Food vendor insurance for festivals and events

As a food vendor, insurance for festivals and events is a must-have. Not least because most event organisers require it. Even for one-day events.

But it’s worth having anyway. Because one small grease fire could spark a costly legal claim. And next thing you know, all your hard work’s gone up in smoke.

What is food vendors’ insurance?

It’s coverage designed specifically to deal with the risks you face.

Suppose that small grease fire we mentioned spreads from your truck’s kitchen and damages your neighbour’s food cart? Without food vendors’ insurance you’ll have to pay to repair the damage. Or replace it if it can’t be fixed.

Or what if a customer trips over the extension cord running from your trailer and needs hospital treatment? Without insurance you’ll have to cover their medical bills. And if the case goes to court, you’ll be looking at legal fees, court costs and compensation, too.

Food vendor insurance protects your business from claims like these. If someone alleges you damaged their property, or caused them injury, your policy takes care of the costs.

If you’ve got a food vendor policy you can serve your customers with a smile. Because you won’t have to worry about being served yourself.

Who needs food vendor insurance?

You could be selling food from a truck or concession stand, or on a sidewalk. At a street fair or a four-day music festival. Any business selling food to the public in a non-traditional location needs food vendor insurance.

That includes:

• Food trucks
• Food trailers
• Food and beverage carts
• Mobile food services
• Mobile concessions
• Mobile street vendors

And if you’re a restaurant owner who sometimes sets up tents at festivals, check your existing policy’s terms. Some restaurant policies don’t cover events. To be properly protected from the risks of a temporary, mobile-style operation, you may need a special endorsement. Or a separate policy.

Before they’ll let you book your space, most event organizers will want to see your insurance certificate. That’s so they can check you’ve got the right level of coverage. They may also insist you add them as an additional insured.

What’s that, you ask? An additional insured is someone (it can be a person, or a company) you add to your policy.

Having their name on your policy means they’re covered, too, if there’s a claim. So it’s basically the organizer’s way of protecting themselves if you caused an accident while you’re working at their event.

What does food vendor insurance cover?

Food vendors’ insurance covers claims for:

• injury to someone (not you, or an employee)
• damage to someone else’s property (including damage to premises you rent)
• slander or libel
• advertising injury (unintentionally using someone else’s idea)
• copyright infringement.

If a claim is brought against your food business, your policy can pay for repairs or replacement, medical bills, legal fees, court costs and compensation if it’s due. It can also pay up to $250 a day for expenses you incur during your defense, including lost earnings.

How much does food vendor insurance cost?

Our policies start from as low as $30 a month for up to $2 million in coverage. But costs vary from business to business. The price of your premium will depend on various factors, such as:

• The nature of your business – how you operate (a stationary food stand or a mobile food truck or food cart, for example) impacts the risks you face.

• Where you’re based – for example, a stand in a building with high security, like a mall or concert hall, will be less risky to insure than a street corner stand.

• Your coverage limit

• The amount of deductible you choose

• Your claims history – if you’ve claimed on a policy before, your premium may be higher.

What other types of insurance do food vendors need?

Equipment insurance

Food vendor liability insurance doesn’t cover loss or damage to your own property, or property in your care. To protect your own equipment, you want to add business personal property insurance to your insurance package.

It protects your portable property – anything you can move, basically – from loss, damage or theft. That includes laptops, mobiles and card-payment devices.

Workers’ compensation insurance

If you employ anyone, even just one person, most states require you have workers’ comp insurance. Penalties are severe. So if you’re working a festival or event in another state to the one you live in, make sure you check the regulations.

It’s a policy worth having, though. It protects you from the cost of employee workplace injury claims. Including paying medical bills, missed wages and compensation if you’re found liable. It also protects you if you’re sued, no matter who’s at fault.

Food vendors’ coverage quotes online

Ready to get your quote? Get a quote online now.

Or if you’d like to talk your insurance needs through with a licensed advisor, call us at 978.344.4215.