PRODUCT: Restaurant Guard Insurance

COMPANY: U.S. Risk Insurance Group

BEST RATING: A (Excellent), Size XV

AVAILABILITY: Coverage is available through U.S. Risk Insurance Group-appointed agents and brokers. No minimum premium commitment required.

FOCUS: Restaurant owners and operators face a unique set of risks that can threaten the health and sustainability of their businesses.

In response, U.S. Risk Insurance Group, a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker, recently launched Restaurant Guard Insurance—“the first program of its kind to offer independent restaurant owners a complete blanket of coverage custom-designed to meet the needs of restaurants,” says Crystal Jacobs, vice president and program director, Restaurant Guard, U.S. Risk Insurance Group.

Beginning with coverage for food-borne illness—an exposure many other policies don’t address—and expanding to cover everything that can stem from food-borne illness, such as business interruption and crisis management, Restaurant Guard addresses a variety of threats facing restaurants today.

“U.S. Risk has been involved in insuring the restaurant space for quite some time,” Jacobs adds. “With Restaurant Guard, we add nearly 20 years of experience in insuring restaurants for their most unique exposures.”

COVERAGE DETAILS: Limits up to $25 million are available. Food-borne illness coverage can be part of a total restaurant insurance solution that includes EPLI, including wage and hour; workers compensation; liquor liability, general liability and property; valet and parking; and terrorism—active shooter.

Coverage triggers include food-borne illness, supplier contamination, public health authority announcement, malicious tampering, adverse publicity, workplace violence, product extortion and disease outbreak.

Coverage highlights include:

• Pre-incident expenses
• Lost revenue replacement
• Extra expense
• Extortion costs
• Employee expense
• Brand rehabilitation expense
• Recall costs
• Consultant/advisor costs
• Disease outbreak costs
• Lost royalty income

Restaurant Guard policyholders also receive access to 24/7 crisis management services from WorldAware, enabling them to reduce their risk and act effectively at a time of crisis. A combination of pre-incident and response services includes:

• Crisis management
• Recall management
• Food defense, food fraud, malicious product tampering and site security
• Food Safety Modernization Act
• Business continuity
• Audits
• Food safety auditor training
• Quality systems
• Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point compliance
• Supplier management and supply chain programs
• Social responsibility and sustainable business management
• Consumer complaint management
• Incident response
• Recall response support

UNDERWRITING: U.S. Risk Insurance Group considers three main factors when looking at a risk for food-borne illness coverage: revenues, locations and brand name. The online application process is extremely simple.

“In developing this program, we acknowledged that small to midsize restaurants have been significantly underserved,” Jacobs says. “We wanted to make the process simple and affordable.”

MINIMUM PREMIUM: $300.

TARGET: Owners of small to midsize independently owned restaurants across North America.

COVERAGE TERRITORY: All 50 U.S. states.

CONTACT: Crystal Jacobs, vice president and program director, Restaurant Guard, U.S. Risk Insurance Group; 214-647-5003.

Jacquelyn Connelly is former IA senior editor.