Ghost kitchens in Georgia typically need general liability with strong products-completed operations coverage, hired and non-owned auto if any staff deliver in their own vehicles, business personal property and spoilage for equipment inside a leased or shared kitchen, workers’ compensation once three or more people are regularly employed, and cyber liability for app-driven ordering. The shared-kitchen agreement usually sets the minimum limits.
This page is for delivery-only operators in Georgia: single-brand kitchens with no dining room, operators running several virtual brands from one line, and tenants renting a station in a commissary or shared kitchen facility. With no customers walking in, most of the risk leaves through the pickup door.
Licensing and contracts behind a delivery-only kitchen
A ghost kitchen is still a food service establishment in Georgia, permitted by the county health department under the Department of Public Health’s Rules 511-6-1. The rules call for at least one certified food safety manager with supervisory responsibility, and a new permit or ownership change starts a 60-day window to have one. In a shared facility, confirm whether the operator’s permit covers your station or whether you need your own.
The contracts matter as much as the permit. Shared-kitchen licenses commonly require tenants to carry general liability and name the facility as additional insured, and many include a waiver of subrogation. Delivery platforms have their own merchant terms. Read both before binding coverage so the policy matches what you signed.
Drivers, platforms and Georgia auto minimums
Most ghost kitchens hand orders to third-party couriers, which shifts the driving exposure to those platforms and their drivers. Operators that run their own delivery, even occasionally, face a different picture. Georgia’s minimum auto liability is 25/50/25 (in thousands of dollars), which is what an employee’s personal policy may carry, and an injured motorist may pursue the kitchen after a crash on a delivery run. Hired and non-owned auto coverage protects the business in that situation. Staff who deliver also count toward Georgia’s three-employee workers’ comp threshold, part-timers included.
Exposures unique to virtual brands
- A sauce shared across three virtual brands contains an undeclared allergen, and complaints arrive under three different brand names that all trace back to one kitchen.
- A tamper seal is missing on a bag, a customer claims illness, and the platform suspends your account while the claim is investigated.
- The facility’s shared hood system has a fire in another tenant’s station, and your equipment and inventory are damaged by smoke and suppression chemicals.
- A ransomware attack locks the tablets and order management software on a Friday night.
- A line cook slices a hand during a high-volume prep session for a promotional event.
Coverage stack for a Georgia ghost kitchen
- General liability with products-completed operations — the central coverage for illness or injury from food that leaves your kitchen under any brand.
- Product contamination — covers recall costs and lost income when an ingredient or batch must be pulled.
- Business personal property — protects equipment you own inside a leased or shared kitchen.
- Tenant’s legal liability — responds if you damage the facility itself, which many licenses require.
- Business income — replaces revenue when a fire elsewhere in the building shuts down your station.
- Hired and non-owned auto — protects the business when employees deliver in personal cars.
- Workers’ compensation — mandatory in Georgia at three or more regular employees.
- Cyber liability — covers data breach costs and downtime tied to online ordering systems.
Underwriting questions for delivery-only operators
Carriers ask about annual sales, the number of virtual brands, menu complexity, cooking methods such as frying, whether you deliver with your own staff, and whether you share hoods and fire suppression with other tenants. They also look at the facility operator’s maintenance practices. Documented allergen controls across brands, tamper-evident packaging, written delivery driver rules and a strong shared-kitchen agreement all support better terms.
One application, carriers compared side by side
Provident Financial Group sends your information to multiple carriers so you can compare quotes and endorsements in one view, including the additional insured and waiver wording your facility requires. We issue certificates of insurance you can send to the kitchen operator and delivery platforms after binding. Call (866) 964-6660. The national ghost kitchen insurance guide and our Georgia restaurant insurance hub have more.
Frequently asked questions
Do third-party delivery apps cover my ghost kitchen’s liability?
Platform coverage generally focuses on the courier and the platform, not your food or your kitchen. You still need your own liability, and many platforms require evidence of insurance. See what delivery apps require.
If I run several virtual brands, do I need several policies?
Usually not. One policy can list all brands as named insureds or trade names; make sure every brand name appears so claims are not questioned.
Who counts toward Georgia’s workers’ comp threshold in a shared kitchen?
Your own regular employees, including part-timers. Other tenants’ staff are their responsibility. Read more on Georgia restaurant workers’ comp.
Is my equipment covered by the facility’s insurance?
Rarely. The facility’s policy usually covers its building and its own equipment, so items you own need business personal property coverage on your policy.
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