi-Brand Insurance
If you operate more than one location or more than one restaurant brand, the insurance program should be reviewed as a whole.
Concklin helps franchisees review business entities, location schedules, property values, vehicle use, driver exposure, payroll, claims history, renewal timing, and coverage changes as locations are added, acquired, remodeled, or reorganized.
Featured Restaurant Franchisee Programs
Domino's Franchisee Insurance
Insurance support for Domino's franchisees, including store operations, delivery exposure, employees, vehicles, property, and franchise requirements.
Jersey Mike's Franchisee Insurance
Insurance support for Jersey Mike's franchisees with coverage needs tied to store operations, employees, property, equipment, food inventory, business income, catering, third-party delivery relationships, franchise requirements, renewals, and multi-location growth.
Blackjack Pizza Franchisee Insurance
Insurance support for Blackjack Pizza franchisees with coverage needs tied to delivery, carryout, employees, vehicles, kitchen equipment, food inventory, business income, online ordering, and franchise growth.
MÓGŪ Modern Chinese Kitchen Franchisee Insurance
Insurance support for MÓGŪ Modern Chinese Kitchen franchisees with coverage needs tied to new locations, employees, kitchen equipment, food inventory, business income, online ordering, delivery relationships, catering, and franchise growth.
What if Your Franchise Brand Is Not Listed?
Concklin Insurance Agency can still help.
If your restaurant franchise does not have a dedicated Concklin Insurance Agency program, send us the franchise insurance requirements, lease requirements, and basic location details.
We can review the requirements and help you understand what needs to be included in the insurance program.
From Franchise Requirements to an Insurance Program
Your franchise insurance requirements lists the policies, limits, endorsements, and proof of coverage your franchisor expects.
Concklin Insurance Agency helps you review those requirements, understand how the policies work together, and identify where the required coverage may not address every risk tied to your location.
From there, we can make recommendations based on your franchise agreement, lease, property, equipment, business income needs, vehicle use, payroll, and ownership structure.
Opening or Acquiring a Franchise Restaurant Location
Opening or acquiring a franchise restaurant can create insurance deadlines before the restaurant is ready to operate.
A lease may require proof of coverage. A franchisor may need specific limits or endorsements. A lender may require property coverage. A new entity may need policies issued before payroll begins or before equipment is installed.
Reviewing insurance early can help you understand what needs to be in place for an opening, acquisition, or transfer.
Insurance for Multi-Location and Multi-Brand Franchisees
If you operate several franchise restaurant locations, or if you own more than one restaurant brand, your insurance program should be reviewed as a whole.
Different locations may have different leases, property values, equipment values, franchise requirements, sales, payroll, vehicle use, delivery exposure, claims history, renewal dates, and coverage limits.
A coordinated insurance program can make it easier to review each location clearly and handle coverage changes as locations are added, acquired, remodeled, or reorganized.
Get the Free QSR Franchisee Insurance Guide
Insurance for a quick-service restaurant can involve more than one policy, especially when your business has employees, customer traffic, equipment, food inventory, online ordering, delivery relationships, drive-thru exposure, or multiple locations.
Concklin's Quick-Service Restaurant Insurance Guide can help you understand common coverage questions and prepare for a more productive insurance review.
Key Insurance Coverages for Franchise Restaurants
Your franchise restaurant insurance program should be reviewed around the requirements you need to satisfy and the way the restaurant operates.
Depending on the concept, location, lease, franchise agreement, lender requirements, delivery setup, vehicle use, payroll, property values, and business structure, your program may include several policies or endorsements.
General Liability
General liability insurance helps protect your business from certain injury and property damage claims involving customers, vendors, delivery partners, or other people who interact with your restaurant.
For a franchise restaurant, this may include claims involving slips and falls, customer injuries, property damage, foodborne illness allegations, or incidents connected to the premises.
Business Personal Property
Business personal property coverage helps protect property your restaurant uses to operate, whether you own or lease the building.
This may include kitchen equipment, furniture, fixtures, supplies, food inventory, point-of-sale systems, signage, and other business property used at the location.
Business Income
Business income coverage can help replace certain lost income and extra expenses if a covered loss forces your restaurant to close or operate in a limited way.
Coverage is not automatic for every loss of sales. The cause of the interruption has to be covered by the policy, and the policy may include waiting periods, exclusions, or limits.
For a franchise restaurant, business income should be reviewed around dine-in sales, carryout, pickup, delivery, catering, online ordering, equipment, inventory, and other revenue that could be affected by a covered loss.
If your restaurant relies on online ordering, payment processing, or third-party delivery platforms, bring that up with your insurance agent. A technology outage or platform issue may not be handled the same way as a property-related shutdown.
Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation helps protect your employees and your business when someone is injured on the job.
For a franchise restaurant, common injury concerns may include slips and falls, burns, cuts, lifting injuries, loading or unloading injuries, and accidents that happen when employees are moving quickly during busy service periods.
Employment Practices Liability
Employment practices liability insurance can help protect your business from certain employee-related claims, such as discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, or retaliation.
For franchise restaurant owners, EPLI should be reviewed around the way employment decisions are handled, including hiring, scheduling, supervision, discipline, termination, wage-and-hour concerns, and claims involving managers or shift leads.
Crime Coverage
Crime coverage may help protect your business from certain losses involving theft, fraud, employee dishonesty, forgery, or other covered crime-related events.
This may be worth reviewing if employees handle cash, deposits, or financial transactions.
Commercial Property
Commercial property coverage helps protect the physical property used in your franchise restaurant.
Depending on what you own and how the policy is written, this may include the building, equipment, furniture, fixtures, signage, inventory, and other covered property used to operate the restaurant.
Betterments and Improvements
Betterments and improvements coverage should be reviewed if you have invested in a buildout at a leased space.
This may include counters, fixtures, finishes, signage, menu boards, pickup areas, seating areas, kitchen improvements, or other buildout costs that may not belong to the building owner but may still need to be reviewed in the insurance program.
Equipment Breakdown
Equipment breakdown coverage may help with certain losses involving covered equipment failures.
This should be reviewed if your restaurant depends on refrigeration, cooking equipment, ovens, HVAC, electrical systems, beverage systems, point-of-sale systems, or other equipment needed for daily service.
Food Spoilage and Contamination
Food spoilage and contamination coverage should be reviewed because restaurants depend on ingredients, prepared food, refrigerated inventory, and safe food handling.
Coverage may depend on what caused the loss, whether food had to be discarded, whether equipment failed, whether power was interrupted, and what limits or exclusions apply.
Commercial Auto
Commercial auto coverage should be reviewed if your business owns or leases vehicles used for delivery, catering, supply runs, manager use, or other business purposes.
Cyber Liability
Cyber liability should be reviewed because many franchise restaurants rely on online ordering, payment processing, delivery platforms, customer communication tools, payroll systems, scheduling tools, vendor accounts, loyalty programs, and point-of-sale systems.
A cyber event can affect orders, payments, payroll, vendor access, customer information, and daily sales.
Liquor Liability
Liquor liability should be reviewed if your franchise restaurant sells or serves alcohol.
If alcohol is part of your operation, review it with your insurance agent so you understand how alcohol-related claims are handled by the policy.
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Hired and Non-Owned Auto
Hired and non-owned auto coverage should be reviewed when employees use personal vehicles for delivery, catering orders, supply runs, bank deposits, or other work-related driving.
This coverage helps address liability exposure for the business, but it does not replace the employee's personal auto policy.
Commercial Umbrella
Commercial umbrella coverage can provide additional liability limits above certain underlying policies, such as general liability and commercial auto.
For a franchise restaurant, umbrella coverage may be reviewed when franchise requirements, lease requirements, customer traffic, delivery exposure, auto exposure, business-owned vehicles, employee driving exposure, or multiple locations create the need for higher limits.
Key Person Life Insurance
Key person life insurance may be worth reviewing when the business depends on an owner, partner, or key leader whose death could create financial strain for the franchise operation.
This can be especially relevant for business partners, multi-location franchisees, or multi-brand restaurant operators.
Did you know?
LLC Franchisee owners can opt out of Workers' Compensation. But there are a few things you need to consider before giving up this coverage for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance do I need to open a franchise restaurant?
The insurance needed to open a franchise restaurant depends on the franchise agreement, lease, lender requirements, location, property values, equipment, payroll, vehicle use, and business structure.
Common policies may include general liability, commercial property, business income, workers' compensation, commercial umbrella, cyber liability, employment practices liability, commercial auto, and hired and non-owned auto.
Who decides what insurance my franchise restaurant needs?
Several parties may affect your insurance requirements.
Your franchisor may set required coverage types, limits, and endorsements. Your landlord, lender, state law, and contracts may also affect what coverage should be reviewed.
What if my franchisor has specific insurance requirements?
Your franchisor's insurance requirements should be reviewed before coverage is placed.
Those requirements may specify coverage types, limits, additional insured language, waiver of subrogation, umbrella limits, auto coverage, business income, certificates of insurance, or other proof-of-coverage details.
Concklin Insurance Agency can review the requirements and help you understand what needs to be included in the insurance program.
