The certificate of insurance is the one-page document your restaurant’s entire compliance life runs through — landlords demand it before keys, delivery platforms before activation, franchisors before opening, event organizers before booking. Here’s who asks, what the wording has to say, and how to stop COIs from ever delaying you. Get multiple quotes within minutes.
Who demands your COI — and what they check
- Landlords: $1M per-occurrence general liability with the landlord named as additional insured — the near-universal lease requirement
- Delivery platforms: proof of liability (and often auto coverage) before your restaurant goes live on the app
- Franchisors: the FDD’s exact limits and wording — see our FDD insurance checklist
- Liquor authorities & lenders: liquor liability proof where required, coverage continuity for loans
- Event organizers & commissaries: per-event certificates naming them as additional insured — the food truck and caterer’s daily reality
The wording that gets certificates rejected
Reviewers reject certificates for entity-name mismatches (your LLC’s exact legal name matters), missing additional-insured endorsements, wrong limits, and expired dates. “Additional insured” added by endorsement is different from just listing a certificate holder — and sophisticated landlords and franchisors know the difference.
Same-day certificates are the standard — demand them
Most policies we place issue COIs the day you need them, with additional-insured endorsements applied correctly the first time. If getting a certificate from your current agent takes days, that’s a service problem costing you bookings and openings — and a fixable one.
Frequently asked questions
What does a restaurant COI need to show for a landlord?
Typically $1M per-occurrence / $2M aggregate general liability with the landlord (and often the property manager) named as additional insured by endorsement — plus current policy dates and your exact legal entity name.
How fast can I get a certificate of insurance?
Same-day is the standard with the right agency — including additional-insured certificates for events, landlords, and delivery platforms.
Ready for your number? Get multiple quotes within minutes from an independent agency that shops top carriers for your restaurant.