You Sell the Equipment a Kitchen Runs On.
Protecting restaurant and foodservice equipment dealers and their installations
Restaurant and foodservice equipment dealers sell the ranges, fryers, ovens, hoods, walk-in coolers, and smallwares that commercial kitchens depend on — and the real exposure follows the equipment out the door. Much of this gear is installed and connected to gas, electric, and water, which pulls the dealer into completed-operations liability long after the sale. When a fryer, range hood, or walk-in that the dealer sold or installed fails, the result can be a kitchen fire, a flood, or an injury at the restaurant, and the dealer gets named. Heavy items create delivery and handling risk, and used or refurbished equipment raises the product stakes further. A foodservice equipment dealer needs coverage built around installation, completed operations, and equipment product liability. This is a specialized corner of retail insurance built for a business whose risk lives in the kitchens it supplies.
Properly structured coverage protects the showroom, the installation crew, and the restaurants downstream.
The Equipment Dealer's Signature Exposures
The defining exposure is installation and completed operations. When a dealer connects a gas range, hood, or walk-in and that work or that equipment later causes a fire, leak, or injury, the claim arrives months after the sale and lands on the dealer, not the showroom policy. Product liability runs alongside it: commercial cooking and refrigeration equipment that fails can start a fire or injure kitchen staff, and used or refurbished units carry heightened risk because the dealer is now in the chain for older equipment. Heavy equipment means serious delivery, loading, and lifting exposure, and valuable inventory and installation jobs add theft and in-transit concerns. Installation, completed operations, and equipment product liability are what most define the business.
Key Risks in Foodservice Equipment Operations
Restaurant and foodservice equipment dealers face exposure related to:
A sold or installed unit causing a fire, flood, or injury at a restaurant
Completed-operations liability for gas, electric, and water connections
Product liability on new, used, and refurbished commercial equipment
Injury or damage during delivery, loading, and lifting of heavy equipment
Installation-job property and in-transit exposure
Showroom and warehouse fire, theft, and property damage
Employee injury from handling heavy equipment
Installation and completed-operations liability is what most defines the dealer.
Core Coverages for Foodservice Equipment Dealers
A properly built foodservice equipment program typically includes:
General Liability — Covers customer and visitor injury and third-party property damage at the showroom and on site.
Products & Completed Operations Liability — Responds when sold or installed equipment causes a fire, leak, or injury after the work is done.
Commercial Property — Covers the showroom, warehouse, fixtures, and inventory against covered loss.
Installation Floater / Inland Marine — Covers equipment in transit and during installation at the customer's site.
Business Income — Replaces revenue when a fire or loss closes the showroom or warehouse.
Commercial Auto — Covers delivery vehicles and the heavy equipment they haul.
Crime / Theft Coverage — Covers robbery, burglary, and employee theft of high-value equipment.
Workers' Compensation — Provides legally required coverage for warehouse and installation staff.
Cyber Liability — Protects customer and payment data from breach.
Umbrella / Excess Liability — Adds higher limits above the primary program for a severe fire or injury claim.
What's Commonly Overlooked
Foodservice equipment programs are most often weakened by:
A retail-only policy with no products-completed operations for installation work
Product-liability limits too low for a commercial-kitchen fire or injury
Used and refurbished equipment assumed covered but never addressed
No installation floater for equipment in transit and on the job
Delivery and heavy-lifting exposure left out of the auto and workers' comp program
The gap that hurts most is a storefront policy that stops at the showroom while the real claim comes from the gas line you connected and the fryer you sold.
Real-World Claim Examples
A hood or range the dealer installed is blamed for a kitchen fire months later
A walk-in cooler fails and spoils a restaurant's inventory
A refurbished fryer sold by the dealer causes a burn injury
A heavy unit is dropped during delivery and damages the customer's property
An installer is injured lifting equipment on site
A single completed-operations or product claim can far exceed the value of the equipment sold.
Why Proper Placement Matters
A foodservice equipment dealer is priced on what it sells and whether it installs, so placement turns on the completed-operations and product exposure. Underwriters weigh the mix of new, used, and refurbished equipment, whether the dealer connects gas, electric, and water, the delivery and installation footprint, and the controls around that work. This sits outside simple retail appetite and belongs in a program that recognizes the installation and product-liability tail. Presenting documented installation practices, licensed connections, and clear delivery procedures is what secures coverage that reaches the exposures a showroom-only policy leaves out.
Our Approach
At Cory Washington & Co., we build foodservice equipment programs around the full life of the sale — the showroom, the delivery, the installation, and the completed-operations and product liability that follow the equipment into the kitchen. We coordinate property, installation, and auto coverage so you're protected on the floor, on the truck, and on the job. We also insure related businesses, including home improvement stores and kitchenware and housewares stores.
The equipment leaves your showroom — we build coverage that follows it into the kitchen.
All insurance descriptions on this website are provided by Cory Washington & Co. LLC strictly for general informational purposes. They are not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as, legal, financial, or insurance advice. The information presented is general in nature and does not guarantee the availability, terms, conditions, or scope of any insurance coverage. Actual coverage is determined solely by the specific policy language issued by the insurer and remains subject to underwriting approval. Nothing on this website creates or implies an agent-client relationship, binds coverage, or alters any existing policy. Cory Washington & Co. LLC expressly disclaims any liability for actions taken, or not taken, based on the content provided here. For advice regarding your particular situation, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional at Cory Washington & Co. LLC or another qualified insurance professional, and always review your policy documents in full.
See the coverages a restaurant & foodservice equipment supply business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — plus the gap most often missed, in the Restaurant & Foodservice Equipment Supply Coverage Checklist.
Complete the Restaurant & Foodservice Equipment Supply Supplemental online in a few guided steps, download the fillable PDF, or browse all applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get restaurant & foodservice equipment & supply insurance through Cory Washington & Co.?
Request a quote or contact our team. We start with a short conversation about your operations, analyze your exposures, then negotiate restaurant & foodservice equipment & supply insurance across multiple carriers that compete for your account and present options with the trade-offs explained. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
How are restaurant & foodservice equipment & supply insurance premiums priced?
There is no flat rate. The cost of restaurant & foodservice equipment & supply insurance reflects your industry, your size (payroll and revenue), your claims history, and the limits and deductibles you choose. We market your account to multiple carriers, compare the real quotes side by side, and explain what is driving each number so you can weigh coverage against price with confidence.
Is restaurant & foodservice equipment & supply insurance mandatory?
Whether restaurant & foodservice equipment & supply insurance is strictly required depends on your state, your contracts, and your lenders or clients. Even where it is not mandatory, going without it can leave serious financial gaps. We assess your exposure and any contractual requirements, then structure coverage that meets both.
What if another agency has already declined or non-renewed my coverage?
Difficult, specialty, and previously-declined placements are a core part of our work. We access excess & surplus (E&S) and specialty markets that many generalist agencies cannot, and we explain the trade-offs clearly so you can decide with confidence.
Available in all 50 states. See how requirements differ in California, Texas, Florida, New York, or choose your state.