What happens if my franchise agreement requires more insurance than I currently have?
Your insurance program should be reviewed before coverage is placed or renewed.
If the franchise agreement requires higher limits, different endorsements, additional insured language, waiver of subrogation, or other policy changes, those requirements need to be addressed before proof of coverage is issued.
How much does franchise restaurant insurance cost?
The cost of franchise restaurant insurance depends on the franchise concept, location, sales, payroll, property values, equipment values, vehicle use, delivery exposure, coverage limits, prior claims, and the requirements in the franchise agreement or lease.
A single location will usually be reviewed differently than a multi-location or multi-brand franchise group.
Do I need separate insurance for each franchise restaurant location?
Not always.
Some franchisees insure several locations within one organized insurance program. Others may need separate programs depending on the business entities, locations, carriers, franchise requirements, lease requirements, vehicle schedules, or ownership structure.
The right structure depends on how the restaurants are owned, how the locations operate, and what the franchisor, landlord, lender, or carrier requires.
Do I need hired and non-owned auto if my restaurant does not own vehicles?
Possibly.
Hired and non-owned auto coverage should be reviewed when employees use personal vehicles for work-related driving. That may include delivery, catering orders, supply runs, bank deposits, manager errands, or other business trips.
This coverage helps address liability exposure for the business, but it does not replace the employee's personal auto policy.
Does business income insurance cover a delayed opening?
Business income coverage does not automatically cover every delayed opening.
Coverage depends on the policy, the cause of the delay, whether the cause is covered, when coverage begins, and what limits, waiting periods, or exclusions apply.
If you are opening a new franchise restaurant, ask how business income and extra expense coverage may respond if a covered loss delays opening or affects the ability to operate after opening.
Do franchise restaurants need cyber liability insurance?
Cyber liability should be reviewed if your franchise restaurant relies on online ordering, payment processing, POS systems, delivery platforms, customer accounts, payroll systems, scheduling tools, vendor accounts, or loyalty programs.
A cyber event can affect orders, payments, payroll, vendor access, customer information, and daily sales.
What information do I need for a franchise restaurant insurance quote?
Helpful information may include the location address, business entity, lease requirements, franchise insurance requirements, estimated sales, payroll, property values, equipment values, vehicle use, current policies, and prior claims.
If you are opening or acquiring a location, it is also helpful to provide the expected opening date, lease documents, buildout details, equipment schedule, and any certificate of insurance requests.
Can Concklin Insurance Agency help with certificates of insurance?
Yes. Concklin Insurance Agency can help issue and update certificates of insurance when franchisors, landlords, lenders, property managers, vendors, or other contract holders request proof of coverage.
Certificate requests should be reviewed carefully because they may include additional insured language, waiver of subrogation, specific limits, or other requirements that need to match the policy.
Can Concklin Insurance Agency help if I own multiple franchise restaurant brands?
Yes. Concklin Insurance Agency can help multi-brand restaurant franchisees review how locations, business entities, renewal dates, coverage limits, property values, vehicle schedules, driver exposure, payroll, claims history, franchise requirements, and certificates of insurance fit together.
This can help keep the insurance program organized as locations are added, acquired, remodeled, or reorganized.
What if my restaurant franchise is not one of Concklin Insurance Agency's featured programs?
Concklin Insurance Agency can still help review your franchise insurance requirements, lease requirements, and location details.
Featured program are available for certain brands, but we also work with restaurant franchisees whose brand requires a more customized review.
Insurance Insights and Risk Management Guidance
Our blog articles help you stay informed and make more confident insurance decisions.
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Client Resources
Client Portal
The Zywave portal gives Concklin clients access to professionally written insurance, HR, safety, compliance, and risk management resources. Content can be tailored by industry, state, and preference, with email updates available when new resources are added. Contact your Concklin representative with any questions.
Client Advocacy
Independent agents can serve as trusted advisors before and after coverage is bound. If a claim occurs, we can help you understand the process, communicate with the carrier, and gather information needed for the claim. Being in your corner means being there every step of the way, from helping you decide if a claim should be filed to talking with claims adjusters, the wellbeing of our clients is our number one priority.
Cyber Resources
Cyber threats can create serious costs for small businesses, including breach response, forensic work, customer notifications, legal expenses, and reputational damage. Concklin Insurance Agency offers cyber liability insurance, along with resources to help business owners better understand and reduce their cyber risk.
Request a Franchise Restaurant Insurance Quote
Your franchise restaurant insurance program should satisfy the requirements you need to meet and reflect the restaurant you operate.
Concklin Insurance Agency can help you review the requirements, compare coverage options, and build an insurance program around your franchise location.