Insurance for takeaways, kebab shops, chip stands and food trucks in Germany
A German Imbiss works in a tiny space with a fryer, a gas bottle and a kebab spit, and a food truck takes all of that out on the road. When it burns, it is not just the kitchen that is lost but often the vehicle too, and at a festival someone else's stall stands right next to yours. This page shows what you must insure, what is optional and what it costs.
No. Motor liability pays for damage the vehicle causes on the road. What happens while you are selling, such as a guest burning themselves or getting food poisoning, belongs to public liability. And the built in kitchen is often covered by comprehensive motor insurance only up to a small sum as special equipment; for that you need separate contents or electronics cover.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Fat and gas
Fryer, gas grill and propane bottles in a few square metres: a fire spreads in seconds.
02
Food in summer
Heat at the festival, refrigeration at its limit, sauces sitting in the pot: food poisoning quickly hits many guests at once.
03
Damage at your pitch
At markets and fairs you stand next to other stalls on someone else's ground. Fat on the paving and scorch marks on the lawn end up with you.
04
Accident with the truck
A food truck is heavy and often not new. Rear end collisions and manoeuvring damage are common.
05
Overnight theft
A parked food trailer full of catering equipment is easy to break into, and sometimes the whole trailer disappears.
06
Income drops away
If the truck is in the garage, the weddings and company parties you had booked are lost.
Protects you as the owner if hot fat or a fall keeps you out of action for a long time.
What it costs: example prices
Takeaways are among the cheaper risks in hospitality. What counts is turnover, fryer and gas, whether you are fixed or mobile, and the value of the vehicle and kitchen equipment.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Sole trader, around €50,000 turnover, €3 million cover
about €60 to €150 a year
Business liability
Takeaway or food truck with one to three staff and festival work
about €150 to €600 a year
Business contents
Kitchen equipment and supplies worth €35,000
about €200 to €500 a year
Car insurance
Food truck up to 3.5 tonnes, liability and fully comprehensive
about €900 to €2,200 a year
Business interruption
Loss of income for up to six months, added to the contents policy
about €80 to €250 a year on top
For comparison: Basic cover of public liability and contents insurance costs about as much a year as 50 portions of currywurst and chips.
Guide prices as of September 2026,
based on published tariff examples and on our own quoting practice.
Motor premiums depend heavily on the vehicle, no claims history and where you live;
Six things that really happen at takeaways and food trucks, all on a single festival Sunday. Click through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€76,400
Parking on the festival site, the food truck hits someone else's van.
€3,800 · Paid by: Car insurance
A power surge at the organiser's distribution board: fridge and card terminal are broken.
€2,600 · Paid by: Electronic equipment
A child touches the hot outer wall of the grill and burns a hand.
€6,000 · Paid by: Business liability
Twelve guests report stomach upsets; the sauce stood in the sun too long.
€14,000 · Paid by: Business liability
The fryer catches fire and the kitchen in the truck burns out.
€32,000 · Paid by: Business contents
The company parties booked for the next six weeks are cancelled.
€18,000 · Paid by: Business interruption
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €76,400
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Have work at markets, festivals and catering jobs written into the public liability policy expressly.
Insure the built in kitchen of your food truck separately; comprehensive motor cover often pays for special equipment only up to a few thousand euros.
Have gas installations inspected regularly and keep the certificate in the vehicle, as insurers ask for it.
Check whether damage to rented pitches and to the organiser's ground is covered.
Park the vehicle overnight in a locked building or fit a wheel clamp; many policies require this for theft cover.
Keep a fire extinguisher for fat fires and a fire blanket within reach: it lowers the risk and events often require it.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We see takeaway and vehicle as one
As a broker we compare several insurers and make sure no gap opens between the motor policy and the business cover, exactly where the kitchen sits in the vehicle.
We know how claims work
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, including on vehicles with a lot of built in equipment. That helps when the truck is valued after a fire.
Everything with one contact
Takeaway, food truck, private car and your own cover are all handled together.
Family run since 1989
Advice is free for you, as the insurer pays our commission. You reach people, not a hotline.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
What insurance does a food truck in Germany need?
Motor liability is compulsory.
Add public liability for selling and cover for the kitchen equipment.
Fully comprehensive motor cover is worth it, because the truck is your business.
How much does public liability cost for a takeaway?
For a sole trader with modest turnover it starts at about €60 to €70 a year.
With staff and festivals it is usually €150 to €600.
Am I covered by the organiser at festivals?
No.
The organiser usually asks for proof of your own public liability.
Their policy protects them, not your stall.
Is my food trailer insured against theft?
The trailer itself through partial comprehensive motor cover,
the equipment inside through contents or electronics insurance.
Many policies require security if the trailer stays outside overnight.
Do I have to declare gas bottles?
Yes, gas operation is a feature the insurer asks about.
If you conceal it, you risk a reduced payout after a fire.
Are my casual staff insured?
At work yes, through the BGN, the statutory accident insurer for food and hospitality.
Mini jobbers and casual helpers must be registered there too.
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