Simply Business and an independent agent both compare several insurance carriers for you, and both are paid commission by the carrier you choose. The difference is how. Simply Business is a digital marketplace where you answer questions online and pick from the quotes shown. An independent agent reviews your restaurant, lease and contracts with you and shops the markets available to that agency.
This page is for restaurant owners who have seen Simply Business ads and wonder whether an online marketplace does the same job as an agency. For some restaurants it does. For others, the details a quote form cannot ask about are exactly where claims and lease problems come from. We will lay out both honestly, using Simply Business’s own published description of how it works.
What Simply Business actually is
Simply Business describes itself as a digital insurance broker and online marketplace. It is a licensed insurance agency, not an insurance company. You answer a short set of questions, see quotes from carriers on its panel, choose coverage and buy online, which it says typically takes less than ten minutes. Licensed agents are available by phone on weekdays. After purchase you can download your certificate of insurance from your account, often within minutes, and add it to a phone wallet.
Simply Business says it receives a commission from the insurance carrier when you buy through it, auto-renews policies when payment information is current, and that claims are handled by your insurance carrier. In other words, the economics look a lot like an agency’s; the service model is what differs.
Marketplace vs. independent agency, side by side
- How you apply — Simply Business: a short online questionnaire / Independent agent: an application plus a conversation about your menu, alcohol, hours, leases and vehicles
- Carrier choice — Simply Business: carriers on its online panel that quote your answers / Independent agent: the markets available through that agency, including ones that need an underwriter to review the account
- Who is paid and how — Simply Business: commission from the carrier / Independent agent: commission from the carrier
- Certificates of insurance — Simply Business: self-serve downloads from your account / Independent agent: issued by the agency, including custom additional insured and waiver wording your landlord requests
- Renewals — Simply Business: policies auto-renew with the payment on file / Independent agent: the account can be re-marketed before renewal if pricing or coverage changes
- Claims — Simply Business: filed with the carrier directly / Independent agent: filed with the carrier, with the agency available to help you report and follow up
- Speed — Simply Business: built for minutes-long online purchase / Independent agent: can be fast for simple risks, slower when underwriters need more information
Which route suits which restaurant
Simple counter-service shop. A juice bar or sandwich shop with no alcohol, one location and a standard lease fits best with a marketplace when you know the coverage you need and value self-serve certificates. See juice bar insurance.
Full-service restaurant with alcohol. Liquor limits, assault and battery exclusions, umbrella requirements in a lease and the food-to-alcohol split all affect which carriers will write you and on what terms. This is where an agent conversation tends to prevent surprises.
Multi-location or franchise operator. Franchise agreements and multiple landlords often require specific endorsements, notice-of-cancellation terms and certificate wording. An agency that can coordinate all locations on consistent terms usually fits better. See franchise restaurant insurance.
Delivery-heavy concept. Delivery raises auto questions an online form may not fully capture: who drives, whose car, how many runs a night. An agent can match you with hired and non-owned or commercial auto markets that accept that exposure.
Restaurant with past claims. A kitchen fire or slip-and-fall on your loss history can cause online quotes to decline. An agency can present the claims with context to underwriters who review accounts individually.
Coverage details a quote form can miss
- Additional insured and waiver of subrogation — most commercial leases require exact wording, not just a standard certificate
- Liquor liability terms — assault and battery exclusions can leave bar fights uninsured
- Spoilage and utility interruption — an off-premises power outage can wipe out inventory
- Equipment breakdown — refrigeration, hood fans and dish machines fail mechanically
- Business income waiting period — matters when a kitchen fire closes you for weeks
- Workers’ comp class codes — cooks, servers and drivers misclassified can mean an audit bill
- Hired and non-owned auto — covers the business when staff deliver in personal cars
- Umbrella limits — landlords and event venues often require more than a single policy limit
What drives the premium no matter where you buy
The channel does not change what underwriters care about: sales and alcohol share, cooking type, fire suppression and hood cleaning, building and location, hours and entertainment, payroll by class, vehicles and claims history. Neither a marketplace nor an agency can make those facts disappear; both can only match them with carriers that price them fairly.
You influence the result by documenting safety practices, reporting accurately and fixing known hazards before you apply. Read more on what affects restaurant insurance cost.
How working with our agency goes, step by step
Provident Financial Group is an independent agency focused on commercial insurance. You complete one application; we follow up on anything that affects coverage, such as alcohol service, delivery and lease requirements; then we shop the markets available through our agency for your state and concept and present the quotes side by side. When you are ready, we bind, issue certificates of insurance to your landlord or venue, and handle changes during the year. Before renewal, we review whether re-marketing makes sense. Call (866) 964-6660 anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Is Simply Business an insurance company?
No. Simply Business describes itself as a digital insurance broker and marketplace and a licensed insurance agency. Your policy is issued by the carrier you choose.
Does using an independent agent cost more than a marketplace?
Both are typically compensated by carrier commission. Price depends on the carrier and your restaurant’s details, so the only way to know is to compare actual quotes.
Can I get certificates as fast through an agent?
For standard certificates, often yes. Agencies can also issue certificates with specific additional insured and waiver wording that landlords and venues request.
When is a marketplace enough for a restaurant?
When the operation is simple: one location, little or no alcohol, no owned vehicles, a standard lease and no significant claims history.
Want a side-by-side comparison with advice included? Get Multiple Quotes within minutes.