The Arbella Insurance Group announced the launch of Arbella Edge for Restaurants, a new, comprehensive coverage endorsement available to owners of individual restaurants and small to mid-size chains operating in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. This product improves and replaces Arbella’s existing Dining Advantage endorsement and offers combined property and general liability coverage for new customers and current policy holders who need increased limits for a broader array of coverages. Additionally, Arbella has broadened the coverage offered through its Restaurants Spotlight endorsement to include reimbursement for losses incurred by restaurant owners due to Food Contamination and Boil Water Orders put in place by local municipalities.

According to data from the U.S. Fire Administration, restaurant fires account for about 6 percent of all nonresidential building fires reported to fire departments. But running a restaurant carries many including exposures like food safety and cyber security that are not associated with a physical structure.

“While fire is a primary concern, it’s just one of many risks facing restaurants today,” says John Donohue, president and CEO of Arbella Insurance Group. “Arbella knows that today’s business owners must protect themselves from other exposures directly related to restaurant activities.” We are proud to offer a complete and comprehensive product like Arbella Edge, which gives restaurant owners the peace of mind that their business will recover, no matter what types of losses are incurred.”

The suite of coverage in Arbella’s Arbella Edge for Restaurants also provides policyholders with assistance when losses are associated with, but not limited to, the following:

• Food Contamination: Covers certain costs associated with a Public Health Authority requiring that operations be suspended due to the discovery of, suspicion of, or exposure to “food contamination” at the described premises.
• Boil Water Order: Covers losses incurred due to the “suspension” of “operations” at the described premises caused by or resulting from a municipal “boil-water order.”
• Restaurant Wine Stock: Covers the value of a policyholders’ restaurant wine stock in the event of loss or damage resulting from a specified loss at the described premises.
• Spoilage: Covers losses due to change in temperature or humidity from mechanical breakdown or failure of refrigeration, cooling or humidity control apparatus or equipment due to conditions beyond the policyholder’s control.
• Credit Card Forgery: Covers losses due to the good faith acceptance of credit card payment in exchange for merchandise, money or services as part of a normal business transaction.

“Like most business owners, restaurant owners have plenty of things to worry about,” says Jeff Witt, AVP Commercial Lines, Research and Development, Arbella Insurance Group. “Having the right type of insurance policy and coverage amounts to properly protect themselves and their employees shouldn’t be one of them, yet it’s as critical to the business as having fresh food and positive reviews. With Arbella Edge, we’ve created a straightforward product that’s tailor-made for individual restaurants and small to mid-size chains.”

For $495 for the first location (and $100 for each additional location), Arbella Edge for Restaurants offers owners blanket coverage of up to $150,000 per occurrence (and $300,000 in any one 12-month policy) to cover costs associated with losses due to electronic data breach, loss of valuable papers or records, sewer or drain back-ups, fire department service charges, preservation expenses, debris removal, sign replacement and more. 

In addition to financial reimbursement, Arbella Edge for Restaurant provides policyholders extensive loss control support from experts who can assess existing vulnerabilities within a restaurant and provide best-practices training on serving and food safety to help minimize risks.