For your best business protection and savings, we recommend bundling GL with some other important coverages on one Business Owners Policy!
Food vendors, just like food trailers, are required to get the appropriate amount of insurance before selling food at parks, festivals, and other locations. Insurance safeguards customers and ensures that a food vendor can grant compensation in case food poisoning or accidents happens.
Food vendor insurance provides comprehensive coverage to your business. This consists of vendor liability policies, commercial property insurance, workers' compensation insurance, and others. By getting insured, you can cover the bodily injuries or property damage of third parties. It’s even easier to repair or replace food carts and other equipment.
There are different kinds of food vendors such as those that sell in farmers markets, those that serve customers through a food truck, or those that create dishes at their food stands situated in bustling streets. But regardless of which you associate yourself with, there’s no doubt that general liability insurance is one policy you’ll always get.
This insurance grants protection against claims for bodily injuries or property damage. Copyright infringement claims are also covered. And depending where you purchase it, general liability insurance for food vendor can cover food poisoning claims.
The features of general liability insurance differ depending on what kind of food vendor is purchasing it. Below are quick discussions of the general liability insurance for farmers market vendors, food truck vendors, and street food vendors.
CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | FLIP | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $600,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Product liability coverage aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | Included |
Rented premises liability coverage aggregate limit | $300,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $300,000 |
Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Farmers market vendors are required to get general liability coverage by the farmers market organizers. Organizers will require you to get a farmers market insurance for vendors with a $500,000-$1 million liability coverage.
General liability insurance for farmers market vendors has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. It’s possible for you to find companies that offer higher or lower limits.
Insurance companies automatically include a rented premises liability coverage in the general liability policy of their farmers market insurance. As a food vendor, you’ll find this useful if you’re just renting the farmers market stand. This will reimburse the losses of the organizers if the stand gets damaged.
Use the table above to compare the farmers market liability insurance of companies we recommend.
CoverWallet | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | FLIP | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $600,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Product liability coverage aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | Included |
Rented premises liability coverage aggregate limit | $300,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $300,000 |
Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Street food vendors are not required to get general liability insurance, depending on which city or town they’re selling food. For those who need coverage, insurance companies sell a highly tailored general liability insurance for street food vendors.
A street food vendor’s general liability insurance policy has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence limit. Optional coverages included in the general liability policy of street food vendor insurance are tools and equipment and inland marine.
Use the table above to compare the general liability insurance for street food vendors as underwritten by companies we recommend.
CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | FLIP | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $500,000/$1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | Included |
Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $300,000 |
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Can be included | Yes |
Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
If you’re a food truck vendor, then you’ll get a general liability policy in food truck insurance programs. The per occurrence limit of the general liability insurance for truck food vendors is $500,000-$2 million. On the other hand, the aggregate is $1 million-$2 million.
Coverage for your food truck can be included in the general liability policy of food truck and mobile food vendor insurance plans. And this comes in the form of hired/non-owned auto liability coverage. An optional tools and equipment coverage for cooking equipment inside the food truck is also available.
Use the table above to compare the general liability insurance for food truck vendors from the companies we recommend.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $350,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $24,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | $2,500 |
Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/$10,000 | Excluded |
Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included |
Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Included |
Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included |
Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Included |
Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded |
Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Excluded |
is useful if you’re the owner of a food vending franchise that operates through several food trucks, food stands, or food carts.
You can use commercial property insurance to cover the tangible assets of your food vending franchise. For example, you can use this policy to recover financial losses if the office or any other building that you own, lease, or rent gets damaged or destroyed due to:
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Malicious mischief
Sinkhole collapse
Volcanic action
Weather
Impact
Vehicles
Aircraft
Falling objects
Of course, tangible assets aren't only limited to the building you own as a big-time food vendor. Rest assured that commercial property insurance can also help if valuable papers and records, accounts receivable, cooking equipment, food carts, and food stands sustain damage or get destroyed because of the perils we mentioned above.
So how do you get commercial property insurance? You’ll find this insurance easily. Commercial property insurance is a common inclusion in tailored food insurance plans such as food cart insurance. Use the table above to compare the commercial property insurance of companies we recommend for food vendors.
CoverWallet | Thimble | NEXT (Best) | Hiscox | |
---|---|---|---|---|
General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $500,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | 350,000 | $25,000 |
Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Similar to juice bar insurance programs, food vendor insurance programs might allow you to bundle general liability insurance and commercial property insurance into a business owner’s policy.
A business owner’s policy is a fusion of general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. That said, this is an insurance policy that grants protection against liability lawsuits and business property damage or loss.
Depending on which insurance company underwrote it, a business owner’s policy for food vendors might offer optional policies such as cyber liability coverage, tools and equipment coverage, hired/non-owned auto liability coverage, and more.
