Glossary / Commercial General Liability (CGL)
Restaurant Insurance Glossary

Commercial General Liability (CGL)

Quick Answer

Commercial General Liability (CGL) is the foundational insurance that protects your restaurant from claims of bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury caused by your business operations or premises.

What You Need to Know

CGL is non-negotiable — it's the most fundamental restaurant insurance. It covers customer slip-and-falls, food poisoning, property damage you cause to others, and personal/advertising injury like libel or copyright infringement.

Why It Matters for Restaurant Owners

No landlord will lease to you, no serious vendor will contract with you, and no bank will lend to you without CGL coverage. Standard coverage limits are $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, but high-volume restaurants or those serving alcohol should carry higher limits ($2M/$4M or more).

This policy pays for legal defense even if claims are groundless, which alone can cost $50,000-$100,000 — a benefit that matters just as much as the settlement coverage itself.

Related Terms

Get restaurant insurance built around how you actually operate.

Tell us your concept, your coverage questions, and your state — and we'll put together the coverage that actually applies.

Get Your Free Quote