Takeout, Delivery and Ghost Kitchen Insurance in Ontario
Delivery only brands, takeout counters and shared commissary kitchens make money differently from dine in restaurants, so their insurance should be built differently too. We connect Ontario operators with licensed brokers who understand delivery first food businesses.
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Service & Support:
- Follow-up from a licensed broker within 24 hours
- Policy Review and Comparison
- Risk Assessment
- Help with certificates of insurance, policy changes and contract reviews
- Renewal planning well before your policy expires
Quick answer
What insurance does a takeout or ghost kitchen need in Ontario?
Ontario takeout restaurants and ghost kitchens usually need commercial general liability with products coverage, property and equipment coverage (including their share of any shared kitchen), non owned auto liability if staff deliver in their own cars, liquor liability if they deliver alcohol, cyber for online ordering and WSIB if they have workers.
Delivery first businesses have different risks
Fewer guests walk through your door, but your food travels further and your business depends on apps, tablets and online ordering. The biggest gaps we see are around delivery drivers, shared kitchen agreements and cyber.
If you operate from a commissary or shared kitchen, the kitchen operator's insurance protects them, not you. Your agreement will usually require you to carry your own liability and to name the operator as an additional insured.
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We connect you with a broker who works with businesses like yours, not a generic call centre.
Licensed Ontario brokers
Insurance brokers in Ontario are licensed by the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO).
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Once we receive your information, a professional in our network will connect with you within 24 hours.
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Our referral service is free for businesses. You deal directly with the broker for quotes and coverage.
What coverage does a takeout or ghost kitchen need?
These are the coverages a broker will usually build in.
Liability and products coverage
Products coverage is especially important when most of your food is eaten off site. It responds to claims that a meal caused illness, an allergic reaction or injury from a foreign object.
- Illness and allergen claims
- Packaging and labelling errors
- Certificates for kitchen operators and landlords
Delivery and non owned auto
Personal auto policies often exclude or restrict delivery use, and they do not protect your business. If your own staff deliver, you need commercial auto for business vehicles and non owned auto liability for staff who use their own cars.
- Commercial auto for delivery vehicles
- Non owned auto for staff cars
- Know what the delivery apps' insurance does and does not cover
Shared and commissary kitchens
Your agreement with a commissary or shared kitchen will set out who insures what. Your policy should cover your own equipment and stock in the space and meet the operator's liability and additional insured requirements.
- Your equipment and stock in a shared space
- Operator additional insured requirements
- Damage you cause to the kitchen
Cyber and online ordering
When every order comes through a tablet, website or app, an outage or ransomware attack stops the business. Cyber coverage helps pay for recovery, lost income and customer notification.
- Ordering system and POS outages
- Payment and data breaches
- Read our cyber insurance guide
Delivery risks worth planning for
Delivering alcohol
Licensed Ontario restaurants can sell alcohol with food for takeout and delivery under set conditions. Anyone delivering alcohol needs approved responsible service training, and ID must be checked at the door. Your insurer needs to know, because it changes your liquor liability.
- Train delivery staff before they carry alcohol
- Check ID on every alcohol order
- Confirm liquor liability includes delivery
Packaging and temperature
Food that travels needs to stay safe. Sealed, labelled packaging, hot and cold holding controls and clear allergen information protect customers and help defend a claim.
- Tamper evident, labelled packaging
- Allergen information on every order
- Holding temperature logs
What does takeout or ghost kitchen insurance cost?
As a general guide, many Ontario takeout and delivery only kitchens see roughly $1,200 to $3,500 a year for a liability and property package, with deep frying, alcohol delivery and delivery vehicles adding to the price. These are estimates only. See our cost guide.
Raises the price
- Deep frying and open flame
- Alcohol delivery
- Own delivery fleet
- Past claims
Helps lower it
- Hood suppression and cleaning
- Food safety records
- Using third party couriers
- Claim free history
Also consider
- WSIB for staff
- Cyber for ordering systems
- Business interruption
Build coverage around how you actually sell
Tell us about your takeout, delivery or ghost kitchen business and we will connect you with a licensed Ontario broker who understands delivery first operations. The referral is free.
Serving guests in house too? See our restaurant insurance guide.
Connect NowTakeout and Ghost Kitchen Insurance FAQs
Does the delivery app's insurance cover my restaurant?
Delivery platforms carry insurance for their own operations and couriers under their terms, but it is not designed to protect your restaurant. Your own liability and products coverage still needs to be in place.
Are my staff covered when they deliver in their own cars?
Their personal policy may exclude or restrict delivery use and does not protect your business. Non owned auto liability protects the business, and staff should confirm their own policy allows delivery.
Do I need my own insurance in a commissary kitchen?
Yes. The kitchen operator's insurance protects the operator. Most agreements require you to carry your own liability and name the operator as an additional insured.
Can I deliver alcohol with food orders?
Licensed Ontario restaurants can sell alcohol with food for takeout and delivery under AGCO rules. Delivery staff need approved training, and your insurer must know so liquor liability covers it.
How much does ghost kitchen insurance cost?
Many takeout and delivery only kitchens see roughly $1,200 to $3,500 a year for liability and property coverage. That is an estimate; cooking methods, alcohol and vehicles change the price.
What happens after you request commercial insurance?
1Discovery Call
(30 to 45 min)Understand operations, contracts, assets, and loss history.
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We will request your
expiring policies and loss runs.
2Risk Mapping
(1 to 3 days)Document exposures, limits, sublimits, deductibles, and endorsements that fit your contracts.
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3Market Placement
(2 to 5 days)Approach the right markets
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and negotiate terms, exclusions, and deductibles.
4Proposal & Bind
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