Use the table above to compare the business owner’s policy of companies we recommend for food vendors.
NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | FLIP | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aggregate limit | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $5,000/$25,000 | $5,000/$10,000 |
Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $5,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | No | No |
Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | $5,000/$10,000 | No | No | No |
Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Deductible | $500 | $500 | $0 | $0 |
Tools and equipment insurance will cover the repair or replacement of ovens, fryers, stoves, mincers, meat grinders, blenders, and other equipment you use for preparing food. Coverage applies if damage or loss is caused by theft, vandalism, and other covered perils. Tools and equipment coverage isn’t exclusive to food vendors. Companies also offer this in their hot dog cart insurance programs and other related protection plans.
Use the table above to compare the tools and equipment insurance of companies we recommend for food vendors.
is coverage for employees, if there are any. You can decide not to get workers comp if you’re working solo. However, we suggest you do otherwise.
By having workers' compensation insurance, you can get the appropriate treatment and financial assistance for a work-related injury. This insurance will cover hospital bills, medication, lost wages, rehabilitation, and even funeral expenses and allowance to dependents in case of death.
An employer's liability coverage can be optionally added to workers' compensation insurance. This will take care of settlements and legal fees if an employee sues you after sustaining a work-related injury or disease.
Liquor liability insurance might be handy if you’re a food vendor who also sells alcoholic beverages. While this policy is usually included in liquor store insurance programs, there are some food vendor insurance packages that allow you to add liquor liability coverage to general liability insurance.
will take care of expenses in case a drunk customer files a claim for bodily injury or property damage. If the drunk customer hurts people and victims raise a lawsuit against you, then this insurance can still help cover attorney fees and settlements.
What works as a one day food vendor insurance is a short-term general liability policy. A short-term general liability policy provides coverage for a few hours, an entire day, or several weeks. This has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. Optional policies might be included.
Insurance companies that sell temporary food vendor insurance for one day are Hiscox, Thimble, and The Hartford.
The organizers of the festival have their own festival insurance that takes care of liabilities, equipment damage or loss as well as event cancellation. However, they’ll require you to get the appropriate coverage and name them as additional insureds. Your existing general liability policy can be used as a food vendor insurance for festivals. Another option is to get a short-term general liability policy in case you want an additional level of protection.
Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
---|---|---|---|
General liability insurance | $35 | $420 | $0-$500 |
Commercial property insurance | $39 | $468 | $1,000-$2,500 |
Business owner’s policy | $65 | $780 | $500-$1,000 |
Liquor liability insurance | $45 | $540 | $500-$1,000 |
Tools and equipment insurance | Cost included in general liability insurance | Cost included in general liability insurance | $0-$500 |
The average food vendor insurance cost is $35 per month or $420 per year for a $1 million general liability coverage. Factors that affect the cost of premiums are business history, business size, number of employees, annual revenue, and location. Here’s another table that shows how much the best companies charge for their $1 million general liability insurance.
Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
---|---|---|---|
FLIP | $24.92 | $299.04 | Food vendor insurance with dedicated custom limits |
NEXT | $25 | $300 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for food vendors |
CoverWallet | $26 | $312 | Food liability insurance quotes comparison online |
Hiscox | $28 | $336 | Food vendors looking for worldwide liability coverage |
Thimble | $30 | $360 | Short-term liability insurance |
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It would be best to compare the different food business insurance quotes and gain a better understanding of what is on offer. Click the "Get Quotes" button on this page to start.
Numerous food vendor insurance companies and providers in the states offer food vending insurance solutions. Below, we take a look at the best food vendor insurance companies. Read to know the pros, cons, and rates for a $1 million general liability coverage.
You get insured instantly online
You can add an unlimited number of insureds
You can cover any type o food vendor business
Unresponsive customer service
Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP) covers food carts, caterers, food stands at farmers' markets and all your staff. The coverage starts at $24.92 a month and $299.04 per year for general liability coverage. What makes the cover stand out is that you get inland marine coverage as part of the coverage. You also have the chance to add as many insureds as you can. Additional benefits include 24/7 access to policy documents, and you get to enjoy customized dedicated limits.
Best for: Food vendor insurance with dedicated custom limits
Average cost: $24.92 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Best overall
Get an online proof of insurance and send as a text message, email, or social media post
Fastest general liability insurance for food vendors
Great customer service and reputation
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
Outstanding value for money
Bundle two or more insurance policies and get a 10% discount
Couldn’t find any
Founded in 2015, NEXT has established itself as a one-stop shop for food vendor insurance coverage. Their food vendor insurance will encompass several coverages, including general liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation, and commercial property. If you go with general liability insurance, you will pay $25 per month.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for food vendors
Average cost: $25 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Free instant insurance quotes 24/7
Option to talk one on one with a licensed insurance agent in the event of inquiries
You can buy and manage policies online
Instant proof of insurance that would be emailed to you
Get quotes instantly
CoverWallet is just a broker and doesn't underwrite insurance
CoverWallet is a web-based insurance management solution that simplifies the management of business insurance policies. They offer food vendors services with high functionality, packaged in an easy-to-understand interface. All you have to provide is basic business information to the company's platform, and they will send you the quotes of different carriers.
Best for: Food vendor liability insurance quotes comparison online
Average cost: $26 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Worldwide coverage with a customer base of over 400,000 businesses
Discounts of up to 5% are available when you bundle together two or more policies
14-day money-back refund policy
No food vendor insurance for businesses in Alaska
BOP only offered for businesses with fewer than ten employees
If you are a sole proprietor or a microbusiness with food and beverage carts, mobile food services, mobile concessions, or mobile street food vendors, Hiscox food vendor insurance is the policy for you. It specializes in general liability for food vendors, which costs as low as $28 per month for a $2 million coverage limit. You can adjust your coverage amounts and deductibles before obtaining the final quote.
Best for: Food vendors looking for worldwide liability coverage
Average cost: $28 per month
Our rating: 7/10
You get coverage instantly online in less than 60 seconds
Short-term liability insurance for food vendors
You can extend, cancel or modify policies right from your phone
You can pause your food vendor business insurance
You get quotes in less than a minute
Not available in all states
While Thimble is generally a newcomer, only established in 2016, Thimble differentiates itself from the rest of the food vendor insurance providers on this list by offering flexible terms. As a food vendor, you will not be locked into a yearly contract. This is excellent news for flea market and festival food vendors who need daily or even hourly insurance policies. For hourly food vendor insurance, you'll pay $5 per hour, but if you want a monthly cover, you'll pay $30 per month.
Best for: Short-term liability insurance
Average cost: $30 per month
Our rating: 7/10
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
This company does not care about the people they insure or the people that work for the company. They do stupid meets all day long about quality on calls while injured workers sit in pain waiting for answers but can never get to anyone to help them. This company hires uneducated people to run the company so that nothing important get done. I have heard so many stories about injury workers having bad service. They can’t never get their claims adjuster on the phone and the doctors that this company tells people to go to do not care about their patients causing their injuries to become worse. This company neglect on taking care of people’s injured employees have caused people to end up with disabilities for the rest of their life. if you get insurance under this company you will end up having to hire a lawyer to fight them in court. Do not get a policy with this company. Your employees will pay the price and so will the owners of the company. Honestly they need to get shut down. Avoid at all cost do not get this insurance and do not work for this company.
Terrible customer service. I got this insurance for my Amazon store when I ran one, took a break and cancelled all my subscriptions. I called these guys and they recommended sending an email. They never responded and have been charging me since then. Definitely going to dispute via the bank. Hate when businesses take advantage of other small businesses for their own gain.
I purchased a year long policy for my small business I paid for the year up front. First they sent me the incorrect paperwork and acted as if I had something to do with the mistake. About three weeks later I received a bill for the policy. I then sent countless email as the payment did clear my account. About a week later I'm told they have no record of my payment. Now I have to send any documents proving I said then. It went on for weeks. More requests of proof from this person then another. Every conversation had an under lying tone of me being dishonest. Finally I just gave up with them and filed a despite with my bank which took all of three days.. So now I'm continuing to receive emails that my policy is past due and will be cancelled. Funny, I was told I didn't have a policy because they couldn't locate it.
Purchased the General Liability policy I needed to fulfill a contract for my hiring party. Simply Business made it very easy to complete an application and review multiple quote options. Ended up purchasing a policy for 1/2 of what I originally was told by my agent.
I insured my small business with them from early 2016 to January 2022. I had a workman's compensation policy with them the entire time for my staff of approximately 10 people which fluctuated up and down minimally over the years. We ran a very safe operation and never had so much as one claim. I sold my business in early 2022 and cancelled my policy which triggered a final audit of $2871.00 which was owed back to me. Of course I dissolved my LLC immediately after selling the business and thus closed my bank checking account at the advise of my accountant. Though my name was on the business policy, Employers Preferred Insurance Company refused to issue a check to me directly as the policy holder due to...you guessed it, policy. Long story short, if you sell your business keep a small amount deposited in the checking account because it's almost a guarantee that companies such as Employers will use their policy to weasel their way out of money owed after the dissolution of a business. I should have known that I would be treated a just another number shortly after I signed with them as the sales agent just disappeared after I was set up for an online account to manage my policy. My next business venture will entail me working with an actual insurance agent who has an office in an actual brick and mortar